Banking / Banks

American National Bank Fox Cities Review 2020: Is It the Right Bank for You?

American National Bank Fox Cities was founded in 1993 by local entrepreneurs and business owners in the Fox Cities of northeastern Wisconsin. Their vision was to create a bank that would better serve small businesses and provide a backbone for the community. Community-driven, the bank boasts offerings beyond traditional banking services with core values like servant leadership, curiosity, growth, listening and persistence.

This guide to American National Bank Fox Cities will cover:

Who Is American National Bank Fox Cities Best For?
Who Might Want To Skip American National Bank Fox Cities?
Types of Accounts Available
How To Bank With American National Bank Fox Cities
Fees
Availability of Funds
Should You Bank With American National Bank Fox Cities?

Who Is American National Bank Fox Cities Best For?

With current headquarters in Appleton, Wisconsin, the American National Bank Fox Cities takes community to an entirely new level. The “Fox Cities” make up 19 communities in the greater Appleton area, and the executive team takes personal time to volunteer in the local area. This bank offers a hometown feel that takes pride in helping small businesses achieve their goals. American National provides personal banking and business banking services, with checking, savings, credit cards and loans offered for each category.

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American National Bank Fox Cities Pros and Cons
Pros	Cons
Hometown feel No service fees for most accounts Free ATM/debit cards, online banking and bill pay	Exclusive to Fox Cities’ residents (Wisconsin) Very low interest rates Service charges for low minimum balance

Most savings and checking accounts have no service fees. The bank also offers free ATM/debit cards, online banking and bill pay to its customers.

Who May Want To Skip American National Bank Fox Cities?

American National Bank Fox Cities won’t suit every type of customer. Customers who prefer a predominantly online or mobile banking experience should look at larger online banks that provide service nationwide. This bank is very much a “hometown” bank and focuses its efforts on the brick-and-mortar locations in the Fox Cities area of Wisconsin. If you do not reside within this region, American National Bank Fox Cities might not be a great fit.

American National Bank Fox Cities: Who’s It For?
Best for customers:	Worst for customers:
Seeking in-person customer service	Seeking an online banking experience
Who want no monthly service charges	Who can’t maintain minimum balances
Looking for a hometown bank feel	Who do not reside in Wisconsin
Who like straightforward and easy account options	Who want more than basic account types

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Types of Accounts Available

This bank offers a comprehensive lineup of accounts, with multiple savings and checking account options available.

Here’s a look at American National Bank Fox Cities’ current product lineup.

American National Bank Fox Cities Bank Accounts
Product	APY	Minimum Daily Balance	Service Fees
Official Timber Rattlers Checking	up to 0.13%	$0	$0
American Checking	N/A	$250	$4
Partner Checking	up to 0.08%	$250	$4
VIP Checking	up to 0.08%	$0	$0
Star Checking	up to 0.13%	$0	$0
Liberty Checking	up to 0.13%	$0	$0
Regular Savings	up to 0.13%	$100 to obtain APY	$5 quarterly if balance falls below $100
Money Market Savings	up to 0.75%	$1,000	$6 monthly if balance falls below $1,000
Liberty Savings	up to 0.13%	$0	$0
Young Savers Savings	up to 0.13%	$0	$0
Holiday Club Savings	0.08%	$0	$0
Traditional IRA	up to 0.15%	N/A	N/A
Roth IRA	up to 0.15%	N/A	N/A
SEP IRA	up to 0.15%	N/A	N/A
Simple IRA	up to 0.15%	N/A	N/A
CD Accounts	up to 1.25%	N/A	N/A

See: The Best Banks of 2020

Checking

American National Bank Fox Cities offers six different checking account options, with one being centered around the Timber Rattlers minor league baseball team. All checking accounts include free online banking, eStatements, bill pay and free ATM/debit cards. Here is a breakdown of the features offered for each checking account:

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American National Bank Fox Cities Checking Accounts
Checking Account	Features
Official Timber Rattlers Checking	Earn interest with a balance over $1,000 One box of custom Timber Rattlers checks each year, free of charge
American Checking	Account for first-time customers and students No monthly fees for full-time students under age 25
Partner Checking	Designed with customers in mind Earn more interest when your balance exceeds $1,000
VIP Checking	For customers age 55 or over or with $25,000 in personal accounts Three free telephone transfers per month $5 off annual safe deposit box rental Free bank checks
Star Checking	Best for customers with $100,000 in personal accounts $5 off annual safe deposit box rental 0.25% off consumer loans (excluding commercial and first mortgage loans) Additional 0.25 basis points on CDs (excluding specials)
Liberty Checking	Designed for military service members on active duty, in the Reserves or National Guard, or with veteran status $5 off annual safe deposit box rental 0.25% off consumer loans (excluding commercial and first mortgage loans) Additional 0.25 basis points on CDs Earn more interest any time your balance exceeds $1,000

Pros

Free online banking, eStatements, bill pay and ATM/debit cards
Some accounts have no monthly fees
Option to earn interest

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Cons

Some monthly fees with certain accounts

Savings

There are five different savings account options at American National Bank Fox Cities.

The regular savings account and money market savings account require a minimum balance of $100 and $1,000, respectively. Both of these accounts also have services. The regular savings account has a $5 quarterly charge if your balance falls below $100, and the money market account charges $6 monthly for a balance below $1,000.

The other three savings accounts offered do not have a minimum balance requirement or service fees. All of these accounts have free ATM/debit cards and online banking.

Pros

Free ATM/debit cards and online banking
No monthly maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements for some accounts

Cons

Regular savings and money market accounts have minimum balance requirements
$5 quarterly charge for balance below $100 (regular savings)
$6 monthly charge for balance below $1,000 (money market)
Low interest rates

Money Market

Money market accounts fall under the savings accounts umbrella at American National Bank Fox Cities. This type of account will give customers greater flexibility and the potential to get a greater return on their initial deposit. You can earn interest based on a tiered platform of average daily balance:

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American National Bank Fox Cities Money Market Savings
Account Balance	Interest Rate	APY
$0-$9,999.99	0.15%	0.15%
$10,000-$99,999.99	0.40%	0.40%
$100,000-$249,999.99	0.55%	0.55%
$250,000-$499,999.99	0.60%	0.60%
$500,000 or more	0.75%	0.75%

Customers must maintain a $1,000 minimum balance to avoid a service charge. There is no minimum balance to obtain APY. The Star, Liberty and Timber Rattlers Checking are all considered money market checking accounts that range from 0.03% to 0.13% APY.

Pros

Potential to earn more interest
No charge for unlimited withdrawals in person
Make deposits of any amount at any time

Cons

Service charge for balances below $1,000
Low interest rates

Check Out: Best Money Market Accounts

CDs

American National Bank Fox Cities does offer certificates of deposit. There aren’t a large number of details offered for these specific accounts on its website, however, the CDs offered do have flexible terms from six to 60 months. CD accounts have the highest APY at this bank, ranging from 0.70% to 1.25%. There is a $500 minimum balance required to open, but these accounts give you the opportunity to earn a higher return for your money.

Pros

Flexible term lengths
Decent interest rates

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Cons

$500 minimum balance to open

Individual Retirement Accounts

American National Bank Fox Cities offers several IRA options, which provide tax advantages for long-term retirement savings. It offers both a traditional and Roth IRA, as well as a SEP IRA, which has no minimum balance requirements. This account is a simplified employee pension plan that allows employees to contribute to their retirement. This SEP IRA has a higher contribution limit than the traditional or Roth IRA, and these contributions are tax-deductible for businesses.

The Simple IRA is an employee-sponsored retirement plan for small businesses with 100 or fewer employees. This account is basically a simplified 401(k) plan and allows employees to make salary reduction contributions and have the employer match these funds.

Pros

No minimum balance requirements
Interest based on opening deposit amount

Cons

Low interest rates

Investment (Nonbank) Options

At this time, American National Bank Fox Cities does not offer any investment options.

Loans

American National Bank Fox Cities offers a wide range of lending services, including personal, business, small business and mortgage loans. The bank offers a variety of short- and long-term loans to fit any business’ needs, and there is an entire section of its website dedicated to SBA loans and SBA loans specifically for women. American National Bank also provides resources for women-owned businesses, as well as connecting them with tools and resources specific to women in management.

Consumers looking for personal, automobile or recreational loans — such as for boats, RVs, motorcycles and ATVs — can find those here too.

How To Bank With American National Bank Fox Cities

It is recommended that you call or visit your local branch to open an account to get the best customer service. You can open an account online with American National Bank Fox Cities by following these steps:

Click “Banking Login” in the top right-hand corner of the page.
Click “Enroll Now” in the bottom-left corner.
Enter the type of account you wish to open.
Enter the account number.
Enter your PIN.
Enter your email address, and confirm it.
Click “Enroll” at the bottom of the form.

Learn: Best Regional Banks of 2020

Fees

The only fees outlined on the website are service fees associated with certain checking and savings accounts, which range from $4 to $6. Bill pay is free unless you do not use this service for three consecutive months. After this time, you will be charged a $7 subscriber fee that will be automatically deducted from your account.

Availability of Funds

American National Bank Fox Cities does not provide the availability of its funds anywhere online.

Should You Bank With American National Bank Fox Cities?

American National Bank Fox Cities offers its customers an in-person, hometown feel when providing financial services. Fox Cities’ residents have a bank that is dependable, with considerable options for banking and lending alike. American National Bank Fox Cities particularly strives to get entrepreneurs off the ground when it comes to their finances.

Benefits

In-person customer service
Wide variety of checking and savings account available
Great opportunities for small and local businesses

Drawbacks

Exclusive to Fox Cities’ residents in Wisconsin
Certain service fees apply
Low interest rates

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Rates and fees are accurate as of March 3, 2020, and are subject to change. This content is not provided by American National Bank Fox Cities. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American National Bank Fox Cities.