All About the USDA Guaranteed Rural Housing Program (And If It’s Right for You!) USDA stands for the United States Department of Agriculture, the agency best known for working with farmers and food standards. The USDA also promotes decent and affordable homeownership in rural areas. The USDA offers two types of home lending. The first… Read More
Jennifer Wheeler
Artificial Intelligence: What to Know What is It and Why Should I Care? Artificial Intelligence (AI) describes systems programmed to think and respond like humans. In fact, we asked the AI solution ChatGPT that very question and got this response. What is Artificial Intelligence? Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in… Read More
Stillman Bank Awards 2023 Eickman Scholarship to Four Area Students Stillman Trust & Wealth Management is pleased to announce the winners of the Eickman Scholarship, an annual scholarship awarded to four area high school seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine. The 2023 recipients are: Ava Krall, Byron High School; Caelyn Langley,… Read More
Community Shred Day Join us for a FREE Community Shred Day on Saturday, June 17! Anyone is welcome to dispose of their personal papers and unwanted documents in a safe and secure way.
Economic Update – Spring 2023 | “A Resilient Market” The first quarter of 2023 continued to display a market of mixed emotions and uncertainty. The Federal Reserve (The Fed) continued their battle against inflation by increasing interest rates. This revealed cracks in some banks’ balance sheets with deposits leaving or paying more, while longer term… Read More
Stillman Bank Announces 2023 Promotions Thomas R. Hughes, President & CEO of Stillman BancCorp N.A., along with the Board of Directors have moved to promote the following bank employees: Melissa S. Morphey, Chief Credit Officer Melissa joined Stillman Bank in 2015 as a Credit Analyst and was promoted to Senior Credit Analyst in 2020. She… Read More
Don’t Get Scammed! Warning Signs to Look Out for When Hiring a Contractor There are hundreds of legitimate, ethical contractors in business around Northern Illinois. Unfortunately, there are also scam artists who pose as legitimate contractors. These “fly-by-night” operators often show up in communities impacted by natural disasters to scam distressed homeowners into paying for… Read More
Renae Stevens Joins Stillman Bank as Retail Office Manager Stillman Bank is pleased to welcome Renae Stevens as Retail Office Manager, according to Thomas Hughes, President & CEO. With nearly 30 years of banking experience, Stevens has served in a variety of roles throughout her career including Teller, Personal Banker, Cash Management Services, Branch Manager,… Read More
FHA vs. Freddie Mac: Affordable Home Programs Compared As housing costs continue to rise, so does the need for affordable mortgage financing. Thankfully, affordable options are expanding to keep up with the diverse needs of first-time and repeat buyers. In fact, you probably hear more about low-down payment mortgages today than ever before. Internet search… Read More
How To Use Cybersecurity in Your Everyday Life How many internet-connected devices do you have in your home? While these devices make our lives easier, they also make us easy targets for cybercriminals. So, whether you are connecting to the internet through social media, online shopping, or listening to music on a smart speaker, here… Read More