Do I really need a 20% down payment to buy a home?

A down payment on a home is simply a percentage of the home’s total cost that a buyer has to pay up front at closing. Saving enough money for a down payment on a home can be challenging. This is one of the largest issues many homebuyers face when applying for a mortgage loan.

Minimum down payments are typically based on three sets of criteria:...

(2025)  Giving Tuesday is December 2. It’s a day dedicated to helping those less fortunate. At Prevail Bank, we’re thrilled to kick off the holiday season with our own way of giving back—through our Holiday Matching Funds campaign!

From November 10 to December 5, each of our nine branches will collect public donations for nine local nonprofits. And, for every dollar you donate,...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury will stop issuing paper checks for most federal payments on September 30, 2025. The change effects paper Social Security checks, Veteran benefits checks, and any other federal benefit payment check.

Persons still receiving a paper check for Social Security, Veterans benefits, or any other federal benefit payment need to enroll in direct deposit.

Call the Federal agency that pays the benefit and follow...

A mortgage pre-approval is a conditional agreement from a lender to lend you a specific amount of money to purchase a home. This is all under the assumption that your financial documentation supports what was entered on your application when verified, your financial situation remains stable until closing, and the property you choose meets specific requirements (IE: Property appraisal).

Mortgage pre-approvals...

Your credit score affects many aspects of your life, including making large purchases, obtaining loans, renting an apartment and even applying for a job. Do you know your current credit score? When was the last time you checked your credit report? Here are a few simple steps you can take to help improve your credit score and keep it working for you, not against you.

One of the major factors in your credit score...

Borrowing money—whether from a bank, credit card, friend, or another lender—comes with general rules and principles that help protect both the borrower and the lender.

But before we share those general principles, please know this article isn’t going to talk about borrowing money to buy a home. Borrowing money for a home has so many options and components (it’s complicated); we truly recommend working with a professional....

The above question was posed to us after we issued a Fraud Awareness email to our customers. It was a great question. We suspect many people were asking the same.

Please know, Prevail Bank is fully committed to the protection and confidentiality of your information. We follow, in strict accordance, the guidelines established by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) and the...

In today’s digital world, data breaches have unfortunately become more common. From major retailers to healthcare providers, even financial institutions — no organization is completely immune. If you've received a notice saying your personal information was compromised/stolen in a data breach, it can be unsettling, but don’t panic. Taking the right steps quickly can help minimize the damage and...

According to the FTC, your odds of becoming a victim of identity theft are about 1 in 15. And losses attributed to fraud continue to rise due to the increase of people engaging in social media, electronic communications, and online shopping.

In other words, someone you know – your neighbor, your friend, a relative, a co-worker – is likely to fall prey this year. Maybe even you. If you fall victim to identity theft,...

Within Online Banking, simply go to the account you would like to view, click Download, select the statement, transactions, or date range you would like to download, select the file type and hit Download Transactions. Once you have...