Learning Center

Mortgage interest rates are rising, and they’re rising fast. In fact, we’ve seen the fastest rise in rates since 1987. So, what’s fueling the surge? Read more to find out.

Protecting yourself from scam artists requires vigilance and knowledge about how criminals use phone, email, postal mail and the internet to access personal and financial information. International scam artists work tirelessly to defraud you at home and work every year. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and United Community Bank want to help you protect yourself with these steps you can follow to avoid scams.

News about the stock market plunging or soaring may grab your attention, but what does it mean for your own investment portfolio? Following the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 can give you a general idea of the direction the stock market is going, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.

It’s not just three digits: your credit score indicates how well you manage your debt. It’s designed to represent your credit risk: in other words, an at-a-glance indication of how likely you are to pay your bills on time. It's a pretty important number that lending companies typically use when assessing the amount of money to loan you.

Think about your daily routine. You wake up, fire up the Keurig, take the dog out, shower, eat breakfast, get dressed and then tune in to your favorite podcast on the way to work. Chances are, whatever your routine is, you perform some iteration of it each and every day. That’s because over 40% of our behaviors are habitual—we pick up habits throughout our lives to meet our needs and help us get from point A to point B each day.

There are a lot of moving parts to the home buying process – and just about as many people! You’ll work with your lender, real estate agent, the seller, the listing agent, home inspector, maybe a transaction coordinator or two – the list goes on and on. So where do you even start? Glad you asked.

When the economy took a downward turn, you — like many company executives — may have felt compelled to sell as much as possible to as many customers as possible. But if you slashed prices on products and services or sold to less desirable customers to do that, it’s time for a new mindset. Those steps likely narrowed your profit margins, and it’s time to put your focus on finding ways to boost those margins. Try these ideas.

Small, midsize and large businesses use outsourcing in varying degrees to meet their needs, and it can be a smart move even when you’re focused on controlling costs. There are situations when outsourcing can save time and help you stay within budget. Being able to recognize those opportunities and bring in the right vendors can position your business for growth.

You’re probably aware of how important your credit score is when you’re applying for a loan or line of credit. But what do you know beyond that? Learn what your credit score means, how you can improve it, and why your credit score may differ depending on where you get it.

Online financial transactions give clients the ease of any time, anywhere banking. The unintended consequence is that criminals take advantage of this convenience, too.

Are your concerns about banking online stopping you from joining in? Take a moment to assuage your fears and dispel some myths of digital banking.

There are many ways to slice and dice your investment portfolio. Having a healthy balance of investments — no matter how you slice it — can help manage risk through the ups and downs of the market.