Arvest Bank

Are you ready to purchase your very first home, build your dream property, or launch the business you’ve been planning for years? With a robust suite of lending options—including conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, and customized construction loans—Arvest is ready to help you open those doors. 

The real difference for local families is that Arvest services over 95% of its mortgages locally, which means you can speak directly to a local expert when you have questions about your loan. Led by Philip Partain, Arvest Community Bank President for Arvest Bank in Saline County, Arvest serves our community through three convenient local branches and 39 dedicated Saline County associates. 

Rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a fair shot at financial growth, the Arvest Opportunity Fund, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arvest Bank, serves as a resource for individuals and business owners whose credit scores might fall just below standard requirements. This initiative provides alternative lines of credit and specialized programs like the Arvest Homebuyer Advantage. 

Promoting financial literacy is one of Arvest’s main priorities, and by pairing flexible financing options with personalized financial education, Arvest helps neighbors move toward a traditional banking future. The bank frequently hosts free, accessible educational webinars open to everyone in the community. 

These financial success webinars help adults build a rock-solid personal finance foundation, and for those looking to step into the housing market, monthly Buy It, Build It, Boost It webinars break down the realities of buying, building, or renovating a home. Plus, through its bilingual EmpowerED resource platform, Arvest ensures these important wealth-building tools are available in multiple languages, so no neighbor is left behind. 

“We want to make financial education more accessible to everyone, and hosting in-person workshops, offering free webinars, and volunteering to teach financial literacy courses are just a few of the ways Arvest is committed to doing that,” emphasizes Partain. 

In today’s hectic world, banking needs to keep up with your busy schedule without compromising safety. Arvest protects your assets with multi-layered encryption and secure one-time passcodes (OTP) for total peace of mind. For example, if you misplace your debit card, you can instantly lock or unlock it with a single tap on your smartphone using the app’s card management tool. 

With quick biometric face ID logins and a handy “Quick View” balance widget, tracking your money is safe, simple, and lightning-fast. 

“Arvest also offers fraud prevention education, and our associates are trained to recognize signs of fraud. We want our customers to feel protected when they bank with us,” adds Partain.

But keeping things safe and easy doesn’t mean losing the human touch. Arvest’s innovative Live Tellers bring you the best of both worlds. Located at local branches—including the unique modular facility on Highway 5 in Benton—these interactive video screens connect you face-to-face with a helpful professional during extended hours. 

Available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., live tellers can assist with everything from cashing checks and handling deposits to making loan payments. It’s premium, flexible banking that fits perfectly into your family’s busy schedule.

Since its inception in 1961, Arvest has believed that a truly successful bank is one that pours its heart back into the community, which is why the bank proudly sponsors events, from the lively Bryant Summer Nights to the delicious Habitat for Humanity “Souper Bowl” competition. Arvest consistently invests in the events that bring us together. 

They even help celebrate the holidays by sponsoring the magical Mills Park Tunnel of Lights in Bryant and ringing in the New Year at the annual Downtown Benton Ball Drop. Whether by providing inflatables for the kids at Saline Memorial’s Beautiful Beginnings Baby Fair or showing up for our regional educators, Arvest is always proud to support the places we call home.

Arvest is also deeply dedicated to making local classrooms more inclusive for every child. This past spring, Arvest expanded a highly successful initiative by donating student-designed communication boards to nine elementary school campuses in Bryant and nine in Conway, following the initial launch of the program with 19 schools in Hot Springs. 

“These boards are designed to help limited and non-verbal students communicate more clearly with their classmates and teachers by using visual symbols and clear layouts to express needs, feelings, and ideas more easily and confidently. They can simply point to or touch the pictures that match their message,” Partain explains. “We’re grateful to have been able to see this donation come to fruition. And the fact that they were designed by students to help other students is special.”

Don’t settle for a bank that treats you like a number. Come experience the perfect blend of dynamic technology, financial safety resources, and genuine, hometown care. Stop by your nearest Saline County branch today, meet the team, and let Arvest help you take your financial journey to the next level with a full spectrum of services including personal and business deposit accounts, credit cards, equipment finance, home and auto loans, and specialized investment and trust planning. 

In the spirit of meeting the entire community’s financial needs, Arvest plans to expand their dedicated bilingual branch initiative to existing branches to better help Hispanic customers navigate their financial journey in the language they feel most comfortable using.

Whether you drop by the Bryant branch on North Reynolds Road or visit either of the Benton offices on Military Road and Highway 5 North, you’re greeted by neighbors who drive the same streets, cheer for the same teams, and are deeply invested in your financial success. For more information about Arvest Bank, visit www.arvest.com. νCarolyn Buckner