Kids Bank 20th Anniversary

Kids Bank 20^th Anniversary

(Burlington, Iowa) Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust Kids Bank is celebrating their 20^th anniversary during the month of April.

The F&M Bank & Trust Financial Literacy programs are the most successful Kids Bank & Teen Bank programs in Southeast Iowa.  These programs teach local students the concept of saving money by stressing that it is “never too late, nor ever too early” to begin.  The important life skills of responsibility and discipline are also taught.  Teaching children to save money is not just about banking.  Teaching children to save is about building character, learning responsibility, developing skills and practicing a discipline that can be applied to real life situations.  The strength of the F&M Bank & Trust Financial Literacy programs lie in teaching financial skills and forming habits that will make “our kids” an asset in the communities in which we live and work.

As the F&M Financial Literacy programs have grown, one thing has remained the same…F&M Bank & Trust Kids & Teen Banks are banks for kids, run by kids.  When students enter kindergarten, they are eligible to open accounts with F&M Kids Bank.  As the students progress in age, they qualify to hold jobs as Tellers, Bookkeepers, and on the Board of Directors.  After graduating into middle school, F&M Kids Bank clients are able to join the next phase of the financial literacy program, F&M Teen Bank.  During the phase of Teen Bank, learning about electronic banking begins.  Skills are developed that will help them to navigate today’s banking system.

The F&M Kids and Teen Banks are in every elementary and middle school in Burlington and West Burlington.  There are eight elementary and four middle school banks with deposits totaling more than $600,000. 

The F&M Financial Literacy programs have been recognized and have received awards from the Iowa Bankers Association, The Greater Burlington Partnership, the City of Burlington and the City of West Burlington.

Contact for more information:
Amy Clayton Walsh
F&M Bank & Trust
VP, Marketing & Public Relations
319-768-6116