Northwest Bank Blog

When making a charitable gift, donors often face a choice: designate the gift for a nonprofit’s overall mission or give to a specific program or project. What’s the difference between the two?

What if I told you that you have the potential to increase your lifetime earnings by millions of dollars with a simple method? Would you think I was trying to sell you something? It is not a gimmick, and I am here to give it out for free.

As we go forward in the digital age, more and more of our lives are being lived behind a log-in portal. For many, all utilities are being handled via an online account, and statements are emails saved in an email account that is also password protected.

What is Financial Planning? This often-used term in the financial world is frequently misunderstood and undervalued. In our eyes, the reason Financial Planning is misconstrued is that Financial Planning is not the same for everyone.

In the State of Iowa, dying without a Will (known as dying “intestate”), comes with certain guidelines on how your assets will be distributed. Jointly titled assets will become the property of the joint owner.

For many, stepping into the world of charitable giving and philanthropy can feel overwhelming. Who should I give to? How can my money do the most good? What does my community need? These questions will have different answers for everyone!

Each year, the Social Security Administration makes updates to the social security retirement program. Here are some key changes to Social Security beginning January 2024 that will affect workers and retirees.

After nearly 40 years, the Putnam Museum’s regional history exhibit has received a major makeover. A three-year collaboration will exhibit our region’s history up to the modern day.

Charitable gift contributions before the end of the calendar year offer possible tax savings for that year, and the holidays are when many of us support the causes we care about.

A new year means new rules for 529s, Roth IRAs, & employer-sponsored retirement plans. Every year we see updates to the rules and regulations on a variety of different investment accounts and we want to highlight some of the changes for 2024.

The Internal Revenue Service announced retirement plan contribution limits for 2024. For the most part the 2024 limits are unchanged from the 2023 limits. Read about the notable changes.

An important task to complete following the death of a spouse is to contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) if either spouse has started to receive benefits.

We are very proud to have been named the Best Investment/Financial Firm by the Quad City Times. We appreciate the time you took to vote for us as part of the Best Of the Quad Cities contest.

During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, The Arc is celebrating the many contributions and achievements of employees with disabilities in the local workforce and raising awareness of employment-related advantages unique to hiring people with disabilities.

Donor advised funds (DAFs)—like those offered at community foundations—are increasingly popular, highly flexible giving vehicles that meet these charitable goals. Just as the name states, DAFs allow you to advise charitable grants to nonprofit organizations of your choice.

The Friends of Bettendorf Parks Foundation is a volunteer, 501c (3) non-profit organization that provides support and assistance to families, programs, and activities in the City of Bettendorf. Funds raised by the Foundation support programs throughout the Bettendorf Parks system.

We were very pleased to learn that we have once again been voted among the Best Of the Region Wealth Management Teams by the readers of the Quad Cities Business Journal. We are honored to have been chosen among the best in our field.

When simplifying the organization and retention of your important financial information, our ‘electronic filing cabinet’ is a great option.

When determining the best age to begin social security benefits, there are many factors that should be considered such as health, employment status, marital status and financial status.

When deciding to make a charitable gift we often default to what we have available in our checking accounts at the time. However, the greatest portions of our wealth are most often not in a checking account but instead in other, less liquid assets.

People we visit with sometimes think that a planned or estate charitable gift needs to be complicated or expensive to set up. They’re surprised when I tell them the most often used planned charitable gift is also the easiest—a simple beneficiary designation.

The Family Museum is developing a one-of-a-kind “On the Road” gallery set to open in 2024. This 1,800 square foot gallery renovation showcases sights and activities families might see and do on a road trip.

Financial market news has been littered with doom and gloom the last 15 months, but the last six months has resulted in a very respectable market rebound.

A simple estate plan typically consists of a will, durable or financial power of attorney, health care directives, including a medical power of attorney and living will, plus perhaps a revocable trust. This four part series will review the structure and purpose of these basic estate planning documents.

The Internal Revenue Service announced retirement plan contribution limits for 2023. As retirement plan investors will notice, the changes are more significant than in past years.