Online Library
This page shows a summary of all article categories and latest articles in the Learning Center.
Home Ownership
- Using Equity in Your Home to Accomplish Your Goals
- Navigating Your Home Buying Experience
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Making Your Refinance Work Hard for You
lower rate is only the beginning. There are ways to make a refinance work harder for you. It just takes a little planning and consideration for your personal situation and your goals. Below are some hypothetical scenarios to show how homeowners can refinance their homes to create more stability or to open up opportunities.
Investing
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Investment Basics
Investments are not just for the wealthy. Whether you’re in your first job, your prime earning years, or nearing retirement, it’s never too late – or too early – to use personal investments as a savings vehicle for your future. There are several types of accounts for this purpose and a multitude of funds to invest in.
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4 Steps to Prepare Your Financial Plan for Economic Uncertainty
2020 was a year unlike any other, dashing expectations we had for our personal lives, politics and the economy. Look back one year ago at the economic outlooks and forecasts, and you’ll see predictions that were comically out of date before the end of the first quarter. Yet we forge ahead now with a look at what to expect for 2021 and, more importantly, how people can prepare for the unpredictable nature of the world today.
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When Your Child has Special Needs, You Need Exceptional Financial Planning
Parents do everything in their power to ensure a good life for their children. But some children with disabilities may never become fully independent. How can families plan for a future that’s often uncertain? It can seem insurmountable, but with the right approach and the right kind of help, they can put the pieces in place to prepare for the rest of their child's life.
Managing Your Money
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Is it there yet? Here’s how to check for your federal stimulus payment.
Now that the president signed the stimulus bill into law, millions of Americans are looking for their payment. Here are some frequently asked questions that may help ease your mind as you wait.
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Insurance 101: When you’re young, you still need a safety net
One piece of adulthood that can feel daunting is insurance. What kind and how much does a 20-30-something need? Asking a professional to help you “shop” is great first step, and here’s a summary of the types of coverage to consider.
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How to Enroll in eStatements – and Why It’s a Smart Decision
eStatements have been around for many years but have become increasingly popular lately. If you’re working away from the office, you can access them at home or while traveling—anywhere you have an Internet connection. Here's why you should join the paperless world and move your bank business to eStatements.
Retirement
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Don’t Risk Your Retirement: Financial Planning is for Everyone
Popular opinion says young people have more trouble saving for retirement compared to older generations. That’s a myth. Plenty of people at every age are equally unprepared. You don’t have to be rich or close to retirement to work with a financial planner. In fact, the earlier the better.
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Working Longer May Help You Prosper
No one typically dreams of toiling away at the office after they’ve hit full retirement age, but working for a few more years could make a big difference in your post-retirement lifestyle.
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6 Money Management Strategies for Retirees
Here are some strategies for retirees to make the most of what they have saved and make sure it lasts.
Starting a Company
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What I Learned in the Marines: Helping Veterans Become Entrepreneurs
What does it take to turn veterans into entrepreneurs? There’s no straight line from the military to the business world, but what you learned then can help you now. These are the issues most often faced and the lessons you can use to solve them.
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Building Great Places to Work
Pinnacle recently hosted a panel of business leaders who have been recognized by the Nashville Business Journal for building great places to work. Here are some takeaways that you can implement in your own company.
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SBA 7(a) Loans: A Financing Alternative for All Growing Businesses
Obtaining financing for a venture can be a challenge for business owners who don’t qualify for conventional loans. One option for entrepreneurs who want to start or expand a business is the SBA 7(a) program. Learn more about what the program entails, who is eligible and what the funds can be used for.
Managing Your Business
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Powerful Benefits for Health and Wealth
Employer-sponsored health insurance is a highly valuable benefit to employees. For many Americans, it’s a necessity. But when employees add up their portion of the premiums plus deductibles and coinsurance, the total can put a significant dent in their household budget. Worries about paying for healthcare can lead to stress, which, as we know, is not good for health. Among the ways employers can help is to offer tax-advantaged healthcare accounts, which help employees offset the burden of these costs.
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Prep your business for a socially distant world with online sales, delivery, curbside and new ways to take payments
As the pandemic continues to unfold, it’s drastically changing how businesses can interact with and accept payment from customers. Social distancing measures may be in place for the long-term, and another wave of shutdowns isn’t out of the question.
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Small Business Survival Tactics for a Crisis
National and economic crises have far-reaching effects, and small businesses are especially vulnerable. If you start having doubts about your sustainability, here are some tactics you can explore to help pull your company through.
Finance and Money Matters
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LIBOR 101: When is it going away and why?
LIBOR stands for the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate. It's one of the most widely used benchmark interest rates in the world, helping banks determine what to charge for a short-term interest rate when they lend money. Starting in 2021, LIBOR will be phased out and replaced with a new benchmark. Here's what that means for people with loan or credit card rates tied to it.
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Beyond PPP: What Businesses Can Get from the CARES Act
Everyone's talking about the PPP, but what else can the CARES Act do for your business? Our good friend Paul Anglin from Blankenship CPA Group joins us to talk about employee retention credits, payroll tax delays and other parts of the pandemic stimulus bill that could affect your taxes.
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Get tight control over your company’s cash flow
With revenues severely restricted or even cut off, it’s more important than ever to maintain tight control over your company’s cash flow. When used responsibly and paid off every month, credit cards could be the perfect solution. Here are three ways they can help you get the most out of your cash.
How Pinnacle Protects You
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Pinnacle and Trusteer Rapport
Trusteer Rapport will not be supported in Tennessee after Dec. 31, 2018. Instructions for uninstalling the software are available here.
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What Additional Security Features Does Pinnacle Provide?
Beyond the security of all Pinnacle systems and technologies, there are some very simple ways that Pinnacle clients can monitor their accounts to be sure they are free of fraud.
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How Secure are My Accounts?
Pinnacle places the highest importance on protecting our clients’ funds and information. Read this for information on how we accomplish that.
Safe Online Practices for Consumers
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Protect Yourself When Shopping Online this Holiday Season
A record number people are turning to online shopping for holiday gifts. IBM’s most recent U.S. Retail Index Report indicates that the pandemic has sped up the shift from in-store to online shopping by about five years. Just as people take protective measures to stay well this season, shoppers should take precautions before clicking enticing offers for holiday deals.
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How to Avoid Identity Theft While Shopping Online
Credit card fraud and identity theft is a reality in today’s economy. According to the 2013 Norton Report, 552 million consumer identities were stolen from retailer data breaches and that number is projected to grow in 2014. Here are a few tips to help protect you and your good name this holiday season.
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Cyber Security: Beware of Social Engineering to Protect Your Password
Not all security breaches are data leaks, hacked databases or callers claiming to need private information. Sometimes it can even feel like fun. If you’ve ever taken a quiz online like “Which Harry Potter character are you?” or posted answers to questions about your teen years, you may have fallen prey to social engineering.
Safe Practices for Businesses
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Business Email Compromise: A Big Problem
“Business Email Compromise” (or BEC), is becoming an all too common scam executed by cyber thieves. Criminals work to understand and monitor your business processes, request forms, and partners involved over a period of days or weeks, then they generate a highly targeted attack designed to fool you into thinking you are working with a legitimate business partner. Often times these types of scams result in a significant financial loss to the business.
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Protecting Your Credit in the Wake of a Security Breach
Owner-operated businesses are an ideal target for identity theft. As a sole-proprietor, the owner and the business are considered one in the same. Here is what you should do if you are the victim of a breach.
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Protect Yourself from a Data Breach
In today’s environment chances are good that your card information could be compromised in the future. Here’s what to do if you’re a consumer, a merchant or another type of small business to protect yourself from a security breach.
Tips on Reporting Fraud
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How to Report Identity Theft
While dealing with problems resulting from identity theft can be time-consuming and frustrating, most victims can resolve their cases by being assertive, organized, and knowledgeable about their legal rights. Read this for steps you should take immediately.
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Report a Lost or Stolen Debit/Credit Card
If you believe your Pinnacle debit or credit card is lost or stolen, call us immediately.
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Finding a Legitimate ID Theft Protection Service
Depending on the services you want, you should be able to discover an option that fits your needs and your budget.
Security Threats
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Beware of Fraud After PPP Data Publication
The SBA has released a complete and detailed list of all PPP loans and borrowers. Everyone who took a PPP loan should be on the lookout for fraud and unwanted solicitations. The level of detail involved gives scammers all the information they need to create very convincing fraud emails and phone calls. Here's how to outsmart them.
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7 Common Scams and How to Avoid Them
Cons make their living stealing a small amount of money thousands of times, and some get away with hundreds or thousands of dollars at a time. Banks all over the country have seen a dramatic spike in scams and frauds in 2020. Below are just a few of the most common scams we see.
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Avoid Telephone Scams with These Tips
Anyone with a phone is familiar with the nuisance of robocalls, unsolicited telemarketing calls and scammers seeking quick cash through a variety of fraudulent claims. Some even pretend to be the FBI, the IRS or law enforcement.