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Windmill Bank Construction

Our windmill bank has recieved updates to better serve our customers! The drive up ATM was moved to a new permanent location just west of the windmill bank.  To access the ATM, use the main street entrance to enter the new ATM lane.

The drive up lanes have been expanded to better accomodate larger vehicles and trailers.  Both lanes are available to assist you with your banking.

12 Days of Local Giveaways

Marion County Bank's 12 Days of Local Giveaways is a contest to highlight local area businesses and to have fun during the Christmas season.  Join us each week day from December 1 to December 16 on our social media sites to play.

Marion County Bank's 12 Days of Local Giveaways 2015 - Official Contest Rules

December 1 Contest Rules:

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm on December 2, 2015.  Winner will be announced by noon on December 3.  Must be 18 years or older to enter.  One entry per person.  Chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries recieved.  Need not be a bank customer to win.  Prize must be picked up from Marion County Bank's main bank office at 800 Main Street, Pella by Tuesday, December 22, 2015.  Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.  Employees and spouses of Marion County Bank are not eligible to win but may participate.

December 2 Contest Rules:

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm on December 3, 2015. Winner will be announced by noon on December 4. Must be 18 years or older to enter. One entry per person. Chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries recieved. Need not be a bank customer to win. Prize must be picked up from Marion County Bank's main bank office at 800 Main Street, Pella by Tuesday, December 22, 2015. Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter. Employees and spouses of Marion County Bank are not eligible to win but may participate.

December 3 Contest Rules:

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm on December 4, 2015.  Winner will be announced by noon on December 5.  Must be 18 years or older to enter.  One entry per person.  Chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries recieved.  Need not be a bank customer to win.  Prize must be picked up from Marion County Bank's main bank office at 800 Main Street, Pella by Tuesday, December 22, 2015.  Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.  Employees and spouses of Marion County Bank are not eligible to win but may participate.

December 4 Contest Rules:

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm on December 6, 2015.  Winner will be announced by noon on December 7.  Must be 18 years or older to enter.  One entry per person.  Chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries recieved.  Need not be a bank customer to win.  Prize must be picked up from Marion County Bank's main bank office at 800 Main Street, Pella by Tuesday, December 22, 2015.  Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.  Employees and spouses of Marion County Bank are not eligible to win but may participate.

December 7 Contest Rules:

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm on December 8, 2015.  Winner will be announced by noon on December 9.  Must be 18 years or older to enter.  One entry per person.  Chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries recieved.  Need not be a bank customer to win.  Prize must be picked up from Marion County Bank's main bank office at 800 Main Street, Pella by Tuesday, December 22, 2015.  Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.  Employees and spouses of Marion County Bank are not eligible to win but may participate.

December 8 Contest Rules:

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm on December 9, 2015.  Winner will be announced by noon on December 10.  Must be 18 years or older to enter.  One entry per person.  Chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries recieved.  Need not be a bank customer to win.  Prize must be picked up from Marion County Bank's main bank office at 800 Main Street, Pella by Tuesday, December 22, 2015.  Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.  Employees and spouses of Marion County Bank are not eligible to win but may participate.

December 9 Contest Rules:

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm on December 10, 2015.  Winner will be announced by noon on December 11.  Must be 18 years or older to enter.  One entry per person.  Chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries recieved.  Need not be a bank customer to win.  Prize must be picked up from Marion County Bank's main bank office at 800 Main Street, Pella by Tuesday, December 22, 2015.  Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.  Employees and spouses of Marion County Bank are not eligible to win but may participate.

December 10 Contest Rules:

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm on December 11, 2015.  Winner will be announced by noon on December 12.  Must be 18 years or older to enter.  One entry per person.  Chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries recieved.  Need not be a bank customer to win.  Prize must be picked up from Marion County Bank's main bank office at 800 Main Street, Pella by Tuesday, December 22, 2015.  Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.  Employees and spouses of Marion County Bank are not eligible to win but may participate.

December 11 Contest Rules:

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm on December 13, 2015.  Winner will be announced by noon on December 14.  Must be 18 years or older to enter.  One entry per person.  Chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries recieved.  Need not be a bank customer to win.  Prize must be picked up from Marion County Bank's main bank office at 800 Main Street, Pella by Tuesday, December 22, 2015.  Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.  Employees and spouses of Marion County Bank are not eligible to win but may participate.

December 14 Contest Rules:

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm on December 15, 2015.  Winner will be announced by noon on December 16.  Must be 18 years or older to enter.  One entry per person.  Chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries recieved.  Need not be a bank customer to win.  Prize must be picked up from Marion County Bank's main bank office at 800 Main Street, Pella by Tuesday, December 22, 2015.  Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.  Employees and spouses of Marion County Bank are not eligible to win but may participate.

December 15 Contest Rules:

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm on December 16, 2015.  Winner will be announced by noon on December 17.  Must be 18 years or older to enter.  One entry per person.  Chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries recieved.  Need not be a bank customer to win.  Prize must be picked up from Marion County Bank's main bank office at 800 Main Street, Pella by Tuesday, December 22, 2015.  Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.  Employees and spouses of Marion County Bank are not eligible to win but may participate.

December 16 Contest Rules:

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm on December 17, 2015.  Winner will be announced by noon on December 18.  Must be 18 years or older to enter.  One entry per person.  Chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries recieved.  Need not be a bank customer to win.  Prize must be picked up from Marion County Bank's main bank office at 800 Main Street, Pella by Tuesday, December 22, 2015.  Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.  Employees and spouses of Marion County Bank are not eligible to win but may participate.

Melanie Negen retires after 34 years of service!

Melanie Negen is retiring after 34 years of dedicated service to Marion County Bank. Beginning her career in banking in 1981, Melanie has witnessed many changes in banking, but throughout the years her customer service has not waivered - starting with her smile when you walk in the door. Melanie's last day at Marion County Bank is Tuesday, December 15.

Melanie plans to spend her retirement days volunteering along side her husband, Leon, at Hope Ministries in Des Moines. Leon has served as President and CEO of Hope Ministries for 20 years and following Melanie's retirement, they will be able to serve together to continue to meet the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of men, women and children who are homeless or in need of hope.

She will also take time for her grandchildren as they anxiously await grandbaby #2.

The staff of Marion County Bank sincerely thanks Melanie for her years of service. Blessings to you in your retirement, Mel!

The holidays are here, so shop with care!

Criminals and online thieves are especially active during the holiday season.

Here are tips on how to shop safer.

The holidays often bring friends and family together for celebrations and good cheer. For many, this means spending more time shopping online and at the mall for that perfect gift. Unfortunately, thieves are also busy at this time of year, looking for unsuspecting victims. Share these tips with your customers to help them have a safer holiday shopping experience.

When shopping online:

• Use a secure, unique password for your email account. Online retailers often require an email address to register at their website. If a website is compromised, criminals can leverage your email account to hack your other e-commerce accounts.

• Use a single card for all online purchases to minimize your risks to one account. Monitor your payment account regularly for unauthorized purchases or other charges. Consider using a prepaid card, such as a SHAZAM gift card that’s loaded with only enough balance to cover your planned purchases.

• Beware of phishing ads or pop-ups for “amazing” deals. Hackers often set these up to install malware on your computer when you click. The thieves could also be trolling for information, payment account credentials or other personally identifiable information (PII) used to steal your identity.

• Don’t shop online using public computers or networks. Libraries, food courts and coffee shops are dangerous places to do online business. Bad guys may have installed key loggers, sniffers or other malware designed to steal your information.

• Keep your computer and browser up to date with the latest patches and software.

• Shop at reputable sites and be sure the sites you visit are legitimate. Cybercriminals can create website URLs that look very similar to real websites to fool shoppers. For example: A scam site could be called hxxp://www.amaxon.com and be set up to look exactly like Amazon.com. The scam site can then steal any information you enter at the site, such as your Amazon.com login credentials or your payment card number. Pay close attention to the browser’s address bar before entering any sensitive information, and move your mouse pointer over any link that directs you to a shopping site to make sure the link takes you to a legitimate website. 

When at the shopping center:

• Avoid driving alone or at night. If you must shop at night, park in a well-lit area, park as close as you can to your destination and take notice of where you parked.

• Don’t leave packages or valuables on the seat of your car. This creates a temptation for thieves. If you must leave something in the car, lock it in the trunk or put it out of sight.

• When approaching or leaving your vehicle, be aware of your surroundings. Don’t approach your car alone if there are suspicious people in the area. Check the back seat before getting in. Consider asking mall or store security for an escort before leaving your shopping location.

• Use ATMs only in well-lit, public places. Be aware of anything that doesn’t look right — ATM skimmer devices may have been installed by thieves to steal card numbers and PINs. If there are people loitering in the area, find another terminal.

• Dress casually and comfortably. Avoid wearing expensive jewelry, carrying expensive handbags or flashing large amounts of cash.

• Keep records at home of your credit and debit card numbers and customer service numbers. If your cards are lost or stolen, put a block on your cards using an app such as SHAZAM® BOLT$™ or immediately report it to your financial institution to block your cards.

• If possible, leave children at home with a trusted babysitter. If you must shop with your kids, teach them to stay close to you at all times. Never allow them to make unaccompanied trips to the restroom or to the car. Instruct them to ask a store clerk or uniformed security guard for assistance if they become separated from you.

• When at home, don’t leave large displays of holiday gifts in plain view from outside your home. Common sense and awareness can go a long way toward helping you and your family stay safer this holiday season. If you’re unsure of your surroundings or situation, either in person or online, get away and report the suspicious behavior or scam.

For more information:

To learn more about your rights as a consumer or to make complaints about online consumer issues, go to https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov.

By: Brent Gaulke
Operations Manager/Card Services

Posted November 24, 2015