First Bank & Trust, New Prague 1st St, New Prague

For general banking purposes, First Bank and Trust is easy to use, simple to understand, and the most easy to work with bank we have ever interacted with before in our lives! It is actually enjoyable to bank here and to build relationships with the bankers. However, when it comes to home loans and refinancing, we would recommend steering somewhere else. I have to preface this by acknowledging our ignorance of how the process works which is why we were so patient as we were told it was a process. First Bank and Trust was also so stellar on every other front that we trusted them completely. We were first time home owners looking to get a refinance when interest rates dropped. Throughout this time we had also messaged support multiple times to make sure everything was okay with our banker as there were long periods without communication. This is the rough breakdown... June 28th 2020 -- We started the initial communication about a refinance. Over the next several months we had meetings and phone calls to make sure our jobs and finances were in good positions. March 3rd, 2021 -- We finalized our application. March 12th, 2021 -- All known documents needed were submitted. April 4th, 2021 -- Email asking about status. No response. April 7th, 2021 -- Followup email asking about status. No response. June 8th, 2021 -- Email and call asking about status. No response. August 8th, 2021 -- Email asking about status. Response from banker on August 10th saying that they will give an update soon. November 11th, 2021 -- Update is received from banker requesting work information. Information sent right away. November 29th, 2021 -- Email asking about status. December 5th, 2021 -- Email asking about status. December 24th, 2021 -- Email received from banker requesting work information again. Information sent right away. December 28th, 2021 -- Email asking about status December 29th, 2021 -- Email received from banker the asking for work information again. We emailed right back and asked for status of refinance which we have still not received at any point. NO MORE COMMUNICATION FROM THIS BANKER December 30th, 2021 -- We began with another banker from First Bank and Trust. Phone call followed by needing to resubmit all of our information because the last banker had not even started our refinance in the first place. We had to start all over again. January 3rd 2022 through May 6th 2022 -- Better emailing back and forth with the new banker with more communication success! While this banker was great to deal with there was little they could do. Between our initial application in March of 2021 and May 6th of 2022 my wife and I had both started different jobs which don't currently work into the refinance requirements. The banker explained that we either need new jobs or we have to wait 2 years to try again, and in our current situation we have to wait 2 years to try for a refinance again anywhere. Because of how all of our other banking experiences were, we had trusted First Bank and Trust and it has been a big let down. It kept us from applying for any other form of credit over the past 2 years as they told us we needed to hold off until the refinance was finalized. Paying for everything with cash over that time was hard a few times such as when we had to get a car and didn't have that much money saved at the time. This is all to say that for all everyday banking, we will never go anywhere else besides First Bank and Trust as long as they keep on doing what they have been. But for anything related to home loans and refinancing, we would sadly never recommend them to anyone.

We always experience fast and helpful service at this bank. Their Free Checking account is actually free - without any hidden fees. They have a great youth savings account with no minimum balance. Their extended hours are great since we work out of town and we can always find a free ATM when we travel. Their Mobile Banking app is great for checking our balances and recent activity when we're not at home. We highly recommend this bank!

I had a very positive experience with the DVS services here. I went to the MN DVS site and searched for local offices. I saw the link to get an appointment and followed the instructions. I got a call to let me know there was a cancellation same day and I went in. I would much rather gave to make an appointment than go wait in line for what can literally be hours.

Have banked here for 3 years. No complaints as they get the job done.

Always friendly and helpful. If I have issues with online banking they always correct immediately. I did my car loan refinance through SB and it was the smoothest banking experience I've encountered.

They have great service always willing to help. Had issues with online and they were able to help fix. I also enjoy there extend drive up hours during the week day. My daughter has a express savers account they have many activities in there flyer and she always loves her birthday present.

Yes the people are friendly and helpful. That i agree with. The problem i am having is with their I.T. department. I have had numerous problems with them deleating or losing my pin numbers so i have to come up with a new one. The other problem is again with the same department saying that there is in sufficient funds when i try to make purchases under 10 dollars yet MY ACCOUNT SHOWS HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS IN MY ACCOUNT! With all the problems i am having, im not sure if i can recommend people to this company right now. At least not until they get the glitches fixed

Ignore that complainer at the bottom. I've never had a single problem with our check deposits, with transactions (debit or otherwise), and I have NEVER been put on an automated message. The people at this bank, while they may seem "cool", are simply acting professional. They want nothing more than to get done what you want done. Do they ask your life story? No. Thankfully. Unlike most banks where you have to make meaningless small talk with the clerk you usually go to in order to get things done properly, the difference with NPSB is that they ARE professional. Get your doc's brought in, do things properly, and things are done in a prompt fashion. If you insist upon causing problems for them, then you might have to wait. Probably a day. Oh my. As for their online banking, it is utterly amazing. We banked at another local New Prague bank (Heartland Credit Union) and left there because of the fact that transactions wouldn't go through until 3 days after they were made. I just recently made a car payment. Tonight actually. I went to the website, filled out my info, hit the "pay now" button. Immediately (and i'm talking like, 5 seconds after I hit that button) I opened a new tab, logged into my NPSB account, and it was ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR!!! This is, by the way, after their open business hours. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about NPSB. If you want a bank that is professional and efficient, this is the bank for you. If you insist on causing them problems or difficulties over a simple matter, then you might as well look elsewhere, and for quite a while, because no bank enjoys YOU making THEIR life complicated because you can't get with the times. 8/5 for New Prague State Bank.

DO NOT BANK HERE!!!! Their hours suck and when you call to talk to a live person, more often than not their after hours automated message is still running. My husband and I were out of state on a business trip and his paycheck was deposited in the wrong account. When we called TWO HOURS after opening to talk to someone, we kept getting the automated message. So, we started pushing random extension numbers until someone picked up, put us on hold and then got the person associated with the first extention we tried. To top it off, she seemed annoyed when we explained our situation and I asked her to transfer all our money to checking. When we left messages, we never got a call back. Deposits don't go in the account until waaaay after opening hours which is ridiculous because that defeats the purpose of direct deposits. Mobile banking rarely works. It worked for the first few weeks, and now it just gives me errors. Tried banking by accessing their full website on my phone's browser, but that also kept giving me errors. My husband's check was not in there until after the weekend a couple times instead of on the usual Friday. DEBIT transactions took f-o-r-e-v-e-r to go through, and the last straw for me was when I accidently wrote my kid's school supply fee out of the wrong check book (innocent mistake, totally my fault and i accept the nsf fee), but then didn't notify me and has been charging me $14 PER DAY!!!! WTF!!!! SO DONE!!! DO NOT BANK HERE!!! I hate Wells Fargo with a passion, but I'm thinking they'd be a step up from this place. Oh and they put a hold on Every.Single.Check. you deposit- even paychecks- a main reason why we went to direct deposit.

Website does not indicate appointment needed. Was there when they opened. Only one other person there, and was told they would not help me with something that would take less than 5 minutes. Never asked what I needed just done. Basically said no and shut door in my face.