The New Year is almost here! We’d like to remind you of our New Years holiday hours as 2012 is only days away.  All Arvest branch locations will be CLOSED Monday, Jan. 2, 2012.  All branch locations will be OPEN during regular business hours the following day, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012.

OKLAHOMA:  The following branch locations will CLOSE at 1:00pm on New Year’s Eve, Saturday, Dec. 31. 

• Lawton — 4330 NW Cache Rd.; 2622 W. Gore Blvd.; 2902 E Gore Blvd.
• Chickasha — 1927 S 4th St.
• Elgin — 7438 US Hwy. 277
• Duncan — 2203 N Hwy. 81

For your convenience you can bank 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 

•     Arvest Mobile Banking
•     Arvest Online Banking
•     24-Hour Account Information Line
•     ATM - click here to find a location or find one using the myArvest app on your iPhone

We thank each of our customers for their business with us in 2011, and look forward to working with each of you in the year to come.  From all at Arvest Bank, have a Safe and Happy New Year!
 

January 1st marks the calendar as a day for “new beginnings.”  For so long now, New Years Day is viewed as a chance to start fresh, clean your slate, make new for yourself.  Have you set your New Year’s Resolution yet?  Are you determined to stick with your goals for 365 days? 

Financial goals are ever-popular for many each year.  There are no constants with the economy, time or your life, which means your financial needs are rarely constant either.  If you haven’t set a New Year’s Resolution, or think you have room for one more, here are some to consider:

• Budget Better.  Create a monthly budget.  This sense of “writing down” your goals will make you more accountable to yourself.  Also, making it a monthly guide will allow you to better manage and follow it.  The Arvest Spending Card is a good option for helping you stick with your budget and keep you from over-spending. 
• Save Money.  A first step for this is to take a good look at where you can cut spending.  Next, set up a financial savings plan. Arvest has a variety of savings options, such as savings accounts and money markets, that you may consider adding to reinforce your savings plan.
• Pay Off Debt.  You will fill a sense of relief once that weight lifted off your shoulders.  CBSNews.com says “the secret to paying off debt quickly is to know that some debts are more expensive than others.”  Debts with higher interest rates are debts you want to pay off first. 
• Save for Your Child’s Education.  As mentioned before, savings accounts and money markets are a good start for a financial savings plan.  For a specific savings option tailored to college savings, Arvest offers investment plans such as 529 College Savings Plans and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts that will get your child on the road to a great education.
• Invest in Identity Theft Protection.  As the fastest growing crime in America with over 11 million victims in 2009, identity theft insurance has become nearly a must.  Arvest now offers Family IDProtect™ with many checking accounts, such as myBlue™ checking.  With not knowing what the year ahead holds, protecting yourself and your family from identity theft is great way to begin 2012.
• Go Green!  You know the drill—Recycle, Reduce, Reuse.  If this is the New Year’s Resolution for you, sign up for e.Statements.  It’s simple and easy to sign up for, and by doing so, you’re automatically reducing paper. 

We want to hear about your financial New Year’s Resolutions. Click the “Comments” link below this blog article to share with us and others what your financial goals are for 2012. 

From all at Arvest, we hope you have a safe and prosperous 2012! 
 

(By clicking on external links, please be aware you will be leaving the Arvest website.)

During this time of the year, many are thinking about gift giving and present wrapping.  However, one gift most people may never think of is the gift of life.  On Wednesday, December 21, Arvest in Fayetteville, Ark. held a blood drive at their Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. branch for the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks.  The blood drive was open to both Arvest associates and the public.  By the end of the day, the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks and Arvest completed their donation goal for the blood drive.

Lora Witcher, donor recruiter for the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, said, “Thank you so much for a very good blood drive. We were able to register in 19 donors and collected 17 donations! And remember, we were able to save 51 lives here in Northwest Arkansas! What an amazing Christmas gift!”

From Arvest in Fayetteville, thank you to the associates and customers who participated in this year’s successful blood drive.
 

The countdown to Christmas has begun!  As only a few days remain, we want to remind you of our Christmas and New Years holiday hours.  We thank each and every one of you for your business with us and we wish you a Happy Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year!

All Arvest branch locations will be CLOSED Monday, Dec. 26th and Monday, Jan. 2nd, 2012.

Some locations will have special hours on the days leading up to Christmas and New Years. All Arvest branch locations will be open during regular business hours following the holidays on Tuesday, Dec. 27 and Tuesday, Jan. 3. See below for special hours at select locations.

Arkansas

Saturday, Dec. 24: All Wal-Mart Supercenter branches in the cities and areas below will CLOSE at 2:00pm.

• Northwest Arkansas
• Fort Smith and surrounding area
• Harrison
• Little Rock

Missouri

Saturday, Dec. 24:  All Wal-Mart Supercenter branches in the cities and areas below will CLOSE at 2:00pm.

• Joplin and surrounding area
• Nixa

Oklahoma

Friday, Dec. 23:  The Service Station branch at Conoco-Phillips in Bartlesville, Okla. will be CLOSED.

Saturday, Dec. 24 and Saturday, Dec. 31:  The following branches will CLOSE at 1:00pm.

• Lawton — 4330 NW Cache Rd.; 2622 W. Gore Blvd.; 2902 E Gore Blvd.
• Chickasha — 1927 S 4th St.
• Elgin — 7438 US Hwy. 277
• Duncan — 2203 N Hwy. 81

For your convenience you can bank 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 

    Arvest Mobile Banking
    Arvest Online Banking
    24-Hour Account Information Line
    ATM - click here to find a location or find one using the myArvest app on your iPhone

Safe travels and warmest wishes from all at Arvest Bank!
 

Each year, Arvest Bank in Huntsville, Ark. holds a holiday coloring contest with the Huntsville elementary schools.  The winner’s artwork is featured on the front of Arvest Bank’s Christmas cards and in the school’s holiday community message that is published in the Madison County Record.

Arvest is proud to announce that this year’s winner is Cassie Turner from Mrs. McLoure’s third-grade class at Watson Intermediate School.   During a special class assembly held on Dec. 16, Arvest presented Cassie with a $25 Arvest Visa Gift Card, an Arvest backpack and lunch bag and an honorary plaque for her wonderful winning artwork.  Arvest wishes to thank all of the students for their participation in this fun holiday event!     

Hey last-minute shoppers!  Are you still contemplating what to get aunts, uncles, second cousins, co-workers and everyone else you have left on your list? Contemplate no more.  This year, complete your gift-buying with Arvest Visa Gift Cards!

If you’ve ever bought or received any type of gift card, you probably understand why they have become so popular over the recent years.  According to the National Retail Federation, 80.2% of shoppers this year say they will give at least one gift card this year.   The reason—gift cards are easy to buy and use, easier to manage than cash and they get to buy what THEY want to buy.

And, that’s why you should give one! What makes the Arvest Visa Gift Card such a great gift is that it can be used anywhere Visa is accepted, including for online and over-the-phone purchases, making it nearly a universal gift card.  The possibilities of where you can use it seem endless.  What makes it convenient for the giver is that it can be set up with amounts ranging from $25 up to $750, and it comes in a festive holiday envelope, saving you another stop during holiday errands.

So, whether it’s a last-minute gift on your way to a holiday party, a solution to avoiding the holiday-shopping madness or as an always-pleasing gift for those loved ones who are too hard to buy for, it’s great for any occasion and any person.

To learn more about the Arvest Visa Gift Card, click here.  To pick up your Arvest Visa Gift Cards, visit a nearby branch today!
  

Arvest is excited to announce that the new Patriotic and Military Arvest CheckCards are now available to all Arvest customers who wish to have one.  These cards depict classic images of United States military patriotism and bravery.  You’ll certainly feel that sense of “pride” every time you use it.

Whether you are actively serving or retired from the United States Armed Forces, you are a family member of a serviceman or woman, or if you simply want to honor the United States of America for the great country that it is, one of these cards is perfect for you.  There are six card options— USA Bald Eagle; United States Army; United States Air Force; United States Marines; United States Coast Guard; and the United States Navy.

For existing debit card holders, you may replace your existing debit card for only $5 by calling Customer Service or at a nearby branch location.  This is a one-time charge to cover the expense of issuing the card, there is no monthly debit card fee at Arvest Bank. 

For new customers, your first CheckCard is FREE with any new checking account opened.  However, these cards are only available for new accounts opened in-branch so if you wish to have one of these great cards, visit a branch location.

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... to buy toys and gifts for children. Here are some very basic tips to consider before and after purchasing a new toy, to be sure you are making safe choices for the children in your life:

• Read all warnings and instructions.
• Consider a child's ability, rather than age, when purchasing toys; age warnings on toys are not guarantees of safety.
• Buttons, batteries, and magnets can be very dangerous if swallowed.
• Small parts are a choking hazard for children under three.
• Toys that need to be plugged in pose the risk of electrical shock or burn; choose battery-operated toys instead.
• Store toys properly after play to avoid trips and falls or access by younger children.
• Keep older children's toys away from younger children.

For more resources visit these Websites:

Holiday Safety Tips from American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/novtips.cfm

Comprehensive Safe Toy Checklist from Prevent Blindness America
www.preventblindness.org/children/safetoys.html

Recalled Toys from Consumer Product Safety Commission
http://www.recalls.gov/ 
 

(By clicking on external links, please be aware you will be leaving the Arvest website.)