Community banks are an integral part of Main Street; they reinvest local dollars back into the community and help create local jobs. Their relationship banking philosophy is ingrained in the way they conduct business, one loan—one customer—at a time. Local reinvestment helps small businesses grow and helps families finance major purchases and build financial security.
Community banks also are nimble in using new technology platforms, supporting emerging methods of payments and advocating tougher security standards to protect small-business owners and customers from hackers and other criminals.
Find a Community Bank Learn to Bank LocallyA thriving community banking industry is critical to restoring jobs, creating economic opportunity for all, and realizing our economic potential as a nation. To that end, we shared with the 117th Congress our policy priorities.
Read the LetterAs high-tech, high-touch lenders that specialize in relationship banking, community banks build better communities by prioritizing and investing in the customers and neighborhoods they serve.
— Preston Kennedy, president and CEO, Zachary Bancshares Inc., Zachary, La.
As local small businesses themselves, community banks only thrive when their customers and communities flourish. They answer to Main Street. Megabanks are driven by shareholder value and answer to Wall Street.
Learn more about how minority banks still play a crucial role to many minority and low-to-moderate-income communities and small businesses, often serving as the only safe option for them to do business. Without minority banks, many minorities and low- to-moderate-income customers would be susceptible to predatory practices, such as payday loans and car title loans that only keep them in debt.
For more resources to help tell the community banking story: Visit our marketing toolkit