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Feeling overwhelmed by your finances? Wish you could get clear, simple advice from a trusted source? Welcome to "Making Sense of your Cents," the weekly podcast from First Century Bank that gives you actionable financial tips.
Join hosts Daniel Hill and Shanna Browning as they cut through the confusing jargon to help you build financial confidence. Whether you're looking to understand your credit score, create a budget that actually works, spot the difference between APY and APR, or protect yourself from scams, we're here to help.
Our mission is to empower our community with friendly, practical money knowledge. Subscribe now and start making sense of your cents, one simple tip at a time.
21 Episodes
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Your home has value you can use. With guest Megan Zielinski, VP/Area Executive, we explain the Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). In this episode, you’ll learn how to calculate your home's equity, how a HELOC's "draw" and "repayment" periods work, and the smart ways to use this powerful financial tool for things like home renovations. We'll also cover the important responsibilities and risks that come with borrowing against your home. If you’ve enjoyed listening to Making Sense of your Cents...
Overdrafts can be a source of stress and costly fees. Joined by Compliance Operations Specialist Amy Earl, we provide a transparent look at how they work and the choices you have as a consumer. In this episode, you will learn the crucial difference between Overdraft Protection and Overdraft Privilege, understand your important "opt-in" rights for debit card transactions, and discover simple, proactive habits and mobile alerts you can set up to avoid overdrafts altogether. If you’ve enjoyed li...
In this episode, we answer one of the most fundamental questions in banking: is my money safe? This episode is a confidence-building deep dive into the protection that backs your deposits. We'll explore the history of the FDIC, explain exactly what's covered (checking, savings) and what's not (investments), and show you how the $250,000 insurance limit works and how you can get even more coverage at a single bank. The FDIC’s Electronic Deposit Insurance Estimator (EDIE) https://edie.fdic.gov/...
Feeling the pinch at the grocery store and the gas pump? This episode is a jargon-free guide to inflation. We demystify what it is, how it's measured using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and how it impacts your daily life. We'll explain the difference between "demand-pull" and "cost-push" inflation and provide practical, everyday tips for adjusting your family budget to cope with rising prices, fight back against the rising cost of living, and protect your purchasing power. If you’ve enjoyed...
You hear "the Fed raised rates" on the news, but what does that actually mean for your wallet? In this episode, we translate the complex headlines into practical, personal knowledge. We'll explain who the Fed is, what their "dual mandate" means, how their decisions directly affect the APY on your savings account, and why the interest rate on your variable-rate credit card goes up when they tighten policy. This episode connects the big picture to your budget. If you’ve enjoyed listening to Mak...
Could you be paying less on your car loan or mortgage? In this episode, we explain the pros and cons of refinancing. It can be a powerful tool to save money, but it's not the right move for everyone. We'll discuss the two main reasons to consider refinancing—an improved credit score or a drop in market rates—and teach you how to calculate your "break-even point" on closing costs to see if it's truly worth it for your financial situation. If you’ve enjoyed listening to Making Sense of your Cen...
Whether you have a blank credit file or are recovering from past financial mistakes, this episode provides a clear roadmap to a better score. We lay out actionable strategies for building a positive credit history, starting from day one. We’ll explore how to leverage a secured credit card to prove your creditworthiness, the benefits of a credit-builder loan, and how becoming an authorized user can provide a powerful head start. It’s never too late to write a new financial story. If you’ve enj...
Your credit report is the official story of your financial life—but is it telling the truth? In this episode, we provide a step-by-step guide to pulling your free annual credit report from the only official source. We'll teach you how to decode the four key sections of your report, how to spot common errors or red flags for fraud, and the exact process for formally disputing an inaccurate item with the credit bureaus to protect your score and your reputation. If you’ve enjoyed listening to Ma...
Life's biggest milestones—getting married, having a baby, buying a home—are also major financial events. Joined by CFO Barron D. Kennedy, IV, we discuss the key financial conversations and action steps for these exciting transitions. Learn how to have the "money talk" with your partner before getting married, the non-negotiable financial steps to take when a child is on the way, and how to avoid being "house poor" by buying what you can comfortably afford, not just what you're approved f...
Identity theft goes far beyond a single stolen credit card number. As the bank's Security Officer, Daniel Hill joins Shanna Browning to dive into serious threats like the "Grandparent Scam," elder fraud, and the invisible danger of synthetic ID theft. This episode is a crucial guide to safeguarding your personal information. Daniel and Shanna explain what a credit freeze is, why it's the single most powerful tool for preventing new accounts from being opened in your name, and the proactive st...
Fake emails, suspicious texts, and urgent calls—scammers are working overtime to trick you. In this episode, cybersecurity expert Ben Lawson, GM of Burk IT, joins the conversation to teach you how to spot the red flags of a phishing attack. You'll learn the psychological tricks of urgency and authority that fraudsters use to manipulate you, how to inspect a sender's email address, and hover over links to reveal the truth. If you’ve enjoyed listening to Making Sense of your Cents and you’ve fo...
Your bank is in your pocket, but is your account secure? Joined by Wesley Minton, COO & Information Security Officer at First Century Bank, we discuss the essential habits for staying safe in the digital world. This episode is a masterclass in personal cybersecurity, explaining what makes a truly "strong" password in the modern era and why Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is the single most effective tool for protecting your account. We'll also cover simple rules for using public Wi-Fi and...
The path to homeownership can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. In this episode, we break down the crucial first steps of the mortgage process. This episode is a jargon-free introduction to buying a home with confidence, explaining the critical difference between a pre-qualification and a pre-approval, how to understand your total monthly payment (or "DTI"), and the truth about the 20% down payment myth and other options available to first-time homebuyers. If you’ve enjoyed listen...
Is all your money piled into one checking or savings account? In this episode, Daniel and Shanna explore the financial toolbox of different bank accounts. We’ll explain the specific jobs of Checking, Savings, Money Market, and CD accounts. Learn how to use this "bucket system" to organize your finances, protect your emergency fund, and make your savings work harder for you by matching the right account type to your specific financial goals. If you’ve enjoyed listening to Making Sense of your ...
Which card should you swipe at the checkout? It’s not about "good" vs. "bad"—it's about using the right tool for the right job. In this episode, we explore the fundamental differences between debit and credit cards, focusing on the crucial distinctions in fraud protection and liability. We’ll also cover how each card impacts your ability to build a credit history and earn rewards, and we'll provide a simple, hybrid strategy to get the best of both worlds: the security of credit and the discip...
The word "budget" often brings up feelings of restriction and stress. In this episode, we reframe budgeting not as a financial diet, but as an empowering roadmap for your money. Daniel and Shanna explore simple, sustainable methods that you can actually stick with. We’ll teach you how to use the balanced 50/30/20 rule to categorize your spending without getting overwhelmed, and we’ll explore the power of the "Reverse Budget" for those who hate tracking every penny. Find the right method for y...
Why is it so hard to save money, even with the best intentions? In this episode, Daniel and Shanna are joined by First Century Bank President & CEO Rob Barger to discuss the single most powerful habit for building long-term wealth: Paying Yourself First. Rob explains the crucial mindset shift from "saving what's left" to treating savings as your most important bill. We’ll discuss how to start saving even if you feel you're living paycheck to paycheck and why automation is the secret weapo...
Your three-digit credit score holds incredible power over your financial life, affecting everything from loan rates to insurance premiums. But how is it actually calculated? In this deep dive, we pull back the curtain on the credit score formula, breaking down the five key ingredients that make up your score and revealing which ones matter most. We'll also bust common myths, like why you don't need to carry a credit card balance to build credit, and provide simple, practical habits you can st...
APR and APY sound almost the same, but one costs you money while the other makes you money. In this episode, Daniel and Shanna demystify these common but confusing acronyms with clear, real-world examples. We'll explore what APR (Annual Percentage Rate) really means for borrowers and why it includes more than just the interest rate. Then, we'll flip the script to explain how APY (Annual Percentage Yield) accounts for the magic of compounding interest, helping your savings grow faster. This is...
Welcome to "Making Sense of Your Cents," the new podcast from First Century Bank. Have you ever felt intimidated by financial jargon? Join hosts Daniel Hill and Shanna Browning as they break down complex topics into clear, useful information. In our first episode, we share our story. Get to know your hosts and discover the deep community roots of First Century Bank, which began in Tazewell, TN, in 1894 as Claiborne National Bank. Learn the powerful legacy of former president Glenn Yoakum, the...
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