Emily Jolliff Photography
When the seeds of First Bank Texas were planted in the 1800s, the stagecoach was the backbone of frontier commerce, carrying gold, mail, and opportunity across the wild expanses.
Now the oldest national bank in the state, First Bank Texas today is using mobility to find the customer. The bank’s new mobile banking branch, designed to deliver full-service banking and financial education to neighborhoods, community and sporting events, festivals, and schools, is hitting the road.
The mobile branch debuted in Willow Park in recent days.
“Our bank has always worked to meet our customers where they are,” said Zan Prince, chairman of the board for First Bank Texas. “This mobile branch is the next step in that mission — taking our services out into the neighborhoods.”
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Bank officials say this is far more than a “rolling cash dispenser.” The mobile branch is outfitted with full-service account support and instant-issue debit card printing — including mascot-branded cards at athletic events. There is also real-time video banking when more in-depth support is required. Customers can open accounts, talk to a video banker via an ITM — Interactive Teller Machine — and even begin the process for personal, home, and business loans and wealth planning.
Says Jeff Fahler, the bank’s president and COO: “We can conduct any type of banking at our mobile branch. Our Interactive Teller Machine connects to a live person during business hours. One of our associates can be seen and heard through the ITM. The truck has a secure satellite or cellular service that connects to one of our team members who can answer questions, accept deposits, and conduct transactions just like in a branch. All of our ATMs function as ITM throughout our network. So, using the machine on the truck is just like using an ATM at one of our branches.”
The mobile branch will also serve the purpose of financial education. The bank plans to bring the branch to school and college prep events and community festivals, introducing younger customers to smart financial habits.
The mobile branch will also serve as a link during emergencies or disasters, allowing the bank to provide service quickly in affected areas when traditional infrastructure may be down.
“We're excited to take the mobile branch into our communities to help support financial literacy,” Fahler says. “We believe the mobile branch will be an excellent ‘vehicle’” — pun fully intended — “for offering financial education to people from all walks of life. We're building a program that will allow First Bank Texas to educate individuals on a variety of personal finance topics.”
First Bank Texas has 14 locations in Abilene, Baird, Bedford, Clyde, Grapevine, Haskell, Hudson Oaks, Munday, Stamford, Weatherford, and Willow Park. The institution dates to the late 1800s, with First National Banks in Baird and Weatherford. First Baird Bancshares acquired those, as well as First National Banks Munday and Mid-Cities over the years. They’ve all been merged into one, First Bank Texas, which operates the oldest national bank charter in Texas.