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
Winona, MN
Health score
82.4
Total assets
$2.9B
Bank
Saint Cloud, MN
Health score
65.2
Total assets
$3.3B
Answer first
Merchants Bank, National Association leads on financial health and lending quality and growth; Stearns Bank National Association leads on capitalization and profitability. 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
Financial health
Merchants Bank, National Association
Higher TFS health score
Capitalization
Stearns Bank National Association
Higher comparable capital ratio
Profitability
Stearns Bank National Association
Higher return on assets
Lending quality
Merchants Bank, National Association
Lower problem-loan measure
Growth
Merchants Bank, National Association
Higher year-over-year asset growth
Same-source detail
Winner markers appear only where the metric definitions are comparable and both values are available.
| Metric | Merchants Bank, National Association | Stearns Bank National Association |
|---|---|---|
| TFS health score | 82.4/100Leads | 65.2/100 |
| Total assets | $2.9B | $3.3B |
| Total deposits / shares | $2.5B | $2.4B |
| Tier 1 capital ratio | 11.49% | 15.42%Leads |
| Return on assets | 1.23% | 2.09%Leads |
| Return on equity | 10.53% | 12.78% |
Merchants Bank, National Association
22 branches
Stearns Bank National Association
7 branches
Both institutions report branches in 1 state: MN.
Merchants Bank, National Association
Unavailable
Stearns Bank National Association
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.
Merchants Bank, National Association
0 in TFS registry
Stearns Bank National Association
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
| Quarter | Merchants Bank, National Association score | Merchants Bank, National Association ROA | Stearns Bank National Association score | Stearns Bank National Association ROA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-Q3 | — | 0.82% | — | 1.28% |
| 2024-Q4 | — | 0.78% | — | 1.56% |
| 2025-Q1 | — | 1.01% | — | -0.41% |
| 2025-Q2 | — | 1.11% | — | 0.68% |
| 2025-Q3 | — | 1.20% | — | 1.60% |
| 2025-Q4 | — | 1.23% | — | 1.85% |
| 2026-Q1 | 80.9/100 |
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Coverage boundaries
Related comparisons
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. Arbitrary comparison pairs are available dynamically but remain noindex unless curated for data completeness and user value.
| Non-performing loans | 0.53%Leads | 2.65% |
| Net charge-offs | 0.06%Leads | 2.05% |
| Efficiency ratio | 63.53% | 52.81%Leads |
| Loan-to-deposit ratio | 81.50% | 114.76% |
| Asset growth (YoY) | 4.14%Leads | -7.73% |
| Deposit / share growth (YoY) | 3.73%Leads | -15.61% |
| Branches | 22 | 7 |
| Published CFPB complaints per $1B deposits (12 months)verified mappings only | — | — |
| 1.22% |
| 76.7/100 |
| 2.10% |
| 2026-Q2 | 82.4/100 | 1.23% | 65.2/100 | 2.09% |