The Farmers & Merchants Union Bank in Columbus was the last of Louis Sullivan's eight "Jewel Box"…read morebanks that he designed as his career was winding down. The other Jewel Boxes, scattered around the Midwest, are all still standing. (The Peoples Savings Bank in Cedar Rapids, Iowa was severely damaged in the Flood of 2008 and is undergoing renovation.) Sullivan, founder of the Prairie School of Architecture and the father of the modern skyscraper, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright. He coined the phrase "Form follows function." His signature was ornamentation, very evident on this bank, designed to draw the eye upwards. Terra Cotta ornamentation on the cornice are his exclamation point on his design. The Farmers & Merchants Union Bank was founded by John Wheeler in 1861. He chose the name "Union" in honor of Abraham Lincoln and his efforts to preserve the Union. On the cornice of the building is a Terra Cotta eagle, representing Old Abe, the mascot of the 8th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. The word, "Forward" is cast into the sculpture, it is the motto of the State of Wisconsin. The bank also appears in the 2009 Johnny Depp film "Public Enemies" as a location shot for a John Dillinger bank robbery. (The bank was never held up by Dillinger.)

We walked into this bank not knowing what great service we would receive, just looking for a bank…read morethat would accept us for a car loan. What we found was the kindest heart most loving man on the face of the planet. He not only gave us a loan but became our friend for life. This man is Dave Harle, he is a must see in search of a loan. This man will jump through hoops to get you what you are looking for. If your in search of a compassionate bank with no bs, stop by Farmers and merchants union bank. Even if you must drive and are not from Columbus. Make the road trip. You won't be disappointed.

I have been with BLM for almost 20 years. I recently was the victim of fraud and BLM and their…read moreaccount person accused me of the fraud. This happened to me at my other bank as well but they knew right away about this type of fraud and were very good about it. How do you justify sitting in the middle of the lobby telling a 20 year customer that they probably committed this crime themself. I wanted to give a 0 rating but had to pick one.

All around a very great bank for your personal or business needs. Lobby and drivethru hours are…read moreconvenient especially with the late hours on Fridays and a full morning on Saturdays. Bank of Lake Mills is a local bank that combines all of the best attributes of a smaller bank with the sophistication of a larger institution. You are recognized when you come through the door, and employees are always friendly. questions and help can be obtained easily in person or on the phone. Online banking is available and convenient and straightforward. There is typically alot less hassle and paperwork for loans on homes and businesses. Definitely a great business partner at either the Main location in Lake Mills or the Watertown branch.

We have been with Oregon Community Bank (now One Community Bank) since we moved to the area in…read more2007. We have always found the staff friendly, helpful, and accurate in our transactions.

Stick with bigger banks. Staff is rude and they cannot handle basic accounting principles. If you…read moreneed to research previous activity they cannot tell you historical balances. The high schoolers they hire can barely add and subtract, and give you a blank stare when you ask any question that involves basic math. The older staff uses calculators instead of real software which leads to a lot of human error. My understanding is they use spreadsheets for updating accounts each day instead of advanced software like bigger banks use. Stick with bigger banks. If you question them about your account even in a nice way they snap at customers and accuse the customer of being wrong. Run away from this bank. They do a lot of manual entry instead of using software and their mobile app....lousy and inefficient. Customer service is awful. The bankers they hire cannot handle accounting questions. And no one knows how to transfer a phone call without you being dropped about ten times. I am concerned about their attitudes and manual accounting practices. Also at issue is their hours. There is not a 24/7 line to call if you have account questions. The only number you can call after hours is if your card is lost or stolen. So if you have pressing questions and it is after hours you are out of luck. Go to a bigger bank. Real banks use state of the art software and can research any dollar amount for anytime. OCB is the worst bank you can try. The staff is unqualified in basic accounting.

Monona State Bank has excellent customer service; they go above and beyond!…read more I opened a checking account with MSB back in high school and have been so satisfied with them that I've brought all of my banking needs there. I've had/have a checking account, savings account, mortgage, line of credit, credit card and an IRA through Monona State Bank. They are so versatile and cater to my every need. They make every process seamless (especially with on line banking) and most importantly, they keep me up-to-date every step of the way. My personal banker, Lisa, is always there when I need her and goes out of her way to make sure she has picked up any balls that I have dropped (and I drop my fair share!). She's also the first to say hi when I walk in the door, and makes me feel welcomed! It's nice to have the 'small town' feel, where everyone knows you when you walk in and welcomes you to the family. My mortgage lender, Micha, is the best! She helps me focus on the bigger picture and keeps my best interests in mind when researching payment options, re-financing, escrow, etc. She's extremely knowledgeable and is ahead of the game; I trust every piece of advice she gives. Micha came with me to the closing when I bought my first home - I was nervous and scared out of my mind and didn't know what any of the papers meant but Micha stepped me through them one by one and explained everything until I understood and felt comfortable with everything. I owe many thanks to Micha for helping me through that process. I met with a business loan officer, Ted, a few times to talk about business opportunities and what the markets are like - Ted was very professional and knowledgeable. He was able to bring things to my attention that I would have never thought of, and was able to lay out a plan of the next steps to take. Someone who goes the extra mile to make sure you're headed in the right direction and is looking out for you during the process is so valuable. I can't say enough positive things about Monona State Bank, they are the epitome of what a bank should be. I'll be a customer for life!

From the owner: When you bank with Lake Ridge Bank, you start a relationship, where we help you manage and save…read moreyour money, not just complete transactions. We provide a full range of services - whether you are looking for personal, business, wealth or ag we have the financial products for you. Whether you need checking and savings accounts, personal or commercial loans or investment or retirement planning, we're here to help you. In February of 2023 Monona Bank and State Bank of Cross Plains merged together to create a stronger community bank to help better serve South Central Wisconsin. We are excited to now serve 17 locations, more capacity to lend and more talented professionals to serve our clients.

We were customers at Associated Bank since 2006 and recently left them and joined a Credit Union…read more They screwed up our account by sending a payment three times which drained our account by over $24,000.00. They refused to give us back all the money from the overdraft fees they gave us for their mistake. Over the years they have added more service fees for lackluster service. We became tired of the bs from banks and decided that our money is better kept at a Credit Union which actually helps out our community and customers with better rates unlike a bank.

I do my business banking through associated bank here I Columbus. They have an awesome team there…read moreand couldn't be happier. Jeff does amazing work and makes sure everything is taken care of.

Good service. Friendly staff. It seems as though this location is always striving to improve…read moreefficiency and customer service.

From the owner: For more than 55 years, Tri City has been a bank focused on the needs of its customers and…read morecommunities. Put simply, we succeed when you do. That's why we are dedicated to helping families fulfill their financial dreams and businesses grow. After all, we are Your Hometown Bank.