Let’s face it, many people do not like paying bills. Whether you have the money to meet your monthly expenses or not, the act of writing out check after check is often a time-consuming and thankless task. And, when you’re short on funds, those bills can quickly go from being a little nuisance to a big problem. Unfortunately, not maintaining your own disciplined bill payment process could result in rate increases on your credit cards, blemishes on your credit report and late fees.

At First Midwest, we understand the "bill pay blues" and have many ways to combat them:

Online Bill Payment makes it easy to quickly and effortlessly pay your bills. Available with Bill Pay Banking Online, our "pay anyone" bill payment service means you can pay all of your bills without worrying whether or not each payee can accept an electronic payment. All with a few mouse clicks. Learn More

Ready Cash is a personal, unsecured line of credit attached to a First Midwest Bank checking account. It serves the dual purpose of acting as a safeguard against overdrafts (up to your approved credit limit) while providing extra cash to smooth out a bumpy month.

Debt Consolidation Loans offer a convenient way to combine all or many of your current payments into one monthly payment. To see the savings you may enjoy from consolidating your debt, please click here.

Automatic Debits put bill payment on auto-pilot. This feature is offered by many billers that issue routine, monthly bills such as utility companies. With auto debit, money is deducted directly from your checking account each month to pay your bill. Inquire with your billers to see if they offer an auto debit option for your monthly bill.

Believer Loans are a great way to rebuild your credit if you’ve had payment trouble in the past. Showing a solid payment history is a healthy thing for a credit report. A loan between $1,000 and $5,000 is made and used to purchase a Certificate of Deposit for the same amount in your name. You make regular monthly payments, and when the loan is paid off, the CD is yours.

Financial Planning online or with a First Midwest Banker is another terrific way to better ensure that your monthly cash flow will meet your monthly expenses. To analyze your monthly cash flow, please click here. Or, stop by one of our locations for a financial check up. Find the branch most convenient to you by clicking here.