First Bank Expands Digital Offerings with Kids Cash and Plinqit

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First Bank announced today that it has partnered with HT Mobile Apps (HTMA) to offer Kids Cash, a free mobile application designed to educate children ages three to 12 years old on the benefits of saving, and Plinqit, the only savings app that pays users for learning about personal finances.

In the bank’s search for products that focus on family to provide digital banking tools that appeal to younger generations, First Bank chose to partner with HTMA to offer Kids Cash, white labelled on HTMA’s Banker Jr. platform. Kids Cash offers informative games and lessons on a free mobile platform to teach children valuable skills and financial literacy as they play.

Additionally, First Bank wanted to grow its offerings with products that create differentiation and brand awareness, increase deposits and cross sell opportunities as well as grow households. Expanding the bank’s relationship with HTMA, the bank launched Plinqit, the only savings tool that pays users for engaging with content in its patent-pending Build Skills™ platform. Users can grow their knowledge of finances by simply watching a video or reading an article from the Plinqit library and taking a short quiz. Then, users are given a reward toward their savings goal for learning more about financial wellness.

“HTMA offers solutions in line with our strategic objectives,” said Angie Moleski, AVP-Product Management Officer II of First Bank. “The company’s fun, straightforward and easy to use apps help us create new banking relationships. With Kids Cash and Plinqit, we can create content that improves financial literacy. These are great tools to share with the communities in our footprint and allow us to bring financial literacy to underbanked communities as well. We are excited to launch Kids Cash and Plinqit to empower our community with a better understanding of finances all while strengthening our local economy.”

“When we created Plinqit and Banker Jr., we wanted to build something easy to use that offered lower operating costs than traditional accounts,” said Kathleen Craig, founder and Chief Executive Officer of HT Mobile Apps. “Our fast-to-market products help financial institutions, like First Bank, build engagement with customers and prospects alike quickly. Through our partnership with the bank, we are able to empower their team to reach their goals and offer their community education on personal finances. We know the importance of financial literacy on the path to financial wellness and are excited to see their customers’ financial achievement.”

About First Bank

Our 100-plus year history of independent family ownership allows us to relentlessly focus on our clients’ long-term goals and objectives, as opposed to only focusing on our short-term gains. We commit to providing comprehensive solutions, delivered by locally empowered colleagues who have a passion to exceed client expectations. The growth and prosperity of both our clients and of First Bank will translate directly to the quality of life within the communities we serve. Ultimately, our success is measured by building lifelong relationships, one client and one community at a time! For more information, visit www.firstbanks.com

About HTMA

Michigan-based HTMA is an innovative FinTech company serving banks and credit unions across the country to easily and cost-effectively introduce new services for attracting and retaining customers. HTMA offerings include Banker Jr., Member Jr., and now Plinqit, the first savings platform of its kind that pays users for engaging with content through its patent-pending Build Skills™. For more information, visit www.htmobileapps.com.