Arvest customer, John Wigley, received a Nintendo Wii for winning a Credit Card Promotion held during August and September in the Fort Smith Region. Anyone that filled out an Arvest Credit Card Application or referred a friend that completed an Arvest Credit Card Application was entered into drawing.  Wigley’s name was drawn from several hundred qualified entries.  Mr. Wigley was very excited to receive the Wii and stated, “I have a great idea of what I can do with this prize.”

Pictured above (left to right): Carla Wise, Aaron Sanders, John Wigley and Kendall Poe

The colder weather is moving in, so it is time to bundle up.  For some, this time of year is more than just a change in temperature.  According to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Oklahoma Institute of Child Advocacy, 15% of Oklahomans live in poverty and 20% of children in Oklahoma live in poverty. 

This year Arvest Bank has teamed with Shared Blessings for “Coats Now” to provide McAlester with much-needed coats.  Donations of new or gently used coats—children’s or adults—can be dropped off at Arvest Bank, 101 S. 3rd, now through November 7th.

“We recognize the significant need this year especially,” says Gene Walker, President, Arvest Bank, McAlester. “Arvest Bank appreciates the community and wants to help.”

Shared Blessings inventory is running low on coats for those in need. So join Arvest Bank with “Coats Now” and help keep Oklahoma’s adults and children in need warm this winter.

Arvest Bank Fayetteville recently was awarded "The Green Shovel Award" for the Joyce Street Branch in Fayetteville.  Every year the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Construction and Development Committee awards businesses that have undergone construction within the past year.  The Joyce Branch  is the fist bank branch built to LEED standards in Arkansas.  Three areas that were critical to in pursuing LEED certification were site landscaping, the use of sunlight, and the use of water.  Some noticeable visible elements are a pervious pavement in the parking areas to drain off surface water, light dimming fixtures within the building to reduce the usage of unnecessary light and the use of bioswales for site water detention and percolation.  

Congratulations to the Arvest Architecture Department and to Wittenburg, Delony and Davidson Architects for the design of the Joyce Street Branch!
 

On Friday, October 16th, Arvest joined in the fun at the “Tailgate on 75,” a fundraising event for George Nigh Rehabilitation Center in Okmulgee, OK.

Arvest handed out candy and giveaways and registered people for a prize pack (including a cooler, stadium blanket, and $25 gift card).  There was a lot to do and see, including a “battle of the bands” between local H.S. marching bands, a rock climbing booth, autograph signing, and much more! 

Click here to learn more about GNRC!

Pictured below are former OU football players Paul Thompson, Jami Halloway and Quinton Griffin!

Arvest Bank Fayetteville recently completed a Credit Card Contest.  During August and September, any customer that filled out an application for an Arvest Credit Card was entered into a drawing to win $500.  Jonathan Plata is our winner.  He works at the McDonald’s down the street from our Green Acres branch.  Jonathan always came to the branch to cash his check, but he was not an account holder.  After winning the prize he opened a savings account and he is now a happy Arvest customer!

As the seasons change and we begin to feel the nip in the crisp Autumn air, we are reminded that it's time to bring out last year's winter wardrobe. After emptying out the vacuum storage bags and plastic containers, we my find that the wardrobe isn't as appealing as we thought.  Creating a personal clothing inventory can help you know what you need, but if there isn't room in the budget to purchase those items, it may be time to host a clothing swap.

There are a lot of options when hosting a clothing swap.  Accessories, man's clothes, books and toys, even home decor, can be swapped.  Swaps are limited only by your time and imagination.

Neighborhood swap:  In a neighborhood swap, the organizer sets up areas with signs for each type of item.  For example, one table is for woman's clothing, another for children's clothing, and another for toys. Participants arrive 30 minutes prior to beginning the swap and place their unwanted items in it's appropriate place, saving the organizer from setting up everything herself.  When the swap is scheduled to begin, everyone goes shopping.  Think of it as a yard sale where no money changes hands.

Church/Organization based swaps:  Large group swaps will be the most labor intensive to organize, but will have the largest variety and therefore the possibility for better products. 

Friend swaps:  Probably the most fun, friend swaps can be held in the organizers home.  Items are organized by style and can include accessories, handbags, and shoes.  Holding a swap in a home allows for enough privacy to have fitting rooms.  A friend swap has all the benefits of shopping with
best friends but with the comfort of home and no shoppers guilt.   Add some wine and snacks and you have a low-cost girl's night in.

There are a few rules that apply to every swap:

1. Give participants plenty of notice so they have time to clean out their closets.  The more time they have, the better the selection at your swap.
2. All items must be useful clothing in good condition.  (no holes or stains)
3. Ensure that participants understand that original owners will not get their items back.  At the end of the night all items are donated to an agreed upon charity.

There are some who would say that each participant should agree to bring a minimum amount of clothing, but this excludes those who would benefit the most from this sort of swap.  Unless you are swapping with an exclusive group, or you are very concerned about being taken advantage of, these kinds of rules aren't recommended.  Keep things simple with the understanding that some will leave the swap with more than others, but everyone leaves with a little more closet space and no money out of pocket.

Tiffany is a special contributor to the Arvest Bank blog, providing her insight and opinions on personal and family finance issues. 
 

Congratulations to Hog fan Ryan Ward, a dentist from Monroe, La., on winning Arvest’s Ultimate Razorback Roadtrip Auction benefitting Arkansas Children’s Hospital!  Ryan’s $3,000 bid will have him and his eight-year-old son, Tucker, traveling with the football team as the Razorbacks take on the LSU Tigers on November 27 in Baton Rouge.  Ryan and Tucker will travel with the coaches and players from the Broyles Athletic Center to the airport, then on the team plane to Louisiana.  They’ll enjoy a stay at the team hotel, eat with the players and coaches, attend the game and ride in the team motorcade to the stadium.

Arvest’s Ultimate Razorback Roadtrip Auction in its fifth year.  This year, Arkansas Children’s Hospital was the selected beneficiary.  Arkansas Children’s Hospital is the only pediatric medical center in Arkansas and one of the largest in the United States serving children from birth to age 21.

 “This is a great gift to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and we are delighted to partner with Arvest for this opportunity. The generosity of friends and financial supporters, like Arvest and Dr. Ryan Ward, allows Arkansas Children’s Hospital to be the very best it can be. By investing in children’s health, we possess the power to shape the future - caring for our children and saving precious lives,” said Jennifer Forrest, Senior Community Development Coordinator for Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
 

Arvest wants you to be aware of a fraudulent email which claims to be from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).  The FDIC has issued the following Consumer Alert describing the email, and which includes a reminder that the FDIC does not send unsolicited email to consumers.  If you receive an email like the one described below, Arvest recommends that you delete it and that you do not click on any web links or download any files related to the email.

E-mail Claiming to Be From the FDIC – October 26, 2009

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous reports of a fraudulent e-mail that has the appearance of being sent from the FDIC.

The subject line of the e-mail states: “check your Bank Deposit Insurance Coverage.” The e-mail tells recipients that, "You have received this message because you are a holder of a FDIC-insured bank account. Recently FDIC has officially named the bank you have opened your account with as a failed bank, thus, taking control of its assets.”

The e-mail then asks recipients to “visit the official FDIC website and perform the following steps to check your Deposit Insurance Coverage” (a fraudulent link is provided). It then instructs recipients to “download and open your personal FDIC Insurance File to check your Deposit Insurance Coverage.”

This e-mail and associated Web site are fraudulent. Recipients should consider the intent of this e-mail as an attempt to collect personal or confidential information, some of which may be used to gain unauthorized access to on-line banking services or to conduct identity theft.

The FDIC does not issue unsolicited e-mails to consumers. Financial institutions and consumers should NOT follow the link in the fraudulent e-mail.

Go here to read the notice on the FDIC website.