What Bell Bank does

Bell Bank is a privately-held regional financial institution headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, with operating geographies spanning the Upper Midwest. Founded in 1966, the firm operates 30 branch locations across three states and runs a multi-channel distribution model combining physical branches, native iOS and Android mobile applications, an online banking portal, and 7-day phone support that averages a 22-second answer time. Its product platform spans personal banking (checking, savings, CDs, IRAs, credit cards, and digital banking tools including the 'America's Best Checking™' account and a 3.01% APY Elite Money Market Savings product), mortgage lending through Bell Bank Mortgage, business banking, and specialized commercial offerings including Bell Bank Equipment Finance and Bell Capital Finance.

The firm is structured around multiple wholly-owned operating divisions: Bell Insurance Services, LLC (personal and commercial insurance including auto, homeowners, life, health, and Medicare), Bell Bank Wealth Management (financial planning, trusts and estates, retirement plans), HealthcareBank (industry-specialized banking for healthcare providers), and Institutional Investments. Credit card products, including the Zero+ Credit Card, are issued through a core strategic partnership with Elan Financial Services under a Visa U.S.A. Inc. license. Revenue is generated across interest income from lending activities (mortgages, personal, auto, home equity, and business loans), deposit-taking with interest rate spread economics, banking fees and service charges, insurance premiums, wealth management fees, equipment and capital finance income, and credit card interchange revenue sharing. Marketing emphasizes competitive deposit rates, transparent fee structures, fast customer service response times, and a 'Pay It Forward' community-impact culture, with the firm holding a BauerFinancial 5-star rating as a trust signal in its regional markets.

Name

Bell Bank

Legal name

Bell Bank

Website

https://bellbanks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bell Bank is a privately-held regional bank operating 30 branches across three Upper Midwest states, offering integrated personal banking, mortgage, business lending, insurance, and wealth management services to consumer, SMB, and healthcare clients through a hybrid branch-and-digital platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Commercial Banking (522110), Commercial Banking (52211), Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (522180)

SIC

State Commercial Banks (6022), National Commercial Banks (6021), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings) (FSABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail Lending (Personal Loans, Auto, Credit Lines) (FSABAAAB), Credit Cards & Revolving Credit (FSABAAAC), Branch & In-Person Banking (Teller/ATM Networks) (FSABAAAE), Private Banking Lending (Securities-Backed, Real Estate, Structured Credit) (FSABADAE)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Commercial lending
• Mortgage loans
• Wealth management
• Insurance products

Headquarters

HQ city

Fargo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Traditional bank interest income from lending activities including mortgages, personal loans, auto loans, home equity loans, and business loans. Interest earned on loan portfolios and securities investments.
2. Deposit Taking: Accepts consumer and business deposits, paying interest on checking, savings, CDs, and IRA accounts. Generates revenue through interest rate spread between lending and deposit rates.
3. Banking Fees and Service Charges: Account maintenance fees, transaction fees, and service charges. Checking accounts marketed as 'America's Best Checking' with FREE features. Service fees apply for minimum balance requirements.
4. Insurance Premiums: Bell Insurance, a wholly owned subsidiary, earns revenue from insurance products including auto, homeowners, life, health, and Medicare insurance products.
5. Wealth Management Fees: Revenue from wealth management, financial planning, trusts and estates, and retirement planning services. Products include personal investments and institutional investment management.
6. Equipment Finance: Bell Bank Equipment Finance division provides financing solutions for equipment purchases by businesses.
7. Capital Finance: Bell Capital Finance division provides capital financing solutions for business customers.
8. Credit Card Interchange: Revenue sharing from credit card program through partnership with Elan Financial Services (issuer of Bell Bank credit cards including Zero+ Credit Card).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bell Bank is a privately-held regional bank offering full-service consumer and commercial banking, including checking, savings, CDs, IRAs, credit cards, mortgages, personal and business loans. It also provides insurance through its Bell Insurance subsidiary, wealth management, equipment finance, capital finance, healthcare banking, and institutional investment services, distributed across 30 branches and digital channels in the Upper Midwest.

Product overview

Bell Bank is a regional financial institution offering a comprehensive banking platform with multiple integrated product lines. The core banking services span personal banking (checking, savings, CDs, credit cards, digital banking), business banking, and mortgage lending through Bell Bank Mortgage. The bank operates as a platform with specialized sub-branches including Bell Insurance (wholly owned subsidiary offering auto, home, life/health, and Medicare insurance), Wealth Management (personal investments, financial planning, trusts, retirement), Bell Bank Equipment Finance, Bell Capital Finance, HealthcareBank, and Institutional Investments. The bank distinguishes itself with competitive rates (3.01% APY Elite Money Market Savings, 4.03% APY 7-month CD) and digital banking capabilities through mobile and online channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• America's Best Checking: Personal checking account product marketed as America's Best Checking with free features
• Elite Money Market Savings
• Bell Champions

Products and services

• Personal Banking (Checking, Savings, CDs, IRAs, Debit Cards) Core deposit and transaction products for individual consumers, including checking accounts (America's Best Checking with free features), savings accounts, certificates of deposit, IRAs, and debit cards, with online account opening capability and competitive published rates.
• Digital Banking (Online and Mobile) Online and mobile banking platform with native iOS and Android apps that lets customers view accounts, pay bills, transfer funds, and manage their finances digitally through bell.bank.
• Zero+ Credit Card Personal credit card offering a low introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers, issued by Elan Financial Services pursuant to a Visa U.S.A. Inc. license and offered through Bell Bank.
• Bell Bank Mortgage (Home Loans, Refinancing, Home Equity) Mortgage lending services including home purchase loans, refinancing, home equity loans, and loan calculators, delivered through the Bell Bank Mortgage division with dedicated loan officers.
• Business Banking Banking services for small, mid-market, and large businesses including business checking, business loans, cash management, and dedicated business banking relationship managers.
• Bell Bank Equipment Finance Specialized equipment financing solutions for businesses seeking to acquire equipment through tailored finance arrangements, operated as a division of Bell Bank.
• Bell Capital Finance Specialized capital finance solutions for business customers needing working capital and growth financing, operated as a division of Bell Bank.
• HealthcareBank Specialized banking division serving healthcare providers, practices, and organizations with tailored financial products designed for healthcare-specific needs including medical practice financing.
• Institutional Investments Investment management services for institutional clients, offered through Bell Bank's institutional investments division managing diversified portfolio holdings.
• Bell Insurance (Personal and Commercial) Personal and commercial insurance products including auto, homeowners, life and health, Medicare, and commercial coverage, offered through Bell Insurance Services LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bell Bank.
• Bell Bank Wealth Management Comprehensive wealth management services for high-net-worth individuals and families including personal investments, financial planning, trusts and estates administration, and retirement plan services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22-second average response time to reach a live customer service representative
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Elan Financial ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElan Financial Services is the creditor and issuer of Bell Bank credit cards, including the Zero+ Credit Card with low introductory rates for purchases and balance transfers. The partnership operates under a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. This is a strategic co-branding partnership where Bell Bank offers credit products through Elan's infrastructure.
• UNRLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUNRL is the official apparel sponsor for The Hole In One Show Desert Series, a charitable golf television program where Bell Bank serves as title sponsor. The partnership provides promotional visibility for UNRL brand during show broadcasts.
• Arizona's Family SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArizona's Family Sports broadcasts The Hole In One Show Desert Series, airing at 5:30 p.m. MT on Sundays. The show features amateur golfers competing for nonprofits they represent. Bell Bank is title sponsor of the Desert Series.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Cornerstone Bank: Cornerstone Bank is a Fargo-based community bank serving the Fargo-Moorhead market and surrounding region. It is a direct local competitor to Bell Bank in the home market, though smaller in geographic reach.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Bancorp: U.S. Bancorp is the largest bank headquartered in Minneapolis, with a dominant Twin Cities presence and national footprint. It is the principal large incumbent competitor in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro that Bell Bank is expanding into.
• Old National Bank: Old National is a large Midwest super-regional bank operating across multiple states including Minnesota. As a much larger, publicly traded competitor, it provides an aspirational comp for Bell Bank's potential scale-up path within the same regional footprint.

Emerging players

• Wintrust Financial: Wintrust is a Chicago-based super-community bank with a multi-state branch network and similar community-bank, relationship-based operating model. While geographically distant, it is a relevant comp for Bell Bank's diversified product platform including specialty lending, wealth, and insurance.

Direct peers

• Bremer Financial Services: Bremer is a closely comparable Upper Midwest regional bank with branches across Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, offering similar full-service banking, wealth, and insurance products. Both are privately held, multi-state community banks competing in the same geographic footprint.
• Gate City Bank: Gate City Bank is a Fargo-headquartered mutual savings bank with extensive North Dakota and Minnesota branch presence. It directly competes with Bell Bank in the same home market across consumer and business banking, with similar community-bank positioning.
• First International Bank & Trust: First International Bank & Trust is a privately held community bank headquartered in Watford City, ND, with branches across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. It competes head-to-head with Bell Bank across consumer, business, and agricultural lending in the same regional geography.
• Starion Bank: Starion is a North Dakota-headquartered community bank with branches across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. It is a direct competitor in the same regional footprint, offering similar personal, business, and mortgage banking services.
• Bell State Bank & Trust (Heartland/Choice): Bell State Bank & Trust is a North Dakota-based community bank with branches in North Dakota and Minnesota, offering consumer, business, and ag banking. Despite the name similarity, it is an independent regional competitor to Bell Bank in overlapping markets.
• Alerus Financial: Alerus is a North Dakota-based diversified financial services company offering banking, mortgage, wealth, and retirement services across the Upper Midwest. It competes directly with Bell Bank in North Dakota and Minnesota, with a similarly diversified product set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gobellbanks
• Facebookfacebook.com/gobellbanks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gobellbanks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bell Bank