Nobody likes tricks when it comes to banking. At New Tripoli Bank, we focus on the “treats” that distinguish us as your trusted bank.

We do business the old-fashioned way – one customer at a time - partnered with today’s conveniences like mobile/online banking. It’s been our philosophy since we opened the doors 112 years ago, and it continues to help us serve the unique needs of our customers today. 

Community banks’ relationship focus has made us America’s favorite lenders according to a Federal Reserve small business credit survey, with approval ratings well ahead of those megabanks and online lenders.

It’s not just proximity that wins repeat business. Unlike credit unions and the Farm Credit System, New Tripoli Bank effectively serves both individuals of modest means and agricultural borrowers without taxpayer-funded subsidies.

We put our dollars to work right here in the Lehigh Valley, helping to support local school districts, fire departments, EMS departments, and other municipal services. New Tripoli Bank also helps fortify our community through philanthropic outreach and civic service. In 2021 alone, New Tripoli Bank donated over $200,000 to local aid organizations, fire departments, and historical societies.

Our employees volunteer to help in our community. They sit on the boards of the East Penn, Greater Lehigh Valley, and Western Lehigh Chambers of Commerce. Members of our organization volunteer with food banks, churches, youth sports associations, and emergency services all around the valley. For example, volunteers from the bank helped stock shelves at the Lowhill Food Pantry and others handed out free ice cream to patrons of Pioneer Apple Fest.

The treats don’t end there. Community banks have a strong track record of helping underserved Americans by providing greater flexibility to low-income and minority borrowers. It’s the community banking way. New Tripoli Bank is committed to providing community development loans that provide financing for the construction of affordable housing, non-profit organizations serving low-moderate income markets, local and state community development projects, and community revitalization efforts.

We won’t disguise tricks as treats or leave customers holding the bag during times of need. Our fates are linked, so when good things happen for you, New Tripoli Bank and our community win as well. That’s the community banking difference, and it’s pretty sweet.

Autumn is here and while the leaves and temperatures are falling, it seems like the price of food and gas aren't following suit. On top of that, the changing season means more reasons to spend money including increased utility bills, updating your winter wardrobe, and planning for holiday purchases. Here are some tips to help you rake in some savings this fall season.

Winter-proof your home. Some TLC in the fall goes a long way toward cutting down on winter utility bills. Consider improving your home insulation by caulking or  using weather-stripping on windows and doors, and clean out your gutters to help with drainage. Cleaning or changing your furnace filter and checking if your roof is in need of repairs are two economical habits essential to prepare for the winter months. You should also consider switching to energy-efficient lightbulbs; though they cost more upfront, they'll save you money on electric bills in the long run.

Save on Appliances. Keep an eye out for your household appliances that are in need of replacing. Stores will put appliances on sale during the fall season to make room for new inventory and the latest models that come out just in time for holiday shopping. If you're shopping in person, ask sales associates if you can purchase floor models, which often come at a discount.

Clean Out Old Items. Take a long, hard look at your closets and storage spaces: they're probably full of items you haven't used in several years! Fall is a great time to clear out these items and make some additional cash while you're at it. Reach out to your neighbors about hosting a garage sale to sell off old, unwanted items, or post them to online shopping sites like eBay or Facebook marketplace. If you have a lot of old, still wearable apparel, clothing swaps are a great way to change up your wardrobe without spending a dime.

Set a Budget. Did you spend a little too freely over the summer? Fall is the perfect time to get your budget back in line. Go over your expenses and identify areas where you can cut back. With the holidays fast approaching, saving extra cash now means you'll have more in your pocket for holiday purchases. New Tripoli Bank's online banking tool makes it easy to track your spending and allows you to set up automated bill payments to make sticking to your budget simpler.

Embrace DIY. Before you spend money on autumn accessories or Halloween décor, tap into your inner artist! Fall is a great time for DIY projects which can be a fun, cost-effective activity to enjoy with your family.

Finding ways to be frugal this season can help you save money while allowing you to enjoy everything the fall season has to offer. The best way to get started with your savings goals is signing up for Free Checking with New Tripoli Bank, which gives you access to our online banking tools that make it easy to keep to a budget.

Cybersecurity should not be limited to the home, office, or classroom. It is important to practice safe online behavior and secure your Internet-enabled mobile devices whenever you travel. The more you travel and access the Internet on the go, the more cyber risks you will face. No one is exempt from the threat of cybercrime, at home or on the go, but you can follow these simple tips to stay safe online when traveling.

Before You Go

• Update your mobile software. Treat your mobile device like your home or work computer. Keep your operating system software and apps updated, which will improve your device’s ability to defend against malware.
• Back up your information. Back up your contacts, photos, videos and other mobile device data with another device or cloud service.
• Keep it locked. Get into the habit of locking your device when you are not using it. Even if you only step away for a few minutes, that is enough time for someone to steal or destroy your information. Use strong PINs and passwords.

While You Are There

• Stop auto connecting. Disable remote connectivity and Bluetooth. Some devices will automatically seek and connect to available wireless networks, and Bluetooth enables your device to connect wirelessly with other devices, such as headphones or automobile infotainment systems. Disable these features so that you only connect to wireless and Bluetooth networks when you want to.
• Think before you connect. Before you connect to any public wireless hotspot – like on an airplane, in an airport, hotel, train, bus station, or café – be sure to confirm the name of the network and exact login procedures with appropriate staff to ensure that the network is legitimate. Do not conduct sensitive activities, such as online shopping, banking, or sensitive work, using a public wireless network. Only use sites that begin with “https://” when online shopping or banking. Using your mobile network connection is more secure than using a public wireless network.
• Think before you click. Use caution when downloading or clicking on any unknown links. Delete emails that are suspicious or are from unknown sources. Review and understand the details of an application before installing.
• Guard your mobile device. Never leave your mobile devices–including any USB or external storage devices–unattended in a public place. Keep your devices secured in taxis, at airports, on airplanes, and in your hotel room to prevent theft and unauthorized access or loss of sensitive information.

Common Cybersecurity Threats While Traveling

• Unsecured wireless networks. While public wireless networks provide great convenience by allowing people to connect to the Internet from anywhere, they are unsecure and provide cyber criminals with a back door to access to your Internet-enabled devices. Beyond the typical public wireless networks found at airports, restaurants, hotels, and cafés, they are increasingly available in other places, such as on airplanes and in public parks.
• Publicly accessible computers. Hotel business centers, libraries, and cyber cafés provide computers that anyone can use. However, travelers cannot trust that these computers are running the latest operating systems or have updated antivirus software. Cyber criminals may have infected these machines with malicious viruses or installed malicious software. One example is keylogger malware which, when installed, captures the keystrokes of the computer’s users and sends this information to the hacker via email. Through this malware, criminals can receive users’ personal information, such as names, credit card numbers, birthdates, and passwords.
• Physical theft of devices. Thieves often target travelers. Mealtimes are optimum times for thieves to check hotel rooms for unattended laptops. If you are attending a conference or trade show, be especially wary — these venues offer thieves a wider selection of devices that are likely to contain sensitive information, and the conference sessions offer more opportunities for thieves to access guest rooms.

Stop.Think.Connect.™ is a national public awareness campaign aimed at increasing the understanding of cyber threats and empowering the American public to be safer and more secure online. The Campaign’s main objective is to help you become more aware of growing cyber threats and arm you with the tools to protect yourself, your family, and your community. For more information visit www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect.

Set SMART goals

Start a Savings Account

Consider Seasonal Employment

Track Your Spending

Understand Risk & Reward

Build Your Credit Score

The idea of “sustainability” is linked to a lot of local activities these days—whether it’s reusing or recycling products, sampling culinary delights from a local bakery, or choosing to buy American-made products to support our national economy. There are plenty of reasons why eating, dining, and banking locally makes good economic sense.

If you’ve ever wondered if it matters where you deposit your hard-earned money, let me assure you it does. Not only does banking locally support small businesses (community banks fund more than 60% of small business loans and more than 80% of ag loans), but as locally owned and operated businesses themselves, they are part of the economic engines that create 62 percent of new jobs annually.

Community banks like New Tripoli Bank take in deposits and make loans that keep funds right here in the Lehigh Valley and feed our local economy. It is all part of the strong relationship that community banks have with the communities they serve, and the proceeds from those businesses employ residents, fund municipalities, and continue the cycle of local economic growth.

And if you need more proof, consider the community bank response to the coronavirus pandemic.

• Community banks, as economic first responders, made 60 percent of total Paycheck Protection Program loans to small businesses, including 72 percent of PPP loans to minority business owners.
• Community banks outpace large banks in their average number of banks operating in both rural and urban markets by a 3:1 ratio.
• Community banks are the preferred small business lenders, with an 81 percent net satisfaction score compared to 68 percent for large banks and just 43 percent for online lenders.
• Community banks have consistently demonstrated their safety and soundness with higher capital ratios and better loan quality than larger institutions.
• Community banks operate in areas abandoned by others—serving as the only physical banking presence in nearly one in three counties.

But it is not just about stats. When customers contact New Tripoli Bank, they are greeted by a talented team member who is attuned to their needs and empowered to act on their behalf.

And when our employees log volunteer hours in support of the Lowhill Food Pantry or Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley or when New Tripoli Bank contributes to East Penn Restaurant Week or the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, we are working toward our goal to ensure economic prosperity for the community we call home.

April is Community Banking Month, and I want to thank our customers for putting their trust in us for their banking needs. For our neighbors who may be considering a switch, I implore you to take a closer look at New Tripoli Bank to discover how we can help you realize your financial dreams.

At New Tripoli Bank, we pledge to never lose sight of the all-important relationship and the personalized service our customers expect. After all, at New Tripoli Bank, people are more valuable than money.

Remember, we are all in this together. Community banks like ours are only successful if our customers and communities are, too. That is why community banks and our relationship business model have thrived for more than 110 years. We know what it takes to create successful local economies. Join us in helping to build a more sustainable, vibrant economy here at home!

High wire artist and daredevil Karl Wallenda was internationally known for his dangerous stunts, often performed without a safety net. For years, he performed daredevil feats to countless audiences of stunned onlookers. Unfortunately, on March 22^nd, 1978, Karl’s luck finally ran out, while walking a tight rope over one hundred feet in the air suspended between two towers of a hotel in Puerto Rico. A combination of faulty rigging and strong winds tripped up Wallenda, who fell to his death.

While it can be tempting to follow in the footsteps Karl Wallenda and take risks without a safety net, when it comes to money, it’s extremely important to understand and effectively manage your risks to ensure financial wellness. Here are several tips to keep in mind when handling financial decisions in the new year.

Maintain Adequate Emergency Funds

Before you make any important decisions, you should make sure you can pay for your regular living expenses. At the very least, opening a small savings account of $2,000 or less can help you weather short-term, unexpected hiccups without leaving you stressed about your bills. If you have the option, a long-term savings account with several months of living expenses will keep you solvent in case of larger financial crises such as a job loss or unexpected medical issue.

Find a Second Income Source

Piggybacking on the previous paragraph, another way to protect yourself from the financial stress of job loss is to diversify your sources of income. While not everyone has the time to start a side hustle, even something as small as selling old collectibles online can add some extra money to your emergency fund. If you’re able to put money into investments, you can even earn additional money without having to commit time to a side hustle or second job.

Minimize Your Debts

Debt often carries a higher interest rate than savings or investments and taking on excessive debt is one of the highest barriers to entry for most American families. This is what’s called a debt spiral, where an individual feels a loss of control thanks to chains of ever-increasing debt obligations. By staying away from excessive debt, you can maintain greater control over your finances, which helps to reduce stress.

Maintain Good Health

Speaking of stress: staying physically fit is not only good for your health—it also positively impacts your financial wellness! You’ll find that it costs less money to maintain good health, by taking steps such as regular exercise and healthy eating, than it will when you need expensive medical procedures to fix the physical ailments and diseases that come with poor health. While it is easier said than done, what better time than the New Year to commit to starting that diet or exercise plan?

Life is full of risks, so it’s important you do what you can to protect yourself. The goal of financial wellness is to reduce the overall stress that comes with budgeting and financial planning and putting yourself in a good enough financial situation where you can start thinking about things like investing and wealth generation.

When You Are Ready

• If you are a Trustee, the estate planning documents will provide you with access to funds for funeral and other death-related expenses.
• If you are a named executor, you will have to wait for court-appointed access to funds, but you should be able to retrieve the decedent's will from the safe deposit box.

Handling Retirement Benefits

Covering Expenses

Caring for Emotional Needs

What To Do When a Family Member Passes

1. Locate any health care powers of attorney, advance health care directives, funeral and burial instructions, etc. and review them for possible instructions about disposal of the body and funeral arrangements.
2. Locate any papers relating to prearranged funeral services or pre-purchased burial plots.
3. If your loved one has served in the U.S. Military, check the website and search for information on Military Honors available at burial such as US Flag and Military Representative.
4. Contact the decedent's banks to see if they have any safe deposit boxes.
5. Locate the original copy of the will or trust, if there is one.
6. Locate all the legal and financial documents that pertain to the deceased person's assets such as deeds, vehicle titles, stocks, bonds and insurance policies.
7. Locate and secure important personal documents such as driver's license, social security card, passport, birth certificate, divorce decree, legal separation agreement, marriage license, military separation papers, citizenship and retirement documents.
8. Maintain a detailed list of all expenses relating to the final care and/or death of the decedent. You will probably be able to obtain reimbursement for these expenses from the decedent's estate or trust, and some of these expenses will be deductible for estate tax or income tax purposes.
9. Contact the deceased person's financial planner, CPA and estate planning attorney. They each need to know and will each have a role in helping you. The attorney will prepare any documents necessary to confirm the authority of the successor trustee of the trust. This will give the trustee access to assets within the trust to cover costs of the funeral and/or other related expenses.
10. Request a minimum of five death certificates from the funeral home. Most life insurance policies and related assets require an original certificate with the claim form.

1. Contact the insurance agent or agency handling each life insurance policy and request death benefit claim forms. If the deceased had a financial planner, they will often do this for you. Note that most insurers will usually cut a check relatively quickly following the death of a loved one. Do not feel compelled to invest this money immediately. Most insurance companies will let you keep the proceeds from a life insurance policy in an interest bearing cash account until you have a plan for investing it. If you know your loved one had a life insurance policy but you cannot find it, contact the American Council of Life Insurers (www.acli.com), which offers guidance in tracing missing policies.
2. Notify all other insurance carriers (i.e., health, long term care, umbrella, disability, accidental death, travel, vehicle, homeowners or renter's insurance).
3. Get a list of all the beneficiaries of the insurance policies with their age, relationship to deceased and their current address and phone number.
4. Contact the deceased's current and past employer(s) to see if any retirement plans or life insurance policies are in place and request the necessary claim forms. Many companies make every attempt to help the families of their employees after a death. They may immediately cut you a check for wages owed, vacation pay, sick pay, and life insurance benefits. If the death was the result of an accident on company time, there may also be accidental death and dismemberment benefits and you will also need to notify Worker's Comp in that instance.
5. Gather all of the decedent's bills and expenses that are coming due, bank and brokerage statements, and last year's tax return.
6. Locate and organize notes regarding assets and liabilities, such as promissory notes, loans, business interests, patents, and royalties.
7. Check with banks and credit card companies to see if there was additional life insurance connected with the decedent's accounts.
8. Contact all of the financial institutions that hold any assets of the deceased. Tell them you need the date of death values on each asset in each account. Ask them to send you a copy of this information. Note the name of the individual assisting you.
9. Locate and secure any items mentioned in a governing document, will or trust or documents of title.

1. Process life insurance claims.
2. Apply for Social Security benefits at 1 (800) 772-1213 (and/or the Veteran's Office at (916) 731-7300 if applicable) and inform them of the death of the individual. Otherwise, you'll be required to pay back any monies overpaid to the decedent. Many times the funeral home will have notified Social Security; confirm this with them.
3. Close credit card accounts and destroy credit cards.
4. Notify banks and brokerage firms and remove the deceased's name from any joint accounts.
5. Meet with the deceased's or your financial advisor, as appropriate, to develop a long-term investment plan for the estate assets, including any life insurance benefits to be received.

• Gather the legal documents (deeds, promissory notes, deeds of trust, loan or real estate documents), estate planning documents (such as wills and trusts), all current and/or past due bills, statements, claims forms, etc., and set up an initial meeting with the fiduciary, CPA and the estate planning attorney to identify what needs to be done and coordinate who will do it.
• Lodge the original will with the court in the county of his/her legal residence.
• Meet with an attorney to determine whether a petition for probate of the will must be filed.
• Begin preparing for filing the estate tax return (Form 706). Some of the forms and documents you have been collecting will be needed by your CPA or attorney to document date of death calculations for that return.
• Your attorney or CPA can assist you with finalizing and understanding any legal documents and/or forms that you have received.
• The fiduciary financial advisor and estate attorney can also assist you with funding the trusts (if applicable) and with making distributions to any beneficiaries.
• The fiduciary financial advisor and CPA can help you make IRA and pension plan election decisions.

Managing money as an adult can be stressful. Between checking accounts, savings accounts, IRAs, 401(k)s, bills, mortgages, loans, and more, handling personal finances can be a lot to think about. If the prospect of looking at your budget stresses you out and causes you to put off important financial decisions, it might be time to simplify! With some effort and commitment, you can streamline your personal finances and save yourself time, effort, and money in the future.

Here are some steps you can take to ease your financial stress.

Automate Your Bills

The best way to lighten the load of financial decisions you make each month is to let your financial institution do it for you! Putting all your recurring bills on autopilot can save you significant time and hassle each month. This includes things like credit cards, utilities, insurance, loans, mortgage, and rent. Additionally, automation means you will never have to worry about being late on your payments!

New Tripoli Bank’s online and mobile banking tools both have a Pay My Bills service where you can set up automatic bill payments.

Go Paperless

Nobody likes paperwork—it creates a huge mess and often you forget about or misplace important documents. There’s nothing worse than finding an overdue bill in what you thought was a pile of junk mail!

Many services allow customers to opt-in to paperless statements. They will keep important documents in your online account, where you can access them at any time. Not only do you remove the stress of losing your bills, you’re also reducing the clutter in your home!

New Tripoli Bank offers our customers paperless eStatements that are emailed at the end of each month and accessible via our online and mobile banking platforms.

Consolidate Accounts

It can be easy to accumulate multiple checking, savings, CDs, loan, and retirement accounts over the years without realizing it. As you hop between financial institutions or start retirement accounts upon being hired at a new job, you leave many accounts floating around that you may forget about. These accounts could cost you money, as is the case for some 401(k)s, where the service fees were previously handled by an employer you no longer work for.

Take some time to identify these accounts and consider consolidating them into your more active accounts. You should close checking and savings accounts with your previous banks and transfer the funds into your current bank. Consider rolling your 401(k)s from former employers into the retirement account connected to your current job. You’ll benefit from having all your funds in one spot for easy access while also minimizing maintenance fees.

You may also want to look at bundling your insurance policies, as many companies offer significant discounts to consumers who take out multiple policies from the same insurer.

Use One Credit Card

Credit card bills are the primary source of stress for modern consumers. If you’re someone who looks for the best deals and rewards with each credit card, it can be easy to find yourself with multiple credit accounts.

You should consider reducing your credit card usage down to a single card. Pick the credit card company that offers you the most in return—cash back, travel rewards, or other perks—and commit to using only that credit card. This will leave you with one bill to pay each month, with the added benefit that your single statement is much easier to monitor for errors or fraud.

Remember that cancelling your credit cards can negatively impact your credit score—we’re simply you to commit to using one. Consider storing the unused cards in a safe place.

Pay Down Debt

This step is obvious but it’s worth bringing up. We’ve put out a few articles on how to effectively pay down debt, but the short explanation is you should prioritize your debt based on interest rate.

List your debts from highest to lowest interest rate, then focus on putting the extra money from your monthly budget into paying down the balance on the highest interest rate. When that debt is paid off, move down the list, paying down the debt with the next-highest interest rate and so on. While this is a slow process, you’ll end up paying less money in the long term on compounded interest.

Set Savings to Automatic

If you have the capability to save money each month after paying for bills and necessities, you should consider setting up an automatic transfer of money from your main account into a savings account. This takes the responsibility of saving your money out of your hands, with the added benefit of making sure that money is tucked away before you have a chance to spend it.

New Tripoli Bank customers can set up automated, recurring transfers between their accounts utilizing our online and mobile banking tools.

Focus on Important Goals

It is a great thing to have financial goals. Whether you’re planning to buy a car, a home, or simply looking to retire with a sizeable nest egg, these goals help focus your budget and save effectively. Just make sure you’re not biting off more than you can chew!

Try to limit yourself to one or two big savings goals at a time. Ideally one of them should be saving for retirement, since you want to get a jump start to take advantage of compounding interest. But you should set another savings goal, then focus on completing that goal before moving onto another. You’ll find that limiting yourself helps you reach each goal faster.

Conclusion

The one thing to remember when you set out to simplify your financial life is this: you’re committing to a lot of legwork upfront to ease your stress in the long run. Take some time to plan out what you want to accomplish and set some realistic targets that you can hit.

If you need help simplifying your financial life, New Tripoli Bank has the tools you need to take some of the financial burden off your shoulders. Consider signing up for one of our free checking accounts, which gives you access to online banking tools like automated bill payments, money management tools, and paperless eStatements. We also have knowledgeable friendly staff who are always ready to help our customers simplify their financial life.