What Monroe Bank & Trust does

Monroe Bank & Trust operates as part of First Merchants Bank, a regional community bank founded in 1893 and headquartered in the Midwest as a subsidiary of publicly traded First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ: FRME). The bank provides a full spectrum of retail and commercial financial services across Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois, organized along four customer segments: Personal Banking, Small Business Banking, Commercial Banking, and Private Wealth Management. Monroe Bank & Trust serves as the bank's anchor franchise in Monroe, Michigan, with community-rooted relationship banking and integration into First Merchants' broader Midwest footprint following the close of the First Savings Financial Group merger on 2026-02-02.

The product platform spans deposit products (checking, savings, money market, CDs), consumer lending (mortgages, home equity with 1st Lien HELOC Sweep, vehicle loans, personal loans, credit cards), small business lending (SBA, term loans, lines of credit, Fix & Flip loans via Gold Shield Lending), and an extensive commercial suite including asset-based lending, agricultural lending, commercial real estate, community business lending, debt capital markets, NNN finance, practice finance, public finance, and sponsor finance. Treasury management services (liquidity, payables, receivables, lockbox, fraud prevention) serve commercial clients, while private wealth offers investment management, estate planning, succession planning, and Vestwell-powered retirement plan administration. A dedicated nonprofit banking vertical completes the product set.

The technology stack is built on a unified digital banking platform delivered via a top-rated iOS/Android mobile app and web-based personal and business online banking. Core digital features include mobile deposit, Zelle peer-to-peer payments, card swap, direct deposit switch, bill pay, e-statements, and a personal finance management module. Consumer engagement features include Early Pay and Round Ups automatic savings. Distribution combines a multi-state branch network (Banking Centers), an ATM network, dedicated small business and commercial banking teams, and self-serve digital channels. Monetization is driven primarily by net interest income on the lending book, deposit-related fees, treasury management fees, wealth management fees, and merchant services. Strategic positioning emphasizes relationship banking, community investment (NCRC $2B Community Benefits Agreement, Junior Achievement, YMCA Monroe partnerships), and brand strength validated by Forbes World's Best Banks 2026 and TIME Magazine's America's Best Companies 2026 recognition.

Name

Monroe Bank & Trust

Legal name

First Merchants Bank

Website

https://mbandt.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Monroe Bank & Trust, operating as part of First Merchants Bank, is a Midwest regional community bank serving Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois with personal, small business, commercial, and private wealth banking across branch, mobile, and online channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211)

SIC

State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Bank-Affiliated Retail Wealth Management (FSAAAAAB)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Community banking
• Commercial lending
• Wealth management
• Treasury management

Headquarters

HQ city

Monroe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Monroe Bank & Trust, operating as part of First Merchants Bank, is a Midwest regional community bank offering personal banking (checking, savings, mortgages, vehicle loans, credit cards), small business and commercial banking (lending, SBA loans, treasury management, commercial real estate), and wealth management (investment management, estate and retirement planning, private banking). The bank serves individuals, small businesses, and commercial clients through physical branches, ATMs, mobile and online banking channels across Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois.

Product overview

First Merchants Bank offers a comprehensive, multi-channel banking platform organized across Personal Banking, Small Business Banking, Commercial Banking, and Private Wealth divisions. The core banking products include checking and savings accounts across all segments, complemented by diverse lending products (mortgages, home equity, vehicle loans, personal loans, credit cards, SBA lending, and commercial real estate). Digital banking is delivered through a top-rated mobile app with features including Mobile Deposit, Zelle peer-to-peer payments, Card Swap, Direct Deposit Switch, Bill Pay, and Estatements. Treasury Management services provide commercial clients with Liquidity Management, Payables, Receivables, Lockbox Services, and Fraud Prevention. Wealth Management spans personal, commercial, and private banking with succession planning, estate planning, investment management, and Retirement Plan Services powered by Vestwell. The bank also offers specialized services for nonprofits. The architecture follows a unified platform with segment-specific modules, all sharing core digital banking infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• First Merchants Bank: Full-service banking including personal, small business, commercial, and private wealth services

Products and services

• Personal Checking Accounts Personal checking account products with various features and benefits for individual customers, including Overdraft Helper, Early Pay, and Round Ups savings feature.
• Personal Savings Accounts Personal savings account products including money market specials with promotional rates (4.00% APY referenced for a 12-month CD/IRA as of 6/30/2026).
• Mortgages Mortgage lending solutions for home purchases and refinancing, including options for first-time buyers with limited credit history.
• Home Equity Lending Home equity loan and line of credit products including 1st Lien HELOC Sweep feature.
• Vehicle Loans Financing options for vehicle purchases for individual consumers.
• Personal Loans Personal loan products for various individual financial needs.
• Credit Cards Personal and business credit card products with separate login portals.
• Mobile Banking App

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.35 Billion in contributions to communities
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• NCRC (National Community Reinvestment Coalition)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026$2 Billion Community Benefits Agreement to expand impact across the Midwest. This major partnership demonstrates the bank's commitment to community development and financial inclusion through targeted lending, investment, and community service initiatives.
• YMCA (Monroe, Michigan)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026Partnership to tackle hunger in Monroe, Michigan. The bank partners with local YMCA to address food insecurity in the Monroe community, demonstrating commitment to local community support.
• First Savings Financial GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2026Legal closing of merger with First Savings Financial Group completed. This merger expands the bank's presence and customer base across the Midwest region, combining two community-focused financial institutions.
• Junior AchievementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2025Teaching financial skills partnership. The bank supports financial education programs for young people through Junior Achievement's BizTown program, helping students learn about money management, entrepreneurship, and financial responsibility.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wintrust Financial Corporation: Chicago-based community-focused bank with a network of local charters serving consumers, businesses, and wealth clients — a comparable community-banking platform with a strong Midwest presence.
• First Financial Bancorp: Cincinnati-based community bank with operations across Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky — competes with First Merchants in adjacent Midwest markets across consumer and commercial banking.
• Park National Corporation: Ohio-based community bank holding company with community-banking subsidiaries across multiple Midwest markets — closely aligned in scale, segment mix, and community-bank operating philosophy.
• Cullen/Frost Bankers: Texas-headquartered community bank with strong commercial and wealth offerings and a relationship-banking brand — a comparable multi-segment community banking model outside First Merchants' Midwest geography.
• Old National Bancorp: Indiana-headquartered community bank operating across the Midwest with personal, business, and commercial banking plus wealth management — directly comparable in geography, product mix, and community-banking positioning to First Merchants.
• Commerce Bancshares: Missouri-based community-focused bank with consumer, commercial, and wealth management lines — comparable as a publicly traded, conservatively run Midwest community bank with similar M&A appetite.

Broad incumbents

• Fifth Third Bank: Major Midwest super-regional bank with strong Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois presence — competes directly for commercial, small business, and consumer relationships in First Merchants' core markets.
• PNC Financial Services: Top-five U.S. regional bank with significant Midwest presence across consumer, small business, and commercial banking — a larger incumbent that competes with First Merchants across multiple product lines and geographies.
• Huntington Bancshares: Columbus, Ohio-based regional bank with a Midwest footprint spanning commercial, small business, and consumer banking — overlapping geographic and product coverage with First Merchants but operating at meaningfully larger scale.

Regional players

• WSFS Financial Corporation: Mid-Atlantic community bank and wealth management franchise — comparable as a publicly traded, relationship-driven community bank, though operating in a different U.S. region than First Merchants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Monroe Bank & Trust