Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust vs Houghton State Bank
This comparison uses public regulatory filings and TFS methodology. It evaluates financial condition—not checking rates, account fees, service quality, or which institution is universally “best.”
Bank
Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust
Burlington, IA
Health score
74.3
Total assets
$208.2M
Bank
Houghton State Bank
Red Oak, IA
Health score
88.3
Total assets
$204.8M
Answer first
Different strengths, no blanket winner
Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust leads on lending quality; Houghton State Bank leads on financial health and capitalization and profitability and growth. Those category leads describe current regulatory metrics only and do not establish a universal product or service winner.
Capital and asset-quality definitions are directly comparable for this pair.
Category leaders
Where each institution leads
Financial health
Houghton State Bank
Higher TFS health score
Capitalization
Houghton State Bank
Higher comparable capital ratio
Profitability
Houghton State Bank
Higher return on assets
Lending quality
Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust
Lower problem-loan measure
Growth
Houghton State Bank
Higher year-over-year asset growth
Same-source detail
Financial metrics
Winner markers appear only where the metric definitions are comparable and both values are available.
| Metric | Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust | Houghton State Bank |
|---|---|---|
| TFS health score | 74.3/100 | 88.3/100Leads |
| Total assets | $208.2M | $204.8M |
| Total deposits / shares | $187.0M | $169.2M |
| Tier 1 capital ratio | 10.73% | 15.39%Leads |
| Return on assets | 0.91% | 1.56%Leads |
| Return on equity | 11.25%Leads | 9.50% |
| Non-performing loans | 1.66%Leads | 2.58% |
| Net charge-offs | 0.00%Leads | 0.03% |
| Efficiency ratio | 75.30% | 50.78%Leads |
| Loan-to-deposit ratio | 67.76% | 85.69% |
| Asset growth (YoY) | -2.20% | -0.60%Leads |
| Deposit / share growth (YoY) | -1.04%Leads | -1.84% |
| Branches | 4 | 5 |
| Published CFPB complaints per $1B deposits (12 months)verified mappings only | — | — |
Branch and market overlap
Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust
4 branches
Houghton State Bank
5 branches
Both institutions report branches in 1 state: IA.
CFPB complaint coverage
Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust
Unavailable
Houghton State Bank
Unavailable
Counts use an explicitly reviewed CFPB-company-to-regulatory-ID mapping and the same complete 12-month window. Parent-company attribution can include complaints involving affiliates. Lower complaint volume is context—not proof of better service or less consumer harm.
Regulatory-action context
Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust
0 in TFS registry
Houghton State Bank
0 in TFS registry
Institution-level actions come from TFS's exact regulatory-ID registry and are shown as factual context only. They do not affect category winners or the TFS Financial Health Grade. A zero means no action is currently published in this curated registry—not proof that none exists.
Quarterly history
Health and profitability trend
| Quarter | Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust score | Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust ROA | Houghton State Bank score | Houghton State Bank ROA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-Q3 | — | 0.47% | — | 1.30% |
| 2024-Q4 | — | 0.38% | — | 1.36% |
| 2025-Q1 | — | 0.54% | — | 1.49% |
| 2025-Q2 | — | 0.52% | — | 1.56% |
| 2025-Q3 | — | 0.55% | — | 1.55% |
| 2025-Q4 | — | 0.59% | — | 1.52% |
| 2026-Q1 | 73.3/100 | 0.99% | 84.5/100 | 1.50% |
| 2026-Q2 | 74.3/100 | 0.91% | 88.3/100 | 1.56% |
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Coverage boundaries
What this does not conclude
- • No product-rate, fee, or customer-service winner without product data.
- • Complaint comparisons appear only when both institutions have reviewed mappings and the same complete source window.
- • Regulatory actions are displayed separately and are not included in category scoring.
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Financial data comes from FDIC BankFind Suite or NCUA Call Reports as labeled. TFS Health Grades are an editorial assessment, not an official government rating or financial advice. Every valid pair is viewable; pairs enter search automatically only when current data, comparability, and visitor interest meet the publication rules.