Peer-to-peer (P2P) payment platforms offer a convenient way to send money directly between individuals without needing a bank as an intermediary. Yet, this convenience also opens doors for fraudsters to exploit unsuspecting users. In this blog, we will delve into the common types of P2P payment scams and offer actionable advice to help protect your transactions. Frequent Scams Bank Impersonation Scams One common tactic scammers employ is to impersonate your bank. Victims receive calls or text messages that appear to be from their bank, claiming there have been unauthorized transactions or issu ..read more

Outlooks – May 2024 Edition May 12, 2024| First County Advisors First quarter GDP showed a disappointing economic growth rate of 1.6%, below all estimates of the nearly 70 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Growth expectations had been climbing steadily and were approaching 3% in the two weeks prior to the official release, which made the report even more surprising. This data initially put the strength of the overall economy into question as we experienced the slowest growth since the second quarter of 2022. Interested in the rest? Click here to read more First County Advisors products ..read more

Outlooks – April 2024 Edition April 12, 2024| First County Advisors Most of the data released in March showed the economy is back on track after a slightly bumpy start to the year. Non-farm payrolls exceeded expectations by more than 100k jobs (when including two-month net revisions) and the unemployment rate dropped by 0.1%. Factory, durable and capital goods orders all beat expectations, while retail sales rebounded nicely from January’s negative values. February also marked the first time in 16 months that the ISM manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) moved into expansionary t ..read more

30th Winner of First County Bank’s FirstPrize Savings Account Drawing Awarded to Stamford Resident April 11, 2024| Bank News, Press Releases STAMFORD, Conn., April 11, 2024 – First County Bank is happy to announce Anite Albert of Stamford is the recent recipient of $1,000, as she is the thirtieth winner of the FirstPrize $avings account drawing. Jennifer Lima, Branch Manager of First County Bank’s Shippan Stamford location, notified her customer right away to share the good news. “Ms. Albert was very happy to hear she won $1,000” said Lima. First County Bank has been holding this quarterl ..read more

First County Bank Offers Assistance to Homebuyers Through FHLBank Boston Programs     STAMFORD, CT., March 21, 2024 — First County Bank has been approved to participate in Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s homeownership assistance programs, Equity Builder Program and Housing Our Workforce. Both programs provide assistance to income-eligible homebuyers who are purchasing one- to four-family homes that will serve as their primary residence. Equity Builder Program (EBP) provides grants to financial institutions to help local first-time homebuyers with down payments and closing costs a ..read more

First Time Homebuyer Seminar ..read more

Outlooks – March 2024 Edition March 8, 2024| First County Advisors Following a surprisingly strong second half of growth in 2023, the economy is amid its first stumble in some time. Overall, the data released in February was mixed, but several data points such as retail sales, durable goods orders and ISM manufacturing/services all missed expectations. Additionally, fourth quarter GDP was revised lower by 0.1%. Still, as has been the case for the past year or so, the focus of market participants was squarely on the inflation data. Interested in the rest? Click here to read more First Co ..read more

First County Bank Spotlight – Santa Palomino February 23, 2024| Bank News, Digital Connection, Employee Profile Get to know Santa Palomino, Assistant Branch Manager at our Westport Branch and Digital Ambassador. Tell us a little about yourself! Originally from Peru, I came to the United States with my family when I was 16. For over 17 years I have been part of the First County Bank family, starting as a teller at our West Main Branch in Stamford and working my way up to being an Assistant Branch Manager at our Westport location. I have a 19-year-old son Brandon, who is my greatest accompl ..read more

First County Bank Foundation Accepting Applications for the Richard E. Taber Citizenship Award     STAMFORD, CT., February 8, 2024 — The First County Bank Foundation is now accepting applications for the annual Richard E. Taber Citizenship Award. High school seniors can apply at https://firstcountybank.com/community/awards-and-scholarships/ . The Richard E. Taber Citizenship Award rewards high school seniors residing in the towns of Stamford, Norwalk, Darien, Fairfield, Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport and Bridgeport, who are well-rounded citizens. Different from many scholarshi ..read more

Outlooks – February 2024 Edition February 13, 2024| First County Advisors After stellar economic growth during the third quarter, GDP in the fourth quarter continued to surprise. Markets had anticipated trend-like growth of 2.0%, but the actual release at 3.3% exceeded all but the highest estimates. This was in large part due to a stronger-than-expected consumer, but continued government spending, business investment and net exports also played a role. In a year in which the Fed was targeting below-trend growth to combat inflation, the economy posted a 3.1% gain in GDP for the calendar ye ..read more