A Message fromOur President

www.citizensstatebank.us I S S U E 2 3 F I R S T Q U A R T E R 2 0 1 5

Banking with a coWe haCitizens State Bank has been very successful over the years and has received many awards. Most recently, we received an award which has nothing to do with our growth or financial success, but rather our employees’ happiness. We believe our employees’ happiness is key to our success. Last year, we implemented TINYpulse, a software that measures employee happiness at work as well as other factors. It allows our employees to voice their concerns anonymously and also gives them the ability to recognize their co-workers with a “cheer” virtual thank you.

We pride ourselves on doing everything possible to create a fun working environment and make our employees happy. Before using TINYpulse it was very diff icult to measure our employees’ happiness or receive feedback on improvements. With TINYpulse, we are able to address concerns efficiently and in turn, create more employee satisfaction. In fact, we received the 2015 TINYpulse Raising The Bar Award, which is given to the company who increased employees happiness the most during the previous year. The inscription on our award reads as follows:

These are the folks that care so much about employee engagement and satisfaction that they proactively look for solutions to measure and improve sentiment. And the winners of The Raising The Bar Award show a continued dedication to these tasks successfully increasing their happiness scores over time and improving workplace satisfaction.

We have always prided ourselves on providing a culture for both our customers and employees that is like no other financial institution, and this award support this. Having happy employees who have fun makes coming to Ctizens State Bank exciting. If you are small business owner and want to improve employee happiness, please consider TINYpulse. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about TINYpulse. I would love to help you create more happiness for your employees!

Dennis J. Vogel

President & CEO

PAYDAY LOANS If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Payday loans running your checking account dry? Endless cycles of one time deposits, payment withdrawals, and exorbitant fees dragging you down? Stop the bleeding from a payday loan’s high costs and unexpected fees. Make sure you know the truth about payday loans before you sign on the dotted line or hit accept on the internet. The risks can come back and haunt you for life.

Payday loans are not regulated like bank loans. Often times, the payday lender does not openly talk about the process before loan closing. Instead they focus on how great the offer is and the low introductory interest rate offered. This is a “bait and switch” technique, as the interest rate does not continue for the full duration of the loan.

An additional risk is the believe that your credit will not be affected if you do not pay back the loan on time. This is false! Much like when you don’t pay a bill on time you will suffer consequences such as a drop in credit score because you did not pay what was owed.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has recently began to accept consumer complaints regarding the lending practice of payday loan companies. Your comments are important in helping the CFPB enforce current laws and create future regulations on these companies.

Please report your payday loan complaint to: www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Contact your lender for help if you have found yourself in a rut with payday loans.

Don’t let an emergency make you wish you had an emergency savings!

Our Citizens 24 To Gomobile banking app is here You Asked...We ListenedOffering the best technology and products to our customers is important to us. Many customers have asked for mobile banking, and we listened. Our Citizens 24 To Go mobile banking app is available to download in the app store today!

Accidents and emergencies happen. Unfortunately for many, this can lead to added debt and financial stress. Don’t let the unexpected get you down - plan ahead! Experts say we should have an emergency fund that can cover at least one to two months of bare-bone expenses.

A great way to start saving is to set up a recurring automatic transfer from your paycheck to a savings account. At Citizens State Bank, we offer a simple savings account

with no fees and no minimum balance. Let us help you create a weekly, biweekly, or monthly transfer to a savings account from your checking account. You might be surprised by how quickly your savings can add up! Give us a call today, and let us help you start the New Year out on the right foot.

Visit us on Facebook for more information! http://www.facebook.com/CitizensStateBank

Impacting the Community!

The Eau Claire and La Crosse offices volunteered to ring bells for the Salvation Army Red Kettle

Campaign this holiday season. Our organization donated $1000 toward this cause!

The La Crosse office participated in Adopt-A-Family & provided clothing, toys, and household items to two

local families in need.

Clayton101 Prentice Street S.Clayton, WI 54004(715) 948-2142

La Crosse620 Main StreetLa Crosse, WI 54601(608) 785-2265

Eau Claire1028 N. Hillcrest PkwyAltoona, WI 54720(715) 832-2265

Onalaska625 Main StreetOnalaska, WI 54650(608) 783-2646

Office News

Clayton Office

Thank you for stopping by

our open house!

Eau Claire Office

Welcome! Robert Poppe

(Business Banking Officer).

La Crosse OfficeWelcome! Amanda Yang (Loan Processor I), Ashley Aldahl (HR

Specialist), Chad Hill (Chief Credit Officer), Heidi Vian (CSR I), Keaton Rochester (IT

Intern), Jennifer Jahr (Marketing Director), and Nathan Covey (CSR I).

Onalaska Office

Thank you for stopping to see

Santa at ouropen house!

Exceeding Our Customer’s Expectations…It’s more than just our mission statement!

Our mission to ‘Exceed Our Customer’s Expectations’ is not just a statement - it is how we do business. Each quarter employees are nominated by their peers to receive the Citizens State Bank Mission Award. Employees are nominated when they are seen exceeding customer’s expectations. It is with great pride we congratulate our 2014 4th Quarter Citizens State Bank Mission Award winner Mitch Wieland.

Mitch is a CSR I in our Eau Claire Office and has been with the bank since September 2014. He has been spotted going above and beyond for his customers. Most recently he volunteered to give his time on a Saturday afternoon to help two of our Altoona customers move. They were very appreciative as both had injuries and could not assist with moving heavy items.

In the office, Mitch always greets his customers with a friendly face and smile. Congratulations Mitch! We are proud to present him with this award!

Federal Holiday/Bank Open: On these dates, the Federal Reserve is closed, but the Bank is open. This means that all ACH, Wires, Checks, ATM/Debit Card, and Citizens Biz transactions will be processed on next business day. Internal transfers, Citizens24, Dial-A-Bank, and In-Bank Teller Transactions will be processed on the current days business.

Citizens State Bank HolidaysFebruary - July 2015

Federal Holiday/ Monday,Presidents Day Bank Open February 16 Monday,Memorial Day Closed May 25 Saturday,Independence Day Closed July 4

Animal Shelter ‘Give A Little Love’ Donation Drive February | All Offices

America Saves Week February 23-28 | All Offices

Children’s Museum 16th Birthday February 28 | La Crosse

The Eau Claire, Onalaska, and La Crosse offices participated in Toys for Tots this year as a drop-off

site for donations and hosted a Giving Tree helping provide gifts to children in need.

The Clayton Office participated and donated to the Clayton Gifts for Children and Clayton Lions

Club Food Baskets in the month of December.

Freezin’ for a Reason 5K March 7 | La Crosse

Family Fun Expo March 29 | La Crosse & Onalaska Offices

National Teach Children to Save Day April 24 | All Offices

Zeus’ CornerHi, Kids! I hope you had a chance to see Santa at our Open House in

December. Come visit us at the bank to pick up your Winter Activity Sheets. Remember - when you make a deposit to your Minor Savings Account, you can pick out a prize from my dog bowl and earn a stamp on your stamp card. Make 10 deposits to fill your card and take home a big prize!

Teach a Child to Save Day is April 24th, 2015. During this week, some friendly faces from the bank will be stopping at local schools to share the importance of saving money. Would you like us to visit YOUR school? Let us know! Contact us with your school name or tell your teacher about our great program. We would love to see you!

Retirement Plans on the Fray - Start an IRAWe are now accepting Individual Retirement Account contributions for the 2014 and 2015 tax year. Call us for CD IRA and IRA savings account rates today! IRA

transfers from another institution are no problem! Call your personal banker and they will make the process easy!