Northeast News
June 1, 2011

Central Bank of Kansas City has been busy lately not only with banking but with giving back to the community.

In February, Central Bank joined forces with the local chapter of the American Heart Association’s Go Red Movement. The Go Red Movement educates women about heart disease and how to reduce their risk. Central Bank tellers collected more than $1,300 in Go Red donations from customers in February.

Also, for every new checking account opened in late January or February, Central Bank donated $10 to the American Heart Association, as well as giving new customers a heart healthy FM radio pedometer.

During a Go Red Jeans Day, employees donated money to wear red.

Central Bank also hosted free health screenings at its main branch on Feb. 5, in addition to music, refreshments and prizes. A total of $4,000 was raised for the American Heart Association.

Central Bank also participated in Money Smart Month in April. More than 342 events were held in the Kansas City metro, attracting more than 6,200 attendees.

Money Smart Month workshops focused on budgeting, living on a fixed income, saving, investing, credit issues, among other topics.

Central Bank presented 18 of the events and involved every officer of the bank. In addition to the workshops, Central Bank also sponsored a Money Smart Month High School Video Contest called “Where’s the Money: Smart Budgeting.” Ashley Morehead and Breonika Davis, both of Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, split the first place winnings and each received a $500 savings bond.

Victoria Lopez of Salina Central High School earned second place and a $500 savings bond and Adam Kisling of Central High School took third place and a $200 savings bond.

Tips for paying bills

In case you missed the Money Smart Month workshops, here are some tips for paying bills:

Instead of writing checks, addressing envelopes and making a trip to the post office, Central Bank has a few tips on expediting the process.

With Central Bank, customers can pay their bills online – whether it’s a car payment, dentist bill, local charity donation, etc.

Paying online also reduces mail clutter. Many financial institutions now offer e-bills, which allow you to receive electronic bills and pay them electronically. You can also arrange to have bills withdrawn from your checking account each month by the date you choose.

Utilizing online bill pay also allows you to track the history of your bill payments, putting the information at your fingertips.

Online bill paying can save money in several ways. You’ll no longer need to purchase stamps for bills and you’ll save yourself a trip to the post office, saving on gas.

With online payments, you’ll also avoid late fees, such as credit card fees, which can result in an even higher interest rate.

Paying bills on time helps preserve your credit rating, which can help you qualify for better rates when you need to borrow.

Central Bank expanding its reach

A little more than a year ago, Central Bank reached across the state of Missouri to St. Louis to expand its banking services.

Central Bank bought out Gateway Bank of St. Louis and re-opened it as Central Bank of St. Louis.

Central Bank is celebrating 60 years of service and operates five branches in Kansas City.

For 17 years and counting, Central Bank has had an outstanding CRA rating from the FDIC for its investment in the community.