Hills Bank and Trust Company

What Hills Bank and Trust Company does

Hills Bank and Trust Company is a privately held, FDIC-insured community bank founded in 1904 and headquartered in Hills, Iowa, serving the Eastern Iowa corridor including Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and North Liberty. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of retail and commercial banking products: personal and business checking, savings, money market, CDs, IRAs, credit cards, mortgages, home equity, auto, personal, business, and agricultural loans, alongside merchant processing, ACH origination, lockbox, and Positive Pay treasury management services. Wealth management and retirement plan services — including investment planning, trust and estate services, charitable giving, and 401(k) administration — are delivered through dedicated offices in Cedar Rapids and North Liberty.

The bank's technology stack centers on a digital banking platform branded "Hills Bank Online," supplemented by native iOS and Android mobile applications with mobile deposit, card controls, mobile wallet support (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), and Real-Time Payments integration. Backed by Visa and ATM network partners (SHAZAM, Money Pass, Plus), the platform supports 24/7 self-service account access and integrates third-party analytics tools (Google Analytics, Siteimprove, Q2 Discover). AI-powered chat features operate on the website, and fraud detection capabilities are layered through Positive Pay and standard security protocols.

Hills Bank makes money primarily through net interest income from its lending portfolio (residential mortgages, home equity, auto, commercial, and agricultural loans), supplemented by deposit account fees, transaction fees (wire, stop payment, ATM), wealth management fees, and merchant processing revenue. Pricing varies by account tier (Free Checking, High Interest Checking at up to 3.50% APY, Gold Checking with $9 monthly fee, Money Market, CDs at 3-60 month terms) and loan product (e.g., 6.75% APR on 2025-newer auto loans over 72 months, 6.99% APR HELOCs). Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-based, combining physical branch distribution across Eastern Iowa with appointment-based advisory for complex banking, wealth, and retirement plan needs, supported by financial education content marketing, community seminars (Business Academy, Fraud & Finance Forum, Ag Outlook), and an active social media presence.

Name

Hills Bank and Trust Company

Legal name

Hills Bank and Trust Company

Website

https://hillsbank.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hills Bank and Trust Company is a privately held, FDIC-insured community bank founded in 1904 in Hills, Iowa, serving individual consumers, businesses, agricultural operations, and University of Iowa community members across Eastern Iowa with deposit accounts, lending, wealth management, and treasury services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Banking

NAICS

Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (522180), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Savings Institutions, Not Federally Chartered (6036)

akta.pro primary industry

Mutual Savings Banks & Mutual Thrifts (FSABAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Community banking
• Personal banking services
• Commercial lending
• Wealth management
• Agricultural loans

Headquarters

HQ city

Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Traditional lending revenue from personal loans, mortgages, home equity loans, business loans, and agricultural loans. Interest earned on variable and fixed rate credit products.
2. Deposit Account Fees: Monthly service charges on certain account types (e.g., $9 monthly fee on Gold Checking if minimum balance not maintained), overdraft fees, and account maintenance fees.
3. Transaction Fees: Fees from wire transfers, stop payments, ATM usage at non-network ATMs, and other transaction-based services.
4. Wealth Management Services: Investment management, trust services, retirement plan administration, and charitable services generating fee income.
5. Merchant Processing: Payment processing services for business customers including ACH origination and merchant card services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hills Bank and Trust Company is a regional community bank that accepts deposits (checking, savings, CDs, IRAs, money market) and originates loans (home mortgages, home equity, personal/auto, business, and agricultural) for consumers, businesses, and farmers in Eastern Iowa. It also provides wealth management and trust services, treasury management for businesses, and digital banking through its online platform and mobile applications.

Product overview

Hills Bank and Trust Company is a regional community bank offering a comprehensive suite of personal and business banking products. The core offering consists of deposit accounts (checking, savings, CDs, IRAs, money market accounts) and lending products (mortgages, home equity, auto loans, business loans, agricultural loans). The bank provides digital banking services through its Hills Bank Online platform and native mobile applications. Additional services include wealth management (investment planning, trust and estate services, retirement planning), business treasury management (ACH, merchant processing, Positive Pay), and specialty programs like Friends Club for customers 50+ and youth banking products. The bank also offers agricultural lending with partnerships through USDA Farm Service Agency and Iowa Finance Authority programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Checking Personal checking accounts including Free Checking, High Interest Checking, Gold Checking, Friends Club Checking, GO! Checking (for minors), Student Checking, and UI Student/Employee Advantage Checking options.
• Personal Savings Savings accounts including Free Savings, Gold Savings, Money Market Savings, Gold Premier Money Market, Penny Savers (for children), GO! Savings, Employee Advantage Savings, and Savers Club.
• Certificates of Deposit (CDs) & IRAs Term deposit products including standard CDs ranging from 3-60 months, College Savers CDs (2 and 4 year terms), and Individual Retirement Accounts.
• Home Mortgage Loans Residential mortgage lending including purchase loans, refinancing options, first-time homebuyer programs, and down payment assistance.
• Home Equity Loans & Lines of Credit Home equity financing options including fixed rate home equity loans and variable rate home equity lines of credit (HELOC).
• Personal & Auto Loans Installment loans for vehicles (newer and used models) and personal financing needs with fixed rates and various term options.
• Credit Cards Visa-branded credit and debit cards with features including Visa Account Updater, mobile wallet support, and various rewards programs.
• Business Checking Business deposit accounts including business checking, money market accounts, and savings designed for commercial operations.
• Business & Agriculture Loans Commercial lending including operating loans, farm ownership loans, and agribusiness financing with USDA and Iowa Finance Authority program partnerships.
• Wealth Management Comprehensive wealth management services including investment planning, retirement planning, trust and estate services, charitable giving, and 401(k) rollover options.
• Retirement Plan Services Employer-sponsored retirement plan administration including 401(k) plan management, compliance support, and employee education.
• Treasury Management Services Cash management services including ACH origination, merchant processing, lockbox, and Positive Pay fraud protection for business customers.
• Online Banking Hills Bank Online platform providing 24/7 account access, fund transfers, bill payment, mobile check deposit, and external account linking.
• Mobile Banking App Native mobile application for iOS and Android enabling account management, mobile check deposit, and biometric authentication.
• Real-Time Payments Instant payment capabilities for immediate fund transfers between financial institutions.
• Donor Advised Gift Fund Charitable giving vehicle allowing donors to contribute assets, receive tax benefits, and recommend grants over time.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wells Fargo: National incumbent with significant Eastern Iowa presence across retail, mortgage, small business, and wealth. Represents the largest competitive threat for deposit and lending share.
• U.S. Bancorp: Top-5 U.S. bank with extensive Iowa branch network, mortgages, wealth management, and merchant services. Sets the competitive ceiling on product breadth and digital capability for Hills Bank.
• Bank of the West / BMO Harris: Mid-size national bank with substantial Iowa retail and ag lending presence. Competes for the same community-bank customers with broader product scale and corporate banking capability.
• JPMorgan Chase: Largest U.S. bank with growing Iowa retail presence and dominant digital platform. Competes for primary checking relationships and small business deposits across Hills Bank's footprint.

Regional players

• GreenState Credit Union: Iowa-headquartered credit union (formerly University of Iowa Community Credit Union) with deep UI student/employee ties and Eastern Iowa branches. Directly competes for the same university-affiliated customer segment Hills Bank targets.

Direct peers

• Two Rivers Bank & Trust: Iowa-based community bank with personal, business, ag, and trust services in overlapping Eastern Iowa markets. Closely matches Hills Bank's relationship-banking model and product breadth.
• Great Western Bancorp / First Interstate: Regional community bank with significant ag lending and small business focus across the Midwest. Directly comparable in ag exposure and middle-market community banking strategy.
• Linn Area Credit Union: Cedar Rapids-headquartered credit union serving the same Eastern Iowa market with consumer deposit, lending, and business banking products. Directly competes on price and local service.
• MidWestOne Bank: Iowa City-headquartered community bank with similar deposit, mortgage, business, and wealth management offerings across Eastern Iowa. Directly comparable in scale, geography, and product mix to Hills Bank.

Others

• Edward Jones: National wealth management franchise with a dense local-advisor presence in Iowa towns. Overlaps with Hills Bank's wealth management and retirement plan services for the same HNW and mass-affluent households.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hillsbank
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hillsbank378
• Facebookfacebook.com/hills-bank-and-trust-company-323871444034
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hills-bank-and-trust-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/hillsbank/?hl=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Hills Bank and Trust Company