Florence Bank
Connecting with our communities.
Welcome to the Valley Beat! Here you’ll find the inside scoop on Florence Bank’s services, personal finance, people, nonprofits in the region, community members and events! There are so many good stories that come out of our work at the bank – the Valley Beat is where these stories will live. Check back often to stay up-to-date with our latest news and articles.
3/01/20
Save Money This Summer With An Energy Efficient Home
If the temperatures don’t do it, seeing your utility bills after a few hot summer weeks can make your blood boil. Here are some pointers for making sure your energy budget doesn’t overheat in the coming months.
3/25/20
Effective Money Tips For Parents To-be
You planned the baby shower and painted the nursery… but are your finances in order? Whether it’s your first or fifth, having a baby requires a little financial planning. To make sure you’re ready to support your bundle of joy, check out these effective tips for organizing your finances!
5/20/20
Stop Wasting Money on These Things Now
It’s possible you’re spending money on things you don’t really need. Save yourself some money by giving them up and redirecting those dollars toward your savings, retirement, or investment accounts.
Read MoreAbout Cut These Costs When Facing Financial Hardships
2/25/20
Your Family Summer Budget-Friendly Bucket List
If you are looking for more affordable options to entertain the family this summer, look no further. Here are eight low-cost summer activities for the whole family.
5/03/20
Supporting Charities During the Holiday Season
For some people, the holidays can be a tricky time. Motivated by the seasonal spirit, you want to support your favorite charity, but lack the funds to make a meaningful impact. However, while monetary donations are always appreciated, many organizations need more than cash to make a difference.
3/15/20
Is it time to open a checking or savings account for our children?
If you want to equip your kids with the tools to be financially secure adults, a good place to start is with a savings and/or checking account.
4/01/20
Teens and Money: Checking and Savings Accounts
One of the first steps toward real freedom (and adulthood) is having a checking and savings account in your own name. These accounts allow you to save money, make purchases, and pay bills efficiently.
5/02/20
Gifts to Spark Excitement and Build Financial Responsibility
The financial habits and money management skills kids learn can follow them for the rest of their lives. If you want to get your kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews off to a great start, giving financially-themed gifts is always a good idea.
4/10/20
How and When to Educate Your Teen on Credit Cards
Here are some tips for helping a young person learn how to use credit wisely, before and while having a credit card.
3/05/20
Raising Money Smart Kids
We all want our kids to be financially-savvy adults one day, but it’s become increasingly difficult in today’s swag culture. Here are some ideas to begin your child’s journey toward financial independence.
3/24/20
College Planning 101
Most parents have already heard the bad news: a college education has never been more expensive. The good news is that there’s a lot parents can do to help their children and make the costs of college more manageable.
5/01/20
Creative Ways to Lower Holiday Spending
A little bit of creativity and energy can get you through the holidays without draining your wallet.
4/15/20
Three Facts on Personal Finance
Do you feel financially secure? If the answer is no, you’re not alone! Here are three facts that people get wrong most often when it comes to finances.
5/05/20
Hit the ground running for the New Year: Three goals for your finances
As the new year sneaks up, it’s a good time to reflect on your financial goals for next year.
4/26/20
Chesterfield Community Food Cupboard
We’re proud to announce that we recently donated $5,000 to Chesterfield’s Community Food Cupboard!
4/27/20
Community Food Distribution Project
The Community Food Distribution Project (CFDP) is a collaboration between Northampton Survival Center and Grow Food Northampton.
5/1/2020
Supporting Food Insecurity In The Valley
Since the start of the new year, we have continued our efforts to support food insecurity within the region. In 2021, donations totaling $40,000 have increased our overall giving in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to $140,000.
4/28/20
Easthampton Community Center
We’re happy to share that we recently supported the Easthampton Community Center’s Food Pantry Program with a $7,500 donation!
4/29/20
YMCA of Greater Springfield Partnership
We’re excited to announce that we recently pledged $50,000 to the YMCA of Greater Springfield to help fund their new wellness and childcare center.
4/30/20
Amherst Survival Center
We’re proud to announce the we recently donated $10,000 to the Amherst Survival Center!
4/23/20
Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice
The Journey Home singers file quietly into a home and are led to the living room, where a hospice care patient lies, surrounded by family and friends. The singers briefly introduce themselves, then the four-part a cappella group begins to sing.
4/24/20
Readers' Choice Award
The Daily Hampshire Gazette has announced the winners of their 7th annual Readers’ Choice Awards and, for the seventh year in a row, Florence Bank has been voted Best Local Bank!
4/22/20
Harmony House of Western Massachusetts
We’re proud to have recently pledged $7,500 to the Harmony House of Chicopee to help fund a renovation and expansion that will allow the nonprofit to improve services and care for more terminally ill individuals who live alone or lack a capable caregiver.
4/20/20
Greenleaf Community Center
We teamed up with the City of Springfield’s Parks and Recreation Department and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to unveil a new basketball court at the Greenleaf Community Center in Springfield.
4/18/20
Northampton Community Rowing
When the sun rises on the Connecticut River in the summer and fall months, oftentimes the day’s new light reveals rowers in sculls, skimming along the river, stroking in unison. Chances are the men and women are from Northampton Community Rowing, a local nonprofit for experts and novices alike.
4/16/20
Belchertown K-9 Unit
Not long after 1:30 a.m. one Saturday morning in winter 2017, Granby police requested the assistance of a K-9 unit after a motor vehicle accident in which the operator had fled the scene. K-9 Apache, part of the Belchertown K-9 Unit, was deployed. It didn’t take him long to catch a scent and locate an injured male.
4/15/2020
One Home
The Valley is home to dedicated business owners, loving families of all kinds, thousands of creatives, and a countless number of voices standing for what’s right. It’s been that way since we opened our doors back in 1873, and why it’s the only place Florence Bank will ever call home.
4/30/20
From The Ground Up: Familiars Coffee and Tea
Danny McColgan knew tea. His business and life partner, Isaac Weiner, had experience as a barista. Together, they had the passion, knowledge, experience, and good taste to run their own coffeehouse.
4/26/20
From The Ground Up: Salmon Studios
Sam Ostroff founded Salmon Studios and is both a leader and a laborer there, but he’ll tell you his most critical role in the organization is serving as head of crisis management. That’s because everything the Florence metalwork company creates has never been made before—by anyone—and often, the ingenuity creates quandaries.
4/29/20
One Home for Small Business Success
When Cal and Anne Potter turned on the pumps at their first gas station more than 50 years ago, they couldn’t have imagined how much of an impact that small business would make on the local community.
4/28/20
From The Ground Up: Camp Howe
At the end of every one- or two-week session at Camp Howe, there are always a handful of young people who head home with something they’ve never had before: A recognition award.
4/27/20
From The Ground Up: Crimson & Clover
At Crimson & Clover farm, co-owner Nate Frigard is focused as much on growing relationships with customers as he is on growing lettuce, strawberries, and herbs.
4/24/20
Allergy and Immunology Associates
Florence Bank gave Dr. Jonathan Bayuk and his physician partners a shot at success in 2014, and they turned it into a thriving allergy and immunology practice in three counties of the Pioneer Valley.
4/25/20
From The Ground Up: Florence Dental
George Falk founded Florence Dental Care in 1974 in a historic home right on Main Street in Florence. His son, Benjamin, was four years old. Ben’s jobs included vacuuming the carpets and sweeping the parking lot in front of the building.
4/23/20
From The Ground Up: Local Burger
Jeff Igneri of Florence knows it’s important to keep up with the trends in the restaurant industry. That’s how he’s made Local Burger of Northampton, Massachusetts, a local success.
7/10/20
Hit the ground running for the New Year: Three goals for your finances
As the new year sneaks up, it’s a good time to reflect on your financial goals for next year.
7/06/20
Gifts to Spark Excitement and Build Financial Responsibility
The financial habits and money management skills kids learn can follow them for the rest of their lives. If you want to get your kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews off to a great start, giving financially-themed gifts is always a good idea.
7/07/20
Supporting Charities During the Holiday Season
For some people, the holidays can be a tricky time. Motivated by the seasonal spirit, you want to support your favorite charity, but lack the funds to make a meaningful impact. However, while monetary donations are always appreciated, many organizations need more than cash to make a difference.
7/1/20
Three Facts on Personal Finance
Do you feel financially secure? If the answer is no, you’re not alone! Here are three facts that people get wrong most often when it comes to finances.
6/5/20
Effective Money Tips For Parents To-be
You planned the baby shower and painted the nursery… but are your finances in order? Whether it’s your first or fifth, having a baby requires a little financial planning. To make sure you’re ready to support your bundle of joy, check out these effective tips for organizing your finances!
6/15/20
Teens and Money: Checking and Savings Accounts
One of the first steps toward real freedom (and adulthood) is having a checking and savings account in your own name. These accounts allow you to save money, make purchases, and pay bills efficiently.
4/24/20
Food Shopping: The Blind Spot in Our Spending Plan
While meals are of course a necessity, take a look at your food-buying habits. Odds are that there’s room to save.
6/10/20
College Planning 101
Most parents have already heard the bad news: a college education has never been more expensive. The good news is that there’s a lot parents can do to help their children and make the costs of college more manageable.
5/5/20
Online Banking To The Rescue
Since the pandemic turned the world on its axis, many bank customers have made the transition to online banking.
5/25/20
Raising Money Smart Kids
We all want our kids to be financially-savvy adults one day, but it’s become increasingly difficult in today’s swag culture. Here are some ideas to begin your child’s journey toward financial independence.
7/25/20
Stop Wasting Money on These Things Now
It’s possible you’re spending money on things you don’t really need. Save yourself some money by giving them up and redirecting those dollars toward your savings, retirement, or investment accounts.
5/30/20
Is it time to open a checking or savings account for our children?
If you want to equip your kids with the tools to be financially secure adults, a good place to start is with a savings and/or checking account.
5/10/20
Understanding Different Types of Student Loans
If you or a family member will be attending college soon, you’ve probably noticed that the sticker price for a college education has risen considerably in recent years. Though the costs can be steep, a college degree is a good investment in the student’s future.
7/05/20
Creative Ways to Lower Holiday Spending
A little bit of creativity and energy can get you through the holidays without draining your wallet.
1/03/20
1/01/20
One Home for Small Business Success
When Cal and Anne Potter turned on the pumps at their first gas station more than 50 years ago, they couldn’t have imagined how much of an impact that small business would make on the local community.
What is a Mortgage Rate Lock?
Mortgage rates change. They move up and down frequently - sometimes daily. Because of this, the rate you see when you first apply for your mortgage may not be the rate you end up with. That’s where a mortgage rate lock can help.
Five Easy Ways To Cut Monthly Expenses
Ever notice how your monthly expenses always seem to equal whatever salary you’re making, even after you get raises? The phenomenon is called “lifestyle creep” and it can keep you from reaching financial goals.
Five Ways Millennials Can Build A Brighter Financial Future
Many Millennials, who graduated during a time of job scarcity and enormous student debt, are more than a little skittish about financial matters. Still, there’s a lot that today’s 20-somethings can do to build a brighter financial future.
Financial Tips For The Sandwich Generation
If you find yourself squeezed between caring for your children and caring for your aging parents, you’re part of what’s now referred to as the Sandwich Generation.
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
For many of us, winter means high energy bills, but sitting in the dark or turning off the heat are not your only options. Here are some ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency and save money during the cold months.
Five Ways To Redefine Yourself As A Saver
Restricting spending to the finite boundary of a paycheck is the foundation of sound money management, actually doing it can be extremely difficult.
Why Minimalism Is The New Way To Save
If your house is filled with clutter, you probably know you won’t make the cover of Better Homes and Gardens, but you may not be aware that it could be costing you money too.
How To Manage Finances Through The Years
There are certain times in life when particular money management areas need special focus. Whatever your situation, it’s important to plan ahead to accommodate the coming changes in your financial situation.
How To Get The Most Of Your Money In 2022
The beginning of a New Year is a great time to reflect on your financial goals for the next twelve months. If you’re carrying debt, a little prep now will provide peace of mind in the months to come.
Money Missteps - A Great Thing To Happen To A Kid?
While the outrage at a teenager spending an entire pile of birthday money on one pair of jeans is understandable, you might want to look at it as a good thing. Sound crazy?
A Step-By-Step Guide To Making A Holiday Budget
If you recently looked at the calendar and realized gift-buying season is closer than you thought, don’t worry. We are here to help you organize your finances by making an effective budget.
Five Big Mistakes Even Smart People Make With Credit Cards
Despite the popularity of credit card accounts, it’s easy for holders to make mistakes that can cost them money. These are the top blunders to avoid.
HELOC vs. Home Equity Loan: Pros & Cons
Did you know that in the process of maintaining your property and paying your mortgage each month, you’ve accumulated valuable equity in your home? And that you can borrow money using that equity as collateral?
News articles you need to meet your financial goals. (h2)
We're not just here for your banking needs, we're also here to help you learn everything you can about your financial needs. Whether it's our personal finance center, or our educational programs designed to maximize retirement, we're always thinking about how to make your financial life just as happy as the rest of your life.
Baby, It's Cold Outside:
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
Baby, It's Cold Outside:
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
Read More about Reducing Costs
Baby, It's Cold Outside:
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
Baby, It's Cold Outside:
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
Read More about Reducing Costs
Baby, It's Cold Outside:
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
Baby, It's Cold Outside:
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
Reducing Seasonal Energy Costs
Read More about Reducing Costs
Financial education
Information you need to meet your financial goals.
We're not just here for your banking needs, we're also here to help you learn everything you can about your financial needs. Whether it's our personal finance center, or our educational programs designed to maximize retirement, we're always thinking about how to make your financial life just as happy as the rest of your life.
