The MBA is committed to helping Michigan banking institutions provide an environment promoting financial education and inclusion. BankON products can be applicable to markets across Michigan. From Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, to Detroit and Flint, BankOn offers a solution that would every bank in that state can consider. As our industry as a whole continues to focus on financial education and inclusion BankOn is an innovative tool in the fight.
One way we do this is through collaboration with the City of Detroit, community stakeholders, and financial institutions on Mayor Mike Duggan’s BankOn Coalition. In addition, members of your MBA advocacy team work year around with representatives of Junior Achievement to deliver education and access to consumers. Representing the voice of banks in the state on this issue and working with our partners to create sustainable access for consumers to the financial marketplace is vital to our overall mission.
While most consumers enjoy the protections and convenience of a bank account, there are still too many unbanked and underbanked individuals in our state. BankOn accounts provide consumers with a transaction based starter account to encourage them to start, use, and learn the many benefits inclusion in the financial services market place can offer.
About Bank On
The Bank On National Account Standards were created by national nonprofit organization the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund—or CFE Fund—and are widely supported by consumer advocates and the financial services industry.
How it Works
Bank On connects consumers to safe and affordable bank accounts. The Bank On national platform, led by the nonprofit Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund), helps individuals navigate the marketplace and easily identify accounts that meet their needs. When an account is Bank On certified, consumers know it has features they are looking for, including low or no fees, no overdraft charges, online bill pay and other basic attributes—giving them more confidence to begin or restart their banking relationship with the right tools to manage their money.
Across the country, Bank On coalitions help match consumers with financial institutions in their community that offer the “certified” accounts. To date, close to 90 state or city coalitions work to connect residents to the 24,000 financial institution branch locations in the U.S. that currently offer a Bank On-certified account.
Bank On Account Certification
Many banks already offer qualifying accounts and can apply, at no cost, for a Bank On certification through the CFE Fund. For those banks that don’t currently offer accounts that meet every Bank On standard, the industry’s top core providers, who provide the operational backbone for many banks, have committed to simplifying the process for banks to create and offer qualifying accounts.
Help move the needle on economic inequality by joining the growing list of banks that offer Bank On certified accounts. To sign up, visit joinbankon.org/certify.
Learn More About Bank On Visit ABA Resources
Resources
Click on the links below to learn more.
- Bank On National Account Standards - Working closely with our Bank On National Advisory Board and other key stakeholders, the CFE Fund has released these Bank On National Account Standards. These standards provide local programs with a benchmark for account partnerships with financial institutions, and include both core and recommended features. The Standards were inspired by the 2012 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Model Safe Accounts Template.
- Coalition Playbook - The CFE Fund supports local Bank On coalitions through best practices found in the Bank On Coalition Playbook. Chapters cover a range of topics; newly-released chapters include best practices for Programmatic Banking Access Integration, a handout for financial institutions on the benefits of Bank On National Account Certification, guidelines for Launching or Relaunching a Coalition, local Strategies for Navigating Financial Institution Partnerships and Account Certification, a Bank On Coalition Logic Model, and a guide for using local Bank On data from the Bank On National Data Hub.
- Bank On Funding - Learn about he Start-Up Grant, Capacity Grant, Integration Grant, and the Innovation Grant.
- Banking Connect Pilot Initiatives - Building off the successes of the national Bank On and Summer Jobs Connect initiatives, the CFE Fund is testing different ways to integrate banking access into existing municipal and community programs; for example, the CFE Fund is supporting local partnerships that link high school age youth and their families to the financial mainstream through safe and affordable bank accounts, as well as innovative programmatic approaches to helping unbanked people open safe and affordable accounts when they start a new job. Pilot partners identify ways to integrate banking access into existing youth and workforce development programs, and have established local connections with financial institutions to offer bank accounts certified as meeting the Bank On National Account Standards or the Youth Account Priorities. The goal of these pilots is to learn more about how existing programs can leverage payment touchpoints to support account opening for program participants.
- Bank On Fellowship - The CFE Fund’s Bank On Fellowship Program provides match funding of up to $45,000 per year for two years to Bank On coalitions to support a full-time staff position (a “Fellow”) to lead their coalition’s activities. As part of this multi-city cohort of local leaders, the CFE Fund provides intensive technical assistance support, training, and resources both individually and to the group.
- Core providers supporting Bank On – a list of core providers that have committed to make it easier for banks to create and offer Bank On certified accounts
- Choosing a safe and affordable bank account – information for consumers new or returning to banking on selecting an account that meets their individual needs, including an introduction to Bank On-certified accounts and where to find them
- Inclusive Banking resource page – all of ABA’s news, training and event opportunities, and policy updates to support banks’ financial inclusion efforts
- View the MBA webpage on Financial Exploitation for Safe Banking for Seniors resources
- Access the MBA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion page for resources, and webinar opportunities.
Webinars/Events
- Financial Inclusion Webinar – Recording Available Here
To help reduce the number of unbanked and underbanked people in the country, ABA is encouraging all banks to join the growing list of financial institutions that offer Bank On certified accounts. Learn how your bank can participate.
Resources
- Banks’ Committed to Reducing Number of Unbanked Americans. Read more.