Misrepresenting Small Business
The two groups that have traditionally spoken for small business in Washington often push an agenda that only big business could love, writes ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell in this commentary for Business Week.
Federal Policy Threatens Local Banks, a Top Fed Official Says
A top Federal Reserve official says that locally owned banks do a better job of serving communities and small businesses, but they are threatened by federal policies that favor their big competitors. … Read More
Grassroots Financing is Underwriting a New Crop of Neighborhood Businesses
Just as CSAs have played a key role in the rebirth of small-scale farms, so too are new community-supported enterprise models helping to launch a new generation of independent grocers, bookstores, and other neighborhood businesses. … Read More
Why Does Target have a Subsidiary in Bermuda?
A growing number of big corporations are using offshore tax havens to escape paying U.S. taxes. A recent estimate suggests big companies are dodging at least $37 billion a year — and, in so doing, gaining a significant competitive advantage over small businesses. … Read More
Taking Financial Reform into Our Own Hands
How do we change course and revive a banking system that is more local and responsive to the needs of communities?… Read More
Stacy Mitchell Interview on North Shore Community Radio
Stacy Mitchell discusses the impact of big box stores on communities and the local business movement in response. The show is 5 minutes long and was featured on North Shore Community Radio.… Read More
7 Simple Steps to Move Your Checking Account
This guide will walk you through the steps of moving your bank account. You can download this a flyer to distribute in your community.… Read More
Top 5 Reasons to Choose a Community Bank or Credit Union
Here are the most compelling reasons to move your money to a locally owned bank or credit union. You can download this as flyer to distribute in your community. … Read More
Credit Unions Hang Tough, See Surge in Deposits
In the perilous aftermath of one of the worst financial disasters in U.S. history, one might expect credit unions — which, after all, are mostly tiny by the standards of the banking industry and operated on a cooperative, not-for-profit basis — to be struggling. But data from the last 18 months show that the country’s 7,600 credit unions are in fact outperforming big banks and rapidly expanding their market share. … Read More