Mobile Banking is safe, and the application is protected with two-factor authentication and encryption of offline data storage. Mobile banking requires a 6-digit PIN to access the application, and all data placed into local storage on the mobile device is encrypted. This ensures that if the mobile device is lost or stolen, the data stored locally for the Mobile Banking application is unreadable as individual data.  As long as your PIN is unknown, your personal information remains unaccessible.

A few other features about the safety of Arvest Mobile Banking include:
- 128-bit encryption protects your data
- Set your own 6-digit PIN
- No personal data stored on your phone
- Manage your own Mobile Banking account online

As with any service where your personal privacy and data is involved, you should keep your login PIN private to prevent unauthorized access.  Our Mobile Banking will allow you to change your PIN as often as you like, or deactivate your phone if lost or stolen from inside the secure area of Arvest Banking on the Net.    Visit www.arvestmobile.com for more detailed information, a demo and FAQs on Mobile Banking.

To sign up for Mobile Banking, look for the "Mobile Banking" tab inside Arvest Banking On the Net.

Airline travelers beware: Poorly secured airport Wi-Fi networks are a gold mine for hackers. According to the findings of a study conducted by AirTight Networks, a manufacturer of wireless intrusion protection hardware and software, and an article published this month by Forbes Magazine, many users of airport Wi-Fi networks are at risk for some type of identity theft. AirTight found that almost all public networks allow some type of personal data such as login names and passwords to pass through the air unencrypted. Even more startling, only 3% of people use something more secure.

So what should you do to protect your computer and sensitive information? The best protection, is, of course, avoiding use of any public Wi-Fi networks. However, this is not always practical for travelers in airports, especially those traveling on business who may find it necessary to use the internet while en route. For those travelers, here are some tips:

• Avoid typing credit card or debit card numbers or other sensitive financial information. Wait until you are able to gain access to a secure network to conduct online banking or shopping, not while on public Wi-Fi.

• Remember that “S” is for security. If you do access a page that requires a login and password, make sure the web site uses “https”, not just “http.” “Https” sites encrypt or convert information into code to protect your information.

• Disable the wireless connection while you are not using it by removing the Wi-Fi card or right-clicking the connection (on a PC) and selecting “Disable.”

• Use a personal firewall. It helps block someone on the internet or on a public network from accessing your computer without your permission.
 

Arvest's Marta Morrow is featured in an article on International Banking services published by the Daily Oklahoman.

"If an Oklahoma business owner has a problem in Pakistan or trouble in Thailand, Marta Morrow may be the banker of choice.  Morrow worked for 13 years at Bank of Oklahoma before she was hired early this year by Arvest Bank to launch and lead its international banking department as a senior vice president. Globalization of business is growing, and Arvest wanted to offer in-house services to its local customers who need help in their efforts to venture abroad. Previously, Arvest would contract for international services it was unable to provide."

Read more of Don MeCoy's article online here. 

For more information on International Banking, you can visit the Treasury Management section of the Arvest webstie, or ask your local Arvest lender for more info.

Mortgage rates are low and many customers are asking if it is the right time to refinance their mortgage.   Arvest Mortgage Loan Officer Leslie McNamara gives some helpful information to Tulsa's "News on 6" (CBS) on the current mortgage market and how to know if the time is right to get a lower rate on their home loan.

"So, how do you know if you should look to refinance your loan or stick with what you have? McNamara says it's good to follow this rule of thumb. Only refinance if you can lower your interest rate by at least 1% and lower your monthly payment by at least $100.

"Less than that, no. You have to incur all the costs again anytime you redo real estate," said Arvest mortgage loan officer Leslie McNamara.

The key, lenders say, is to strike while the rates are hot...it's hard to predict how long it will last.

If you were always thinking of refinancing, buying, do it. Don't delay, you might miss out because, more than ever, the only trend out there is volatility."

You can read the online version of the Channel 6 report and can click on the video to see the broadcast.

Contact a local Arvest mortgage loan officer today for updated rate information.

At Arvest Bank, it is a priority to provide our customers with convenient locations and extended hours.  That’s why Arvest Bank in central Arkansas just opened their 28th branch on Hwy 10 in west Little Rock.  The doors for our new branch at 13800 Cantrell Road opened on Monday, December 1, and our grand opening celebration will be held on Saturday, December 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The first 100 visitors to our grand opening will receive a free gift!  You may stop by the branch anytime between December 1 and December 20 to register for many great prizes, including a 42” Magnavox flat screen television, an HP laptop, a Garmin GPS device, a Canon digital camera, and six iPod nanos. There is no purchase necessary, and you do not need to be present to win.  The drawing will be held at 12:30 p.m on Saturday, December 20.

Santa will also be present all day, so make plans to bring your children by to have their photo made with Santa by a professional photographer.  The free photos will be printed on site, so you may take them home with you.

Alice 107.7 will also join our grand opening celebration from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 

We are excited to better serve our current customers that live and work in that area, and we are hoping to gain many new customers as well.  Come join us for all the fun festivities of our grand opening celebration! 
 

Mortgage rates trade each day in the open market just like stocks.  Mortgage rates are part of the bond market, which is a multi-trillion dollar securities market that trades daily and has global interest. The demand from investors for a particular investment, whether it is a stock, a bond, or a mortgage-backed security (a type of bond) help determine the prices and essentially the rates for mortgage loans.
 
Mortgage rates are typically referred to as a fixed-income investment, meaning an investor can count on a fixed-rate return for their investment of money.  When inflation moves up and down, that can also impact the value and hence the going rate for a mortgage loan as investors demand a higher rate or return when inflation is higher and may take a lower rate of return when inflation is lower. This is a very simple view of how mortgage rates may be affected but is not the only influence on the movement of mortgage rates.
 
That being said, today conventional wisdom and practices are not always applicable as the government is intervening and trying to influence the direction of mortgage rates both directly (by buying up mortgages) and indirectly (through encouraging others to buy mortgages), both of which have helped push mortgage rates lower over the past several weeks.
 
Many other consumer type loans, such as credit cards, home equity loans, and auto loans are tied to the "Prime" lending rate, which does not change daily. It is a rate set by the largest commercial banks and changes typically when the Federal Reserve makes a change to the Fed Funds target.  The "Prime" lending rate has been going down in recent months as the Federal Reserve has pushed interest rates as low as possible to help stimulate borrowing and lending.  The "Prime" lending rate and mortgage rates are often confused - while very loosely related due to the fact they are interest rates, they are also very much different.

The mortgage rate market is so unpredictable and determining mortgage rates can be very complicated, as it requires much more information about the individual borrower today... we highly advise you to contact an Arvest Mortgage Loan Officer for the best service and advice

Great question, and I hope this helps answer your question.
 

Has your company been a victim of ACH Debit Fraud?  Are you aware that the occurrences of ACH Debit Fraud are on the rise?  What is ACH Debit Fraud? 

ACH Debit Fraud is the act of fraudulently using another entity’s banking information to electronically withdraw funds from its accounts.  You might think that you could not fall victim to this type of fraud because you do not allow other entities to electronically debit your account.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Consider this…  every check that you write and distribute has the information needed to commit ACH debit fraud – the account number and the banking routing number.  Those pieces of information are displayed on the front of every check that you write.If that information gets into the wrong hands, your hard-earned account balances could be at risk.  As more entities make the option available to pay by electronic check, either on the Internet or by telephone, the potential for this type of fraud continues to increase.

How can you protect your company’s accounts?  Arvest Bank offers ACH Fraud Blocker that only allows the entities that you have authorized to electronically debit funds from your business accounts.  If you do not allow any entities to electronically debit your account, Arvest Bank can code your account to block all ACH debits.Implementing this service is quick, easy and inexpensive.  For only $8.00 per month per account, you can be rest-assured that your business accounts are being protecting from this growing type of electronic fraud.

For more information, please contact your local Treasury Management Representative.
 

Arvest Bank and Sprint Wireless customers may now use Arvest Mobile Banking on their mobile device to check balances, make transfers and to initiate bill payments - all from their cell phone.

The launch for Sprint as a certified carrier includes 26 of their most popular phones and data devices.  Signing up for Mobile Banking can be done inside (after you log in) of Arvest web banking.  Simply click the "Mobile Banking" tab across the top to get started. 

Arvest Mobile Banking is now supported by Alltel, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon.  We will keep you updated for any news relating to TMobile or US Cellular.

For more information, visit our Mobile Banking website.  (Sprint information to be added soon)