High Plains Bank In The News

In the News

High Plains Bank: Making Banking Easier for Spanish Speakers

People | Dec. 01, 2024 | Roshan McArthur

In partnership with ICBA preferred service provider Jack Henry, High Plains Bank is working to remove financial barriers and enhance the banking experience for Colorado’s large Hispanic community.

Inclusivity is deeply embedded in the culture at High Plains Bank in Flagler, Colo. Since its 1908 inception in the small agricultural community within the Colorado Eastern Plains, the community bank has prided itself on its ability to find and meet customers where they are.

Today, the $400 million-asset community bank’s guiding principle has remained since the 1990s: “We do the right thing. We do things right.” And it’s a mission the bank has kept front of mind in its work with the local Hispanic community.

Conquering reticence about banks

“We really do try to give back and work within the communities that we’re in,” says Brian Otteman, High Plains Bank’s chief experience officer, “and it turns out that some of the communities that we’re in have a higher population of Spanish-speaking individuals. In some areas, it’s as high as 35% of the population.”

High Plains had to be thoughtful about how it would serve this market segment, as many new immigrants and migratory workers are reluctant to deal with banks. “We’ve noticed that there’s often a lot of fear about banking for people who come from countries where the banking systems are not nearly as reputable as they are in the U.S.,” says Otteman.

He notes that the community bank needed to learn how to engage those communities and learn from them. So, this year, staff set aside time to learn about Hispanic community fears and the source of them.

Migrant workers often bring paychecks to the bank to be cashed, which Otteman notes the bank is happy to do. However, “it’s cheaper, faster and easier to send money using digital services,” he says, “and you need to have an account for that.”

During its outreach research, High Plains Bank discovered that some of its requirements, such as needing an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for interest-paying accounts, proved to be obstacles for the Hispanic immigrant community. So, High Plains made accommodations to help them bypass such requirements.

Enhancing customer experience with language support

High Plains hired additional Spanish-speaking talent to chat with the customers, but leadership realized that wasn’t enough. The community bank needed to replicate the services offered to English-speaking customers—and that’s where technology provider Jack Henry came in.

High Plains Bank is on Jack Henry’s digital advisory board, and in 2019, the bank’s digital branch and banking app, HPBGO, began using Jack Henry’s Banno platform. This customizable tool integrates core banking functions with digital services, including Banno Conversations, an authenticated chat that offers real-time support for users. On this messaging platform, the bank has started responding to Spanish speakers in their preferred language.

“These people probably spoke just enough English to be able to understand how to get through the menu to ask the question,” says Otteman, “and we responded in Spanish.”

Beginning in 2021, the High Plains team and Jack Henry worked together to ease this navigation, and in 2023, Jack Henry added a feature that translated that app from English to Spanish by following the device or browser setting. That means if the device is set to Spanish by default, the app menus and information are displayed in Spanish, and the bank responds in Spanish.

“We did start to see an uptick in Spanish support at that point,” says Otteman. “It’s been pretty amazing to watch, as we’ve been able to engage with the community. We do feel like we’re getting some momentum now and helping them.”

A beacon for unbanked workers

Karla Lara, one of High Plains Bank’s bilingual customer service representatives, has taken a lead in helping the bank understand the Hispanic community better. In July of this year, she helped coordinate a community outreach event at the bank’s Wiggins, Colo., branch.

“We recognized a need within our Hispanic community for greater understanding and access to banking services,” she says. “This event was a beginning to bridge that gap and foster a more inclusive financial environment.”

High Plans Bank invited unbanked workers to discuss setting up interest-free checking accounts that would bypass the need for an ITIN, how to use the bank’s app, and its Spanish communication offerings.

“We were able to make a real difference for the attendees,” says Lara. “Interacting with customers who lacked a Social Security Number or ITIN deeply impacted me. Their strong desire for financial services, coupled with a sense of being excluded from the system, was truly moving.

“Growing up in a migrant household has fueled my passion for serving this community,” she adds. “I understand their challenges firsthand. Providing essential financial services, regardless of documentation, is incredibly rewarding. As the only local bank offering this, High Plains Bank is building trust and making a real difference.”

Otteman admits the bank still has a long way to go, from making online banking fully bilingual to translating account disclosures. The bank team hopes to engage companies that hire migrant workers and help them make their payroll processes more efficient. In any case, Otteman says High Plains Bank is in it for the long haul.

Photos courtesy of Independent Banker Magazine