While just 24 percent of big banks offer totally free checking, more than 60 percent of credit unions and small banks do, according to a new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. The report also found that credit unions and small banks have lower fees on average and do a better job of disclosing fees to prospective customers.… Read More
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
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
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
Across the country, independent business groups that have been urging people to "buy local" are now making "bank local" an increasingly prominent part of their message, bringing new grassroots visibility and organizational infrastructure to the Move Your Money movement. … Read More
Is your community organization or local business alliance thinking about launching a public education campaign to encourage people to move their accounts to locally owned banks and credit unions? We have a range of resources to assist you, including help with definitions and identifying local banks, sample flyers, graphs and background articles, examples of local banking campaign materials from around the country, and more. … Read More
Those who wonder whether public anger at big banks and the Move Your Money sentiment sweeping the country is substantial enough to impact these giants need only look at the banks’ own marketing over the last few weeks to see the proof. … Read More
The biggest banks impose much higher fees on their customers than small financial institutions do. This is exactly the opposite of what was promised in 1994 and again in 1999, when Congress dismantled laws that had long restricted the size and scope of banks, ushering in a wave of mergers that left the industry dominated by a few financial giants. … Read More
As we start down the path of breaking up with the big banks and defending our own economic interests and that of our communities, we should think about the whole range of financial services we use. We need to give thought to both the saving and lending sides of a bank. Each is crucial. On the savings side, community-based financial institutions need our deposits much more than the big banks do. But to be profitable community banks need to convert those deposits into loans. … Read More
