Beyond the Balance Sheet

Focus on What You Can Control
By Rudy Fors | President & CEO, Twin Cedars Bank
November 8, 2026

As we work through November, there’s plenty competing for our attention: interest rates, harvest, year-end business decisions and the usual demands on family budgets.

My advice is to start with what you can control. Understand where your money is going, know what obligations are coming due and give yourself time to make decisions. You don’t need a perfect economic forecast to take those steps.

The Stoic philosopher Epictetus put it simply:

“Some things are in our control and others not.”

That thought, from The Enchiridion, fits this week’s developments. We can’t set interest rates or control the weather. We can prepare for how they affect us.

Interest rates: Make sure the numbers work today

On October 28, the Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest-rate range at 3.75%–4.00%. The Fed described continued economic strength while noting that inflation remains elevated. For anyone planning next year’s finances, that’s a reason to be careful about counting on lower borrowing costs.

For consumers: Look at your monthly payments, particularly debt with a variable rate. Before financing a vehicle, taking on a renovation or making another large purchase, consider whether the payment leaves room for savings and unexpected expenses. Review your savings, too—both what you’re earning and when you may need access to the money.

For business owners: Build your 2027 budget around financing costs you can support today. If you’re considering expansion, equipment or a property purchase, ask whether the investment works without a rate cut. Review upcoming loan maturities early. For property owners, include lease expirations, potential vacancy and maintenance alongside debt payments.

For farmers: Apply the same discipline to operating-credit needs. Consider both the interest rate and how long you expect to carry the balance. The timing of input purchases and grain receipts belongs in that conversation.

Harvest: Put actual results into the plan

Iowa’s November 2 crop report showed corn harvest at 66% complete, 13 percentage points behind the five-year average. Soybean harvest was 90% complete, matching the five-year average. Your own operation’s results will matter more than the statewide numbers, but the report provides useful context.

For farmers: As production becomes clearer, replace estimates with actual yields, inventories and expenses. What grain is already committed? What remains available to sell? Which payments come due before the next receipts? Those answers help frame operating-line renewals and equipment decisions.

A year-end purchase should fit the operation’s needs and cash position. Bring your lender and tax adviser into that discussion before making the commitment.

For business owners serving agriculture: Review the timing of customer collections against your own payroll, inventory and supplier obligations. A busy season still requires careful cash management.

Fraud: Slow down before sharing information

The Iowa Insurance Division issued a November 4 warning about Medicare scams during open enrollment, which runs through December 7. Scammers are using fake plan offers, phishing texts and impostor calls to obtain personal information.

For consumers and families: If an unexpected caller pressures you to share information, pause. Contact the organization independently through a trusted number or website. Take a few minutes to discuss these warnings with parents and relatives.

For businesses and farms: Use that same pause when someone unexpectedly asks you to change payment instructions. Verify the request with a known contact using a number you already have.

One useful step this week

Choose one item that deserves attention: your household budget, a business loan maturity, your farm’s cash-flow projection or a family conversation about fraud.

At Twin Cedars Bank, we welcome the opportunity to work through those questions with you. Bring us your plans early, even if you’re still sorting out the details. That gives us more time to understand your goals and discuss the options.

Let’s Grow Together.