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Dear Friends of Bank of the West,
Our partnership with each of you is appreciated and it is our goal to continue to provide our customers with outstanding customer support, together with offering emerging products and services to enhance your banking experience with us. We look forward to expanding our line of services in 2017 - Look for more information to come!
Bank of the West Executive Staff
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Cynthia Blankenship, Bank of the West Vice Chairman, attends White House meetings
focusing on Regulatory relief to
"Make Community Banking Great Again"
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Washington D.C.
Community Banking Summit May 2017 Cynthia Blankenship, Vice Chairman, CFO, Corp President, Bank of the West with Scott Heitkamp, ICBA Chairman, Value Bank, Corpus Christi, TX |
The gathering of over 100 Community Bank Leaders at the White House, representing the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), focused on their call for common-sense regulatory relief of the nation's community banks and the communities they serve.
During this annual Capital Summit, Community Bank Leaders discussed issues that were top of mind for our nation's more than 5,800 community banks.
Cynthia Blankenship, Bank of the West Vice Chairman, Corporate President and CFO, stated, "It is encouraging and inspiring to know that the Trump administration is committed to preserving the future of community banks like Bank of the West. It is apparent the administration, as well as President Trump, realize the important role that community banks play in providing affordable credit and financial services to Main Street across America".
Read More - Press Release
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Texas Community Bankers attend Summit
(l-r) Cliff McCauley, Tom Sellers, Cynthia Blankenship, Rogers Pope, Robb Temple &
Scott Heitkamp |
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Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen Will Open 2017 Fed/CSBS Community Banking Research Conference and Bank Vice Chairman Cynthia Blankenship to Deliver Keynote Address
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen will give opening remarks during the fifth annual Community Banking in the 21st Century Research and Policy Conference to be at the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis in October.
Cynthia Blankenship, Bank of the West Vice Chairman, Corporate President and CFO will provide the Keynote Address on the
first day of the conference. Cindy is past chair of both the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) and past chair of the IBAT Education Foundation. Cindy also served on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's Advisory Committee on Community Banking from 2013 to 2016.
This research conference will bring together community bankers, academics, policymakers, and bank regulators to discuss the latest research on community banking.
Presenting an innovative approach to the study of community banks, academics explore issues raised by the industry in a neutral, empirical manner and present their findings at the conference. Community bankers contribute through participation on discussion panels and feedback to the research presented and by contributing to an annual national survey.
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Financial Literacy Education
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Bank of the West Continues with
Financial Literacy (FL) Initiative
Community banking month in April was the start of something special at Bank of the West. As a community bank, our Financial Literacy (FL) initiative began with classroom visits to schools in our branch areas to provide a FL Education Elementary School program which works with the schools curriculum in broadening the students awareness of savings, spending and budgeting.
As we continue through the year, our FL program will expand to include many different sessions of financial education beyond the elementary level and provide education for all age groups.
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| Shayla B., (Beltline Branch) walks students through a budget exercise at an Irving Elementary School.
Congratulations to our Financial Literacy Coloring Contest winners!
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Our Ponder staff shows spirit in preparing piggy banks to present at a Ponder ISD elementary FL presentation. |
Our bank mascot, BOW, offered up some creative fun for our younger customers, by hosting a Financial Literacy Cooring Contest. BOW made some new pals and had a trying time in selecting from many awesome entries sent to our branches.
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Vernon Branch Winner
Congrats Karter! |
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| Hall-Johnson Branch Winner
Great Job Mason!
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Irving Boulevard Winner
with Ashley D.
Super Job Daphne! |
Financial Literacy is an important part of Community Banking. We are proud to continue to offer and expand our Financial Literacy program - offering learning opportunities throughout the year for all age groups. Look for more information to come at your local Bank of the West branch.
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Bank Events & Happenings
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Successful Grapevine Main Street Fest 2017
 Amidst star-studded entertainment, many craft vendor choices, a Craft Brew Experience area to beat all and NO raindrops- Bank of the Wests' community partnership proved to be successful in many ways.
Kicking off the 33rd Anniversary of Main Street Fest was the Mayor's Breakfast, saluting the
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Mayor's Breakfast - Presenting Sponsor Presentation
(l-r) Mayor William D. Tate, Christy Bair, Exec V.P./COO, Bank of the West, Sonya & Mark Terpening,
Main Street Fest 2017
co-chairs. |
festival sponsors and the many volunteers who are the backbone of this annual community event.
Cynthia Blankenship, Bank of the West Vice Chairman, Corporate President and CFO stated," We embrace each day as an opportunity to make a difference in our communities, to our customers and our employees. Being a community partner is more than just business to us - we want to see our communities thrive and we are privileged to be part of this wonderful Grapevine community event.."
Our staff team was out in force to support this wonderful event and is proud of our commitment in serving the community.
Volunteering for the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce provided the opportunity for us to meet and greet festival-goers from near and far.
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Becky Hummer, AVP,
Greets the crowd at the Craft Brew Experience. |
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Introducing festival events and entertainment throughout this 3-day festival provided a chance for us to say "Thank you" to those in attendance and express how very proud we were to be the Presenting Sponsor. What a great time we all had participating in many of the cask tappings in "The Craft Brew Experience" area- along with the BREW SISTERS from Canada, who were on hand to teach us all a thing or two about craft beer.
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Our staff supporting one of the many festival events. |
Not forgetting all the excited children in attendance - Bank of the West coordinated with the festival staff to provide Financial Literacy Coloring Books and crayons to those who visited the Kids Zone - A wonderful place for the younger festival goers to escape (with their parents) and enjoy many activities including a Lego Land building competition which also gave us the opportunity to convey the importance of educating our youth through our Community Banking Financial Literacy program.
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| Our awesome Bank of the West Volunteer Crew above and below, supporting the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce Concession areas. |
Thank you to The Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau, the City of Grapevine and the many, many wonderful volunteers who made this festival a success - we are so proud to be your Community Partner!
We hope to see you all at Grapefest 2017...
September 14, 15, 16, and 17.
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SBA (Small Business Administration) Update
Ms. Linda McMahon has been named by
President Trump to be the new Administrator of the SBA. Ms. McMahon is the past founder and CEO of the WWE (World Wrestling
Entertainment). Her directive is to cut
federal budget regulations that hinder today's small business owners.
In 2017, the SBA has been given a strong budget and lending has been robust, particularly in the Texas markets. SBA 7(a) loans are the most widely used, with eligibility requirements and more flexible credit criteria.
Designed for Small Businesses
- Businesses that operate For Profit in the U.S., or it's territories.
- Do not exceed $15 million in tangible net worth
- Do not have an average income over $5 million for two full fiscal years
SBA 7(a) loans are used for
- Expansion/renovations
- New construction or purchase of land or buildings
- Purchase of equipment, fixtures or leasehold improvements
- Working capital
- Debt refinance
- Business acquisitions
Terms to fit your needs
- Borrow up to $5 million
- All 7(a) loans are fully amortized with no balloons or call dates
- Loans for working capital, machinery, and equipment have a maturity of 5 - 10 years, up to the useful life of the asset
- Real estate loans allow a maturity up to 25 years
Call one of our SBA loan professionals at
Bank of the West to set an appointment
to discuss your lending needs.
We are proud to be an SBA Preferred Lender!
817.310.3555 or visit bnkwest.com
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Mortgage Market News
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Tips to Secure Your Family's Financial Future
Having a discussion about what will happen after a loved one passes away is not an easy thing, but it can prevent a lot of stress during a very difficult time. Find out some great tips on how to bring up the conversation and where to begin your planning.
Make sure everyone is open and honest so that there aren't any surprises down the line. Having everything legally documented is also a necessity as it will prevent potential problems in the future and make sure everyone's wishes are carried out. These are just two of the many great things you'll learn!
"Professional Values, Mortgage Solutions", GSB Mortgage, Inc. is a full-service mortgage banking company that prides itself in providing the highest quality of
mortgage lending services to our customers.
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Consumer Tips
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How to Pay for College
A college education is more important than ever in today's competitive workforce. Along with a four-year degree comes increased salary potential, job satisfaction and advancement opportunities. However, the cost of college rises every year. Figuring out how to pay for it is daunting-and seems downright unrealistic-for many families. Continue Reading
How to Prevent Elder Financial Abuse
Financial fraud continues to be the fastest growing form of elder abuse. As the senior population in this country increases, so do the financial crimes committed against these vulnerable and trusting individuals. Elder abuse is particularly hard to combat because  it frequently goes unreported, as do financial scams-making elder financial scams a relatively "low-risk" crime. Elderly victims are often confused, afraid or embarrassed to report crimes against them so the best way to protect your older loved ones is to educate them about common scams. Below is additional information about common types of fraud against seniors as well as advice for seniors when approached by scammers.
Read More
about Preventing Elder Financial Fraud
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BOW says...
Have a Happy & Safe 4th of July!
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With the hot weather, blazing sun and summertime travel upon us, let's all make sure we take precautions to protect ourselves and our loved ones as we enjoy the summer season.
For your 4th of July & summer festivities - we want to share some favorite recipes
from our staff at Bank of the West!
GREAT RECIPES HERE
Enjoy your Summertime Fun!
Please remember Bank of the West will be closed Tuesday July 4, 2017 in observance of Independence Day.
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| Bank Announces New Product |
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CardValet is now available at
Bank of the West!
CardValet lets you: 
- Turn your debit card on/off
- Establish transaction controls - allowing you to set controls by amount, merchant type, transaction type, or geographical location
- Receive alerts when your debit card is used, approved or exceeds the transaction controls set by you
- Help reduce fraud and risk of loss and convenience by monitoring your debit card settings and alerts
- View the current available balance on your deposit account that is linked to your registered Bank of the West debit card
- Manage your spending on all your Bank of the West debit card purchases
AND...
CardValet
assists with:
- Fraud Protection
Turning your debit card off when not in use or if your card is lost or stolen are safeguards against fraud
When your debit card is off, no withdrawals or purchases will be approved
Transaction controls allow your debit card to work only where you allow it permission; by specific location or geographical area - adding another layer of protection
Instant alerts are received on your mobile device to notify you of the status of recent debit card transactions
- Spending Control
If you are trying to establish or stick to a budget - CardValet can help by allowing you to set spending limits for general use or specify thresholds by merchant type; such as gas, groceries or retail stores
This flexible app lets you change parameters anytime with ease via your mobile device. Going on vacation? Holiday Shopping? Simply update your transaction controls to fit your spending needs.
Manage your Bank of the West debit card with ease from the convenience of your mobile device.
It's simple!
Download the
CardValet
App from your iOS or Google Android device to register your Bank of the West debit card(s) and take control of your personal or business debit card activity!
Get started today!
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Our Involvement
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Team BOW Supports
Grapevine Shield Foundation 5K Run
The Grapevine Shield Foundation of Grapevine, Texas, was established in 2008 to provide assistance to the family members of Police Officers and Firefighters from Grapevine who are injured or killed in the line of duty.
Bank of the West proudly supported the Grapevine Shield Foundation with over 17 of our staff and family members on hand. Unfortunately mother nature did not cooperate the morning of the run, although enthusiastic participants still came out to the Grapevine REC for an early, yet energetic 7:30am start and after a number of postponements... Mother nature won and the event had to be cancelled.
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Sarah C. (L) and family,
with Cynthia A. (3rd from L) |
The Foundation provides a method for the community to provide security for the public servants who provide security for us every day. Citizens tend to take for granted that when they need help from the Police or Firemen of their community, they will be there; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
These brave men and women are willing to put the safety of strangers ahead of their own safety. Traffic accidents, fires, burglaries, medical emergencies, whatever the need, when we call they are there for us.
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More BOW team members - Pedro V., Annette U.,
Bill O., Glynda R., friends, and families
gathered to take part. |
The Foundation provides the ability for the community to be there for the Police Officers and Firefighters in their time of need. Bank of the West was proud to be a part of this outstanding community event. Our team is ready!
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Branch Bits
Anniversary Milestones
We are proud to have you on
OUR TEAM!
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Kelli Londono
Grapevine Hall-Johnson
5 Years - June |
Celebrating Over
15 Years of Service
Phil Cloud
Corporate
17 Years - June
Carolyn Templin
Carrollton
19 Years - May
Congratulations on your Milestones with Bank of the West!
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Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Abraham Lincoln
The Gettysburg Address, 1863.
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| To our readers,
The information contained in this publication is designed to be informative and educational to our customers and friends of Bank of the West. Please feel free to send us a comment or suggestion and as always, your email information is secure within our distribution and is used solely for the purpose of this publication.
We value our customers and friends, so should you choose to no longer receive this information, please click on the unsubscribe link below.
Sharing this publication with your friends is the nicest compliment we can receive.
Sincerely,
Bank of the West Editorial Team
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