Interview with Jon Mulkin
In this interview, Hope Credit Union Chief Mortgage Officer Jon Mulkin reflects on four decades in mortgage lending, from leading home loan operations at Morgan Stanley to helping first-time homebuyers build wealth through Hope’s mission-driven approach. He shares insights on affordable housing, community development, racial equity, and the future of mortgage lending in underserved communities.
Bank of Dave’s Lessons on Community Banking
The 2023 Netflix film Bank of Dave tells the inspiring story of a businessman determined to create a community bank that serves local people rather than distant shareholders. While the movie takes creative liberties, its central lesson rings true: when capital stays local, communities thrive. Here’s what Bank of Dave can teach us about the power of community banking.
Disinvesting From War in the Middle East
Many people are asking how their financial decisions connect to global conflicts and military funding. While banking transparency remains limited, moving deposits from large multinational banks to local community institutions can be a meaningful way to align your finances with values of peace, accountability, and community development.
City Survey: Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is a city shaped by a rich history, strong community ties, and ongoing efforts to address economic inequality. These Better Banking Options—from Hope Credit Union to local CDFIs and minority-owned institutions—are helping provide access to capital, support underserved communities, and strengthen Montgomery’s local economy.
Our Response to Hope's 2022 Impact Report
Hope Credit Union’s 2022 Impact Report demonstrates what mission-driven banking can accomplish when lending is focused on people traditionally excluded from financial opportunity. From first-time homebuyers to Black-owned businesses, Hope continues to invest in communities overlooked by conventional lenders.
A Reflection On Our Trip with Hope Credit Union
What does community banking look like in practice? On a trip through the Deep South with Hope Credit Union, we met civil rights leaders, visited community development projects, and saw firsthand how mission-driven lending can help create economic opportunity in communities affected by generations of discrimination and disinvestment.
Why You Should Be Banking With Credit Union of Atlanta
Credit Union of Atlanta is a Black-led, community-focused credit union serving government employees, church communities, and their families in Atlanta. With branches in low-income neighborhoods and a commitment to financial inclusion, it’s a great option for those looking to support local economic development while accessing affordable banking services.
City Survey: San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland (Bay Area)
The Bay Area is home to some of the most innovative and mission-driven financial institutions in the country. Whether you’re looking to support immigrant communities, affordable housing, small businesses, or environmentally responsible lending, these Better Banking Options in San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland offer a meaningful alternative to the mega banks.
Why You Should Be Banking With Gateway Bank, FSB
Gateway Bank is a small, community-focused bank headquartered in Oakland’s Chinatown that serves immigrant and low-income communities throughout the Bay Area. With a strong focus on housing lending and local investment, it stands out as one of the best Better Banking Options in Northern California.
City Survey: Washington, DC
Washington, DC, has a surprisingly rich landscape of Better Banking Options, from Black-owned banks and immigrant-focused credit unions to cooperative lenders and community development institutions. This city survey highlights mission-driven banks and credit unions helping strengthen neighborhoods across the nation’s capital.
What Is Ethical Banking? How Better Banking Supports Communities
Ethical banking is about more than avoiding mega banks—it’s about choosing financial institutions that use your deposits responsibly. From community lending to environmental sustainability and transparency, ethical banks and credit unions can help build a more equitable world while still meeting your everyday banking needs.
Why You Should Be Banking With Brooklyn Cooperative FCU
Brooklyn Cooperative FCU is a mission-driven credit union serving low-income and historically underserved neighborhoods in Brooklyn through affordable banking services and community-focused lending.
Latine Banks To Move Your Money To TODAY
Latine-majority banks play an essential role in providing banking services, lending, and financial access to communities that have historically been underserved by traditional institutions. Here are some of the best-known Latine-majority banks in the United States.
Open An Account At Hope Credit Union TODAY
Hope Credit Union is one of the nation’s leading Better Banking Options, using deposits to fund wealth-building loans in underserved Black communities across the Mid-South.
Why You Should Be Banking With Rio Bank
Rio Bank is a locally rooted Texas bank helping strengthen Latine-majority communities through small business lending, housing loans, and regional economic investment.
City Survey: Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill
North Carolina’s Research Triangle is full of thriving local economies — and some excellent Better Banking Options. From community-focused credit unions to banks investing in affordable housing and small businesses, these institutions are helping Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill grow more equitably.
Why You Should Be Banking With Sixth Avenue Baptist FCU
Sixth Avenue Baptist FCU is a faith-based Black credit union in Birmingham with deep roots in the civil rights movement and community banking.
Why You Should Be Banking With Alamerica Bank
Alamerica Bank is a Black-owned Birmingham bank investing in Black communities through small business lending, housing loans, and personalized banking services.
City Survey: Detroit
Detroit offers several Better Banking Options focused on community lending, Black economic empowerment, and wealth-building loans for local families.
Why You Should Be Banking With First Independence Bank
First Independence Bank is Detroit’s only Black-owned bank, investing in Black communities through housing loans, small business lending, and local banking services.