Cedar Rapids, Iowa (December 2025): BankIowa is proud to announce it is starting 2026 with another 5-Star Superior rating from BauerFinancial, the Nation’s Premier Bank Rating Firm. A 5-Star Superior rating indicates that BankIowa is one of the strongest banks in the nation, excelling in areas of capital, loan quality, stability and more. This marks the 59th consecutive quarter that BankIowa has earned this top rating, (that’s over 14 years!), which secures it an even more elite status as an “Exceptional Performance Bank”, an honor reserved solely for banks that have maintained a 5-Star rating for ten years (40 consecutive quarters) or longer.

“Because community banks put their focus on local people and small businesses, they are perfectly positioned to provide the specialized support that is unique to their area,” assures Karen L. Dorway, president of BauerFinancial. “Community banks, like BankIowa, promote local growth by investing back into the same neighborhoods their deposits come from. By fostering these local relationships, they accomplish two goals: they are highly capitalized, and they are accountable to their customers.”

Established in 1921, BankIowa has been reinvesting in its local communities for 105 years. Today, its focus remains as it always has, to meet the needs of its customers, even as those needs evolve.

About BauerFinancial, Inc.

Bauer is a respected, independent bank and credit union research firm. It does not get paid (nor has it ever) to rate any bank or credit union, nor can any institution avoid its rating. Bauer uses the same strict barometer to rate all banks and all credit unions and makes those ratings available to all people—for free—on its web site. Since 1983, this practice, along with an excellent track record, has earned the respect of regulators, bankers, and consumers across the country.