Since 1924, HomeTown Bank has been providing customers with innovative financial services and solutions to meet the needs of its friends and neighbors. As a community bank, HomeTown Bank builds relationships just as you build your bank accounts — carefully and over time. Our mission is to be the kind of financial partnership you can trust. It’s why we strive to maintain the highest integrity and quality customer service in all our financial services, from deposits to loans. We help our communities grow by being active and involved and generating a steady and improving stream of earnings for our customers.
Despite all this, we recognize that you have multiple banking options.
And though big banks versus community banks isn’t necessarily a Coke versus Pepsi discussion, both types of institutions do serve a purpose. Neither is going away.
So, what is the right fit for your family’s financial needs? You may answer this question differently now than you did five years ago. Not only has technology changed our perception of how we can bank, but the rapidly advancing public policy, such as digital currency deliberations, has raised new concerns that many feel unprepared to address.
Banking In A Post-COVID-19 Era
COVID-19 has irrevocably altered how people perceive banking. Lockdowns forced customers to adopt digital options for money transfers and touchless payments, such as Apple Pay or apps like Venmo. The diminishing of physical interaction with live bankers quickly created an antiseptic banking experience.
Local banks have generally fared better than larger national banks for several reasons. One reason is that they can respond more quickly than their larger competitors, who are hindered by their corporate structure. Customers appreciate little to no shift in the personalized service they receive, a quality that small businesses valued during the economic uncertainty of the pandemic. Local banks are also becoming more technologically savvy, offering modern digital banking options that expand customer choice.
Some lines between the services needed from a large versus a smaller local bank are blurring, giving consumers increased choices. Not surprisingly, today, it comes down to not only what services you need but who you ultimately trust.
Communication and Trust Are Still King When Carrying Out Your Financial Goals
The Smart Communications 2025 Global Benchmark Report on Customer Experience in Financial Services reveals an interesting statistic regarding consumer bank choice. The report indicates that 65% of banking customers are likely to switch if communications don’t meet expectations. Not surprisingly, poor communication can hurt the banking experience. Consider the irritation of a longtime national bank customer who one day learns that their mortgage has been transferred to a new lender without any prior discussion.
Trust in banking matters.
And rightly so. Our money and assets are key to our current and future stability and should be respected and protected. The report found that trust was an essential criterion across all generations, from Baby Boomers (54%) to Millennials, with the latter showing the highest level of trust requirements (78%).
Choosing Banking Services to Meet Your Financial Plans
At HomeTown Bank, we establish trust with you from the very beginning, whether you’re a young depositor opening a first savings account, a couple blending your finances as you get married, or a business expanding its operations.
We know that having a financial plan is a great starting point when choosing a bank to support your financial goals. Whether you have a thousand questions or are ready to move forward, you want a banking partner who is there and responsive throughout the planning and execution of any of these financial objectives. And, preferably, one that can follow you through multiple financial decisions with trusted advice and support in the years to come.
Yes, We’re Biased About Local Banking
There’s something to be said for an institution building and growing in the communities it serves. We’re here to stay. We aren’t getting swallowed up in the acquisition mindset of the larger banks, which can change everything for you in the blink of an eye. That’s a point you can, well, bank on.
If you’re not feeling the love in your current banking situation or are considering transitioning from a larger corporate bank to a community bank like HomeTown Bank, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:
- We offer loans for businesses of all sizes. As a local bank offering personal, business, or agricultural lending, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Our flexible approach allows us to tailor loans to fit your unique financial goals, because not every loan fits in a box.
- Your lender is always your point of contact. You won’t get passed to multiple contacts to get your business transacted. Sending in documents, asking about your payment, signing on the dotted line? All through one lender.
- You bank on your terms. Whether transferring funds, accessing cash, or checking the status of accounts, HomeTown Bank brings instant access to your funds and information anytime, anywhere.
- Your money is fully insured. HomeTown Bank is FDIC-insured and backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
- All the resources you need in one click. We make it easy for you to get the information you need. Check our Resources for tutorials, calculators, and other essential information that helps your money work for you.
- We process our mortgages in-house. That means your mortgage stays with us, your payments, questions, and conversations are all handled locally by the people you know and trust. No handoffs. No hassle.
We Get Things Done For You, Here
It’s not uncommon to speak with a representative from a big bank and ask where they are from—typically from remote locations all over the country. While this model works for national brands, we believe it’s essential for our bankers to live and work in the community we serve.
Community banks are comprised of your friends and neighbors—people you know and trust. This personalized service provides you with answers to all your financial needs. We are empowered to make decisions that impact our communities in healthy and enriching ways. This accountability is something the community can depend upon as the money deposited at HomeTown Banks goes right back into the communities we serve in some of the following ways:
- Loans to encourage home ownership
- Small business growth
- Agribusiness expansion
- Corporate and community investment opportunities
Together, these efforts support local jobs, improve local health and humanitarian services, ensure arts and entertainment opportunities, preserve our local histories and culture, and so much more. They also help people achieve dreams and build lives together.
Our goal? To make our communities the very best places to live, work, and raise our families!
There’s Banking, And Then There’s Banking With Heart
The world will tell us that we can sit in our silos, handle our business, and we won’t miss the personal satisfaction of knowing and being known by financial institutions and advisors. That may work with investment bankers or venture capitalists, but with everyone else? A warm smile and a firm handshake are welcome. We want to create an experience where you say, “I didn’t know banking could be this easy or feel this good!” Because it will.
“I would recommend this bank to anyone! The employees are friendly and go out of their way to help answer any questions. It’s great to be able to talk with them in person instead of talking to someone on the phone in another state.” – Brandon B., Waconia, MN
If you’re ready to switch to a community bank or would like to learn more, please get in touch with your local HomeTown Bank branch. We look forward to meeting you.
