March 16, 2021Update
To Our Customers:
The IRS will begin distributing the third round of Economic Impact Payments (EIP) on Wednesday, March 17th. You may be expecting your Economic Impact Payment (EIP) in the form of direct deposit or an EIP card you will receive in the mail. We have provided links below that provide general information on your EIP and a link where you can check the status of your payment.
Frequently Asked Questions:
More details about the third round of Economic Impact Payments | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)
EIP card info:
Money Network Economic Impact Card | Money Network Economic Impact Payments (eipcard.com)
Check the status of your payment:
Get My Payment | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)
February 17, 2021 Update
To Our Customers:
While the state’s mask mandate is no longer in effect, we will continue to require face masks when visiting our lobby. Our priority continues to be the health and safety of our staff, our customers and the communities we serve. Thank you!
January 19, 2021 Update
Today our Havre Branch lobby will resume our regular lobby hours - 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The drive-up hours will remain unchanged, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday.
While we are all anxious to get back to “normal,” our priority will continue to be the health and safety of our employees, our customers and our communities. To this end, please follow our guidelines outlined below:
- Most importantly, if you are ill, please stay at home. This helps keep everyone safe.
- Please observe appropriate social distancing. We have placed floor markers in our lobby to help you keep a safe distance from other customers and staff.
- If you would like to come into the bank to meet with our New Accounts staff or a Lender, please call for an appointment. This will help us control the number of customers in the bank at one time and ensure that you get to the person you need to see as quickly as possible.
- Please review signage at our branches regarding the Governor’s mask directive and County Health Department requirements. If your branch is in a county that has more than four active cases, we will have signage up that asks you to wear a mask. If you are unable to wear a mask, please consider using our drive-up services.
- All of our workstations and high traffic areas will be cleaned and disinfected repeatedly throughout the day. Hand Sanitizer will be available at the entrance to each branch.
- Please, take our pen! If you use a pen while completing a transaction with us – for your safety and ours – please take it with you. Any pens left behind will be sanitized each day.
- If you are wearing a mask, for security purposes, we may require you to remove your mask briefly to identify you.
- As always, customers can use our drive-up, our Online and Mobile Banking, Mobile Deposit, and our many ATM’s across the Hi-Line.
Our IB team looks forward to serving you and our communities as we all continue to navigate this challenging time. Thank you for your trust in Independence Bank!
January 11, 2021 Update
Our Poplar Branch lobby is reopening today. They will resume their regular lobby hours - 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The drive-up hours will remain unchanged, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
We are looking forward to welcoming our Poplar area customers back into our lobby. While we are all anxious to get back to “normal,” our priority will continue to be the health and safety of our employees, our customers and our communities. To this end, please follow our guidelines outlined below:
- Most importantly, if you are ill, please stay at home. This helps keep everyone safe.
- Please observe appropriate social distancing. We have placed floor markers in our lobby to help you keep a safe distance from other customers and staff.
- If you would like to come into the bank to meet with our New Accounts staff or a Lender, please call for an appointment. This will help us control the number of customers in the bank at one time and ensure that you get to the person you need to see as quickly as possible.
- Please review signage at our branches regarding the Governor’s mask directive and County Health Department requirements. If your branch is in a county that has more than four active cases, we will have signage up that asks you to wear a mask. If you are unable to wear a mask, please consider using our drive-up services.
- All of our workstations and high traffic areas will be cleaned and disinfected repeatedly throughout the day. Hand Sanitizer will be available at the entrance to each branch.
- Please, take our pen! If you use a pen while completing a transaction with us – for your safety and ours – please take it with you. Any pens left behind will be sanitized each day.
- If you are wearing a mask, for security purposes, we may require you to remove your mask briefly to identify you.
- As always, customers can use our drive-up, our Online and Mobile Banking, Mobile Deposit, and our many ATM’s across the Hi-Line.
Our IB team looks forward to serving you and our communities as we all continue to navigate this challenging time. Thank you for your trust in Independence Bank!
October 20, 2020 Update
To ensure the health and safety of our employees and customers, we are temporarily reducing the lobby hours of our Havre Branch to 10:00 am - 2:00 pm effective Wednesday, October 21st until further notice.
- Our Havre branch drive-up remains open during regular business hours.
- Our Lenders and our New Account Representatives are available by appointment.
- You have 24/7 access to our Online and Mobile Banking services to check account balances, transfer money and make payments. Our Mobile Banking App also allows customers to deposit checks from any location.
- Please call us! Our staff is here to answer your questions during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. Many transactions can be completed over the telephone.
- As always, our ATMs are up and running in many locations across our community.
September 18, 2020 Update
Most Independence Bank locations will reopen their lobbies on Monday, September 21st. The exception to this is our Poplar Branch, which will be closed on Monday, Sept. 21st due to a recent increase of COVID-19 cases, but will reopen their drive-up services on Tuesday, Sept. 22nd. At our other branches, including Havre, Malta, Glasgow, Scobey and Conrad, lobby and drive-up hours will return to our normal schedule on the 21st. Please click here to check the hours for your local branch.
We are looking forward to welcoming our customers back into our lobbies. While we are all anxious to get back to “normal,” our priority will continue to be the health and safety of our employees, our customers and our communities. To this end, please follow our guidelines outlined below:
- Most importantly, if you are ill, please stay at home. This helps keep everyone safe.
- Please observe appropriate social distancing. We have placed floor markers in our lobby to help you keep a safe distance from other customers and staff.
- If you would like to come into the bank to meet with our New Accounts staff or a Lender, please call for an appointment. This will help us control the number of customers in the bank at one time and ensure that you get to the person you need to see as quickly as possible.
- Please review signage at our branches regarding the Governor’s mask directive and County Health Department requirements. If your branch is in a county that has more than four active cases, we will have signage up that asks you to wear a mask. If you are unable to wear a mask, please consider using our drive-up services.
- All of our workstations and high traffic areas will be cleaned and disinfected repeatedly throughout the day. Hand Sanitizer will be available at the entrance to each branch.
- Please, take our pen! If you use a pen while completing a transaction with us – for your safety and ours – please take it with you. Any pens left behind will be sanitized each day.
- If you are wearing a mask, for security purposes, we may require you to remove your mask briefly to identify you.
- As always, customers can use our drive-up, our Online and Mobile Banking, Mobile Deposit, and our many ATM’s across the Hi-Line.
Our IB team looks forward to serving you and our communities as we all continue to navigate this challenging time. Thank you for your trust in Independence Bank!
Miles D. Hamilton
President and CEO
July 17, 2020 Update
In accordance with this week’s Executive Order from Governor Bullock and the increased COVID-19 risk, all of our branch lobbies are closed, effective July 17, 2020, until further notice. We will continue to update you as this situation evolves.
While our lobbies are closed, our staff remains at work and will continue to serve our customers. Please refer to the following services to meet your banking needs:
- Our drive-up services are open and fully staffed at each branch.
- You have 24/7 access to our Online and Mobile Banking services to check account balances, transfer money and make payments. Our Mobile Banking App also allows customers to deposit checks from any location.
- Please call us! Our staff is here to answer your questions during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. Many transactions can be completed over the telephone.
- As always, our ATMs are up and running in many locations across our communities.
Independence Bank is happy to do our part to protect our families and communities, and we thank you for your cooperation at this time. Feel free to call any of our branches if you have questions or concerns and please stay safe and healthy!
July 15, 2020 Update
Due to today's Executive Order from Governor Bullock and the increased COVID-19 risk, our lobbies in Havre and Poplar will be closed effective Thursday, July 16th. We will continue to update you on our other branches and as this situation evolves.
While our lobbies are closed, our staff remains at work and will continue to serve our customers.
- Our drive-up services are open and fully staffed at each branch.
- You have 24/7 access to our Online and Mobile Banking services to check account balances, transfer money and make payments. In addition our Mobile Banking App allow customers to deposit checks from any location.
- Please call us! Our staff is here to answer your questions during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. Many transactions can be completed over the telephone.
- As always, our ATMs are up and running in many locations across our communities.
We encourage our employees and our customers to follow the new Executive Order and wear face masks in any public space, practice social distancing, wash hands frequently and stay home when sick. As Montanans, we must all do our part to protect our families and communities.
Sincerely,
Miles Hamilton
President and CEO
May 18, 2020 Update
Most Independence Bank locations will reopen their lobbies on Tuesday, May 19th. Our Poplar Branch will reopen on Friday, May 22nd. Lobby and Drive-Up hours will return to our normal schedule upon opening. Please click here to check the hours for your local branch.
As we continue our journey through these unprecedented times, we are looking forward to welcoming our customers back into our lobbies. While we are all anxious to get back to “normal,” our priority will continue to be the health and safety of our employees, our customers and our communities. Following the Governor’s guidelines for Phase One of reopening, we have made some changes in how our lobbies look and operate. We ask that you follow these guidelines moving forward:
- Most importantly, if you are ill, please stay at home. This helps keep everyone safe.
- We ask that you continue to use our drive-up services whenever possible. If you do need to come into the lobby, you will notice that our tellers – and possibly other employees – will have plexiglass shields to help keep everyone safe.
- Our Online and Mobile Banking services are available to check account balances, transfer money and make payments. In addition, our Mobile Banking app allows you to deposit checks from any location. We encourage you to continue to use these options as much as possible, as well as our drive-up, to meet your banking needs. By doing this, we all continue to slow the spread.
- If you would like to come into the bank to meet with our New Accounts staff or a Lender, please call for an appointment. This will help us control the number of customers in the bank at one time and ensure that you get to the person you need to see as quickly as possible.
- Please observe appropriate social distancing. We have placed floor markers in our lobby to help you keep a safe distance from other customers. If our lobby becomes too crowded and social distancing guidelines cannot be met, we may ask you to wait outside until others complete their transactions.
- All of our workstations and high traffic areas will be cleaned and disinfected repeatedly throughout the day. Hand Sanitizer will be available at the entrance to each branch.
- Please, take our pen! If you use a pen while completing a transaction with us – for your safety and ours – please take it with you. Any pens left behind will be sanitized each day.
- Some of our employees may be wearing face masks. We are not requiring our customers to wear face masks, but if you are wearing a mask, for security purposes, we may require you to remove your mask briefly to identify you.
As always, our team stands ready to serve you. I want to take a moment and recognize our employees for going above and beyond during this crisis. In the last few weeks, our lending team has worked diligently to fund approximately 450 Paycheck Protection Program Loans for a total of $30.6 million to assist our small businesses across the Hi-Line and our KOA Campground customers across the country. We have more to do and we look forward to continuing to work with you to reengage and reinvigorate our economy in the days ahead.
As always, thank you for your trust in Independence Bank!
Miles D. Hamilton
President and CEO
May 1, 2020 Update
We are pleased to see the gradual reopening of our State. Our area small businesses have been hit particularly hard by the shutdown and they require our support as they reopen for business.
Though COVID-19 seems to be losing steam, now is not the time to let our guard down. That would not be the right thing to do for the health of our communities. Staying home if not feeling well, social distancing, frequent handwashing, avoiding unnecessary travel and large groups, etc., are as important today as they were a month ago.
At Independence Bank, we believe the health of our employees and customers is the #1 priority. We appreciate everyone’s willingness to adjust and work with our new normal. And we believe our continued patience will further minimize the impact of the coronavirus in our communities.
As we continue to monitor the situation and anticipate opening our lobbies later this month, please know that we’re working hard to serve you. We are banking on the Hi-Line because we know the Hi-Line is banking on us, both today and for many years to come.
Enjoy the spring weather and let’s all stay well.
Miles D. Hamilton
President and CEO
April 24, 2020 Update
As many of you know, Governor Bullock has announced his plan for a phased reopening of our state. This is good news and a move in the right direction, but it is far from business as usual.
Independence Bank lobbies will remain closed until at least May 4th. Whether we reopen them at that time will depend on conditions and circumstances as we move forward. We will continue to update our website and Facebook page with any changes to our lobby status.
While our lobbies remain closed, our staff remains at work and continues to serve our customers.
- Our drive-up services are open and fully staffed at each branch.
- You have 24/7 access to our Online and Mobile Banking Services to check account balances, transfer money and make payments. In addition, our Mobile Banking app allows customers to deposit checks from any location.
- Please call us! Our staff is here to answer your questions during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. Many transactions can be completed over the telephone.
- As always, our ATMs are up and running in many locations across our communities.
We encourage our employees and our customers to continue the practice of social distancing, frequent hand washing, staying home when sick, etc. While we emerge from shelter-in-place we must all do our part to keep the curve bending in the right direction.
Stay well!
Miles Hamilton
President and CEO
April 7, 2020 Update
Message To Our Montana Securities, Inc. Shareholders
Due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak the Annual Shareholder meeting for Montana Security, Inc. that was scheduled for April 14, 2020 has been cancelled.
Each shareholder will receive a mailing from Montana Security, Inc. before the end of April.
Hope you and your loved ones are staying safe!
Miles Hamilton, President, MSI Board of Directors
Kay Mayer, Secretary, MSI Board of Directors
March 31, 2020 Update
Message To Our Small Business & Loan Customers
On March 27, 2020 the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law. The Act provides much needed stimulus to individuals, businesses, and hospitals in response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the highlights of this bill is the Paycheck Protection Program.
The Paycheck Protection Program is a loan program through the SBA to help those individuals and businesses affected by COVID-19. Applications will be handled by your local Bank and submitted to SBA for a 100% SBA 7(a) guaranteed loan. Businesses will be able to borrow money for a variety of qualified costs including payroll costs, health care benefits, employee compensation, mortgage interest obligations, rent, utilities, and interest on debt incurred before the covered period. The covered period is February 15 – June 30, 2020.
Another exciting benefit of the Paycheck Protection Program is the loan forgiveness portion of this program. Borrowers are eligible for loan forgiveness up to the amount spent during the 8-week period after loan origination if qualifying conditions are met.
As of March 30, 2020, the SBA is still in the process of developing the application and guidelines for this program. The SBA must issue regulations within 15 days of enactment of the CARES Act. Independence Bank is closely monitoring the situation and will be ready to accept loan applications as soon as SBA institutes the program. Please visit sba.gov for additional information.
If you are a loan customer with us and you have concerns about your agricultural, commercial, mortgage, vehicle or personal loan payments as a result of COVID-19, please contact your Independence Bank lender. We want you to know that our lending team is here to help with a range of loan modification options, payment deferral programs and COVID-19 loans that can be tailored to your unique situation.
While our lobbies remain closed, our staff is at work ready to support you. Be confident that Independence Bank is here to serve our customers and our communities.
Bill Keller
Executive Vice President
Chief Credit Officer
March 18, 2020 Update
Like all of you, Independence Bank is closely monitoring the Coronavirus situation. As concerns develop and evolve with COVID-19, we have decided to close our lobbies at 4:00 pm today, March 18th, 2020. At this time, the closure is for an indefinite period, but we will keep you informed through our website and our Facebook page on future developments. Please be assured, that while our lobbies will be closed, we have plans in place to continue to serve our customers.
- Our drive-up services will be open and fully staffed at each branch.
- You have 24/7 access to our Online and Mobile Banking Services to check account balances, transfer money and make payments. In addition, our Mobile Banking app allows customers to deposit checks from any location.
- Please call us! Our staff will be here to answer your questions during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. Many transactions can be completed over the telephone. If we cannot complete a transaction over the phone, we may be able to schedule an appointment for you to speak to a banker.
- As always, our ATMs will be up and running in many locations across our communities.
Thank you for your trust in Independence Bank. We appreciate your understanding and assistance in keeping each other safe and healthy. As we move forward, serving our customers and keeping our employees safe will continue to be at the forefront of every decision we make.
Miles Hamilton
President and CEO
March 16, 2020 Update
During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Independence Bank remains open and will continue to provide service to all of our customers. However, to protect the health and safety of our employees, our customers and our communities we are asking our customers to follow these guidelines to increase social distancing and help stop the spread of the virus. These include:
- Using our Drive-Up services whenever possible instead of coming in to our lobbies.
- Utilizing our Online and Mobile Banking services to check account balances, transfer money and make payments. In addition, our Mobile Banking app allows customers to deposit checks from any location.
- Please call first. Many transactions can be completed over the telephone. If we cannot complete your transaction over the phone, we will schedule an appointment to see you at the bank.
Please feel free to reach out to us at 406.265.1241 if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to help!
A Letter from our CEO and President, Miles Hamilton
Dear Friends,
As you all are aware, Coronavirus COVID-19 is having a major impact on our lives as US citizens.
At Independence Bank, our management team has been meeting regularly to monitor the situation and make responsible decisions to protect the health and safety of our IB family, our customers, and the communities we live in.
I wanted to reach out to all of you personally to let you know about the precautionary measures we are taking at this time to meet the recommendations of the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and to do our part to protect our employees and customers.
We have suspended air business travel for our employees. In addition, we have also discouraged non-essential personal travel, especially by air or to high risk areas.
As a normal course of business, we encourage our staff that are sick to stay at home. But since the Coronavirus may bring new challenges, we have implemented plans beyond our normal sick leave to support them in the event of extended illness, school closures or care for other family members dealing with this illness.
We encourage our staff and our customers to be especially vigilant in helping to prevent the spread of illness in their communities with these common-sense suggestions:
- If you are ill, please stay at home.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
- If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your face, mouth, nose, etc.
- Sneeze and cough into a tissue or your inner elbow.
- If you are sick, seek medical attention early, but please follow the CDC advice to contact your provider before arriving at the clinic or emergency room.
In addition, if you are considering travel, please be sure to check the CDC’s Traveler’s Health Notices (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices) for the latest guidance and recommendations.
Please keep in mind that you have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week access to your account information through our Online and Mobile Banking. These systems also allow you to make payments and transfer funds. In addition, the Remote Check Deposit feature on our Mobile Banking app will also allow you to deposit checks from any location using your cell phone. Please check our website or contact any of our locations for more information on our online services.
This situation is constantly evolving and please know that we are staying up to date on the latest developments and recommendations. We are committed to doing all we can to ensure the health of our communities.
Thank you for being a valued Independence Bank Customer.
Miles Hamilton
CEO and President
|
