About Us

Who is FIBT?

First International Bank & Trust (FIBT) is a full-service, family-owned independent community bank built on the bond between our employees and customers. Founded in 1910 as Farmer’s State Bank, we first served the small community of Arnegard, North Dakota and have since expanded to rural and urban communities across Arizona, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Throughout our 100+ years in business, we’ve learned many valuable lessons. The economy has bloomed, boomed, crashed, and cycled time and time again. Technology has evolved and changed our day-to-day operations. With these cycles and changes, we’ve adopted new ways of doing things and remained nimble in our approach to lending, and the way we do business. FIBT takes pride in our relationship-based business model and the way we build long-term trust with our customers.

First International Bank & Trust was the only bank in McKenzie County North Dakota to survive the Great Depression. In fact, for much of our existence, our slogan was “Never a Loss of a Depositor’s Dollar.” During the 1930s, when other banks were forced to liquidate loans, or in many cases, fail, FIBT returned every dollar requested. We were able to do so because we made sound lending decisions, and prudent, responsible choices to protect our customers and our communities. Our bankers bring the same line of thinking to the table today. We promise to never jeopardize the confidence you instill in us to keep your money, property, and personal information safe. As a family-owned, independent community bank, FIBT is FDIC-insured. To date, no one has ever lost a dime of FDIC-insured deposits up to $250,000.

We remain well-capitalized and well-positioned to serve our communities for generations to come. Part of our success and longevity comes from diversifying our assets through specialized divisions such as Kotapay or MineralTracker® which protects us from the ebbs and flows of market conditions and demands. In April 2023, Kotapay, our electronic payments division, celebrated its 30th year of providing fast, accurate electronic transaction services and continues to serve more than 107,000 companies nationwide.

At FIBT, our guiding principle is “Live First” and we do everything in our power to help you do that. When people hear the word bank, they often think of checking accounts, savings accounts, and loans, but we offer so much more, including business banking, commercial loans, mortgage loans, agricultural loans, and treasury management. Whether it is “saying yes” to your dream home, taking your business to the next level, or saving for your child’s college education, we are here to help make it happen!

BANKING | MORTGAGE | INSURANCE* | TRUST & INVESTMENTS*

First International Bank & Trust (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Arizona) is owned by Watford City Bancshares, Inc., which is owned by the Stenehjem family. First International Bank & Trust is a full-service, independent community bank, a member of FDIC, and an equal housing lender.

*Not FDIC or any federal agency insured | No bank guarantee | May lose value