First National Bank of Hico Banking the way neighbors do it.

First National Bank of Hico

Banking the way neighbors do it.

Latest Articles

The Spare Key to the Ledger: Continuity Planning for a One-Person Texas Shop
Community Banking

The Spare Key to the Ledger: Continuity Planning for a One-Person Texas Shop

A shop can survive a broken wrist, a bad flu season, or a week in the hospital — but only if someone other than the owner can reach the account. This guide walks solo and family-run Main Street operators through signer authorizations, dual-signature choices, the records a stand-in would need, and how to rehearse the whole arrangement without handing over the keys for good.
The Store Account and the Note at the Bank: Choosing Credit for a Rural Texas Operation
Community Banking

The Store Account and the Note at the Bank: Choosing Credit for a Rural Texas Operation

A feed store house account is a familiar convenience in rural Texas, but it is not always the cheapest or safest way to carry a season. This comparison looks at costs, records, flexibility, and borrowing reputation, and explains when a community banker would recommend a formal line of credit.
Good Saturdays, Quiet Tuesdays: Building a Year-Round Ledger for a Tourism-Led Shop
Community Banking

Good Saturdays, Quiet Tuesdays: Building a Year-Round Ledger for a Tourism-Led Shop

A strong weekend of out-of-town visitors can disguise a fragile month. For Hico-area antique dealers, gift shops, and service owners whose revenue rises and falls with tourism, the work is separating peak-season cash from year-round obligations. Here is a practical framework for smoothing the till, funding the slow months, and borrowing only for timing, not for shortfalls.
The Compressor, the Clock, and the Note: Funding an Urgent Equipment Repair on Main Street
Community Banking

The Compressor, the Clock, and the Note: Funding an Urgent Equipment Repair on Main Street

When a walk-in cooler fails in the Texas heat, the repair estimate arrives before the insurance adjuster and the spoilage count. This guide explains how a Main Street owner can compare short-term notes, equipment loans, lines of credit, and vendor terms, and what records help a community bank move quickly.
After the Deposit Slip: A Texas Merchant’s First Steps When a Payment Comes Back
Community Banking

After the Deposit Slip: A Texas Merchant’s First Steps When a Payment Comes Back

A returned check can unsettle a Main Street cash flow and test a neighborly relationship at the same time. This guide outlines a measured first-48-hours response for Texas merchants, from preserving records and making respectful contact to understanding bank timing, legal boundaries, and a clear store policy.
A Neighbor's Truck, a Clean Title: Lending on Private-Party Vehicles and Equipment
Community Banking

A Neighbor's Truck, a Clean Title: Lending on Private-Party Vehicles and Equipment

The best used truck in the county is often parked two gates down, not on a dealer's lot. Financing a private-party purchase is entirely workable, provided the title, the lien, and the insurance are handled in the right order. Here is how a community bank approaches that paperwork, and why the handshake still matters.
An Inventory of What You Own: Collateral Realities for Rural Texas Borrowers
Community Banking

An Inventory of What You Own: Collateral Realities for Rural Texas Borrowers

In a small Texas town, collateral is often a working pickup, a tractor, a herd, or a family place. A community lender looks past the hopeful number and asks quieter questions: Is the title clean, is the asset already pledged, and does the valuation reflect what the property would truly bring? This guide walks through the collateral conversations rural borrowers are most likely to have in 2026.
The Ground Gives No Water: Financing Well and Septic Repairs on a Rural Texas Homestead
Home Loans

The Ground Gives No Water: Financing Well and Septic Repairs on a Rural Texas Homestead

A failed well pump or septic system rarely arrives at a convenient time, and standard homeowners insurance seldom pays for the repair. This guide compares reserves, short-term personal loans, home equity lines, and contractor payment plans for rural Texas homeowners who need a practical way forward.
When the Tax Bill Arrives: A Homeowner’s Guide to Escrow Adjustments
Home Loans

When the Tax Bill Arrives: A Homeowner’s Guide to Escrow Adjustments

Your mortgage principal and interest may stay fixed while the escrow portion moves. This guide explains how an escrow analysis works, why a cushion differs from a shortage, and what Central Texas homeowners should ask before the next payment change takes effect.
The Note Comes Due on Schedule: A Borrower’s Six-Month Runway to Maturity
Community Banking

The Note Comes Due on Schedule: A Borrower’s Six-Month Runway to Maturity

A balloon payment is a scheduled event, not an accident. For Texas business owners and farm operators, the six months before a note matures are the best opportunity to gather records, test cash flow, and negotiate from strength rather than urgency.
A Clean Handoff: Changing Banks Without a Missed Draft or a Double Payment
Community Banking

A Clean Handoff: Changing Banks Without a Missed Draft or a Double Payment

Changing banks is less about speed than sequence. A written inventory, a deliberate overlap between accounts, and a local banker who knows the small details can prevent missed paychecks, duplicate drafts, and the quiet complications that linger after a switch.
The Recipe, the Ledger, and the Lease: Financing a Main Street Business Purchase
Community Banking

The Recipe, the Ledger, and the Lease: Financing a Main Street Business Purchase

Purchasing an established diner or shop from a retiring owner is part sale and part stewardship. This guide explains valuation, seller financing, SBA loan basics, earn-outs, and due diligence, and why a local banker's read on the deal matters as much as the asking price.
A New Letterhead, the Same Ledger: A Practical Guide to Community Bank Mergers
Community Banking

A New Letterhead, the Same Ledger: A Practical Guide to Community Bank Mergers

When a small-town bank changes hands, the paperwork can feel impersonal even when the relationships behind it are not. This guide explains what typically stays the same, what may change, and the questions customers should ask in the first 30 days.
The Second Set of Eyes: A Treasurer's Guide to Guarding a Small-Town Organization's Money
Community Banking

The Second Set of Eyes: A Treasurer's Guide to Guarding a Small-Town Organization's Money

Every church, 4-H club, and volunteer fire department in rural Texas has one officer who keeps the books—usually a volunteer with no accounting background and no appetite for the job. This guide covers dual control, designated funds, cash-handling routines, and a simple reconciliation loop that protects both the organization's money and the volunteer who watches over it.
The Feed Bucket and the Balance Sheet: Budgeting a First Stock Show Project in Central Texas
Community Banking

The Feed Bucket and the Balance Sheet: Budgeting a First Stock Show Project in Central Texas

A first 4-H or FFA livestock project can teach a young person more than how to fit an animal for show—it can teach the discipline of a budget. This guide walks Central Texas families through the real costs, the limits of borrowing, and how to keep the barn budget from spilling into the household ledger.
Passing the Wrench: A Retirement Blueprint for Texas Hardware Store Owners
Community Banking

Passing the Wrench: A Retirement Blueprint for Texas Hardware Store Owners

For a longtime Main Street hardware owner, retirement raises a harder question than price: who will keep the doors open and the shelves stocked? This guide outlines valuation, buyer qualification, financing choices, and a transition structure that protects the business, the employees, and the town it serves.
A Trusted Hand, Not a Second Owner: Setting Up Banking Help for an Aging Parent
Community Banking

A Trusted Hand, Not a Second Owner: Setting Up Banking Help for an Aging Parent

When an aging parent needs help with deposits, bills, and statements, the right banking authority matters as much as the willingness to help. This guide explains joint accounts, authorized signers, and powers of attorney so families in rural Texas can choose the narrowest authority that fits the task.
Weekend Receipts, Weekday Discipline: Safeguarding Cash from Friday Close to Monday Ledger
Community Banking

Weekend Receipts, Weekday Discipline: Safeguarding Cash from Friday Close to Monday Ledger

Cash collected after the Friday lobby closes still needs a plan. This guide compares night depository service, mobile deposit limits, dual-count procedures, and temporary safekeeping for Texas merchants, church treasurers, and event vendors, with a Monday reconciliation checklist to reduce loss and fraud.
The Second Signature: Weighing a Co-Signing Request in a Small Texas Town
Community Banking

The Second Signature: Weighing a Co-Signing Request in a Small Texas Town

A request to co-sign a loan can arrive over a kitchen table, at the feed store, or after church, and it often feels unneighborly to hesitate. Yet a second signature is a real financial obligation, not simply a vote of confidence. This guide explains what co-signing and guaranteeing mean, what a community bank reviews, and how to help without signing blindly.
Two Loans, Two Ledgers: How the Purpose of Your Borrowing Shapes Your Terms
Community Banking

Two Loans, Two Ledgers: How the Purpose of Your Borrowing Shapes Your Terms

A tractor and a pickup may cost about the same at the dealer, but a lender sees them very differently. Here's a plain explanation of collateral, depreciation, and loan-to-value ratios — and why matching the right loan to the right purchase can save a rural borrower real money.