A Reflection On Our Trip with Hope Credit Union
Feature Sara Loving Feature Sara Loving

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.

Read More
Why Native American Banking Matters
Feature Sara Loving Feature Sara Loving

Why Native American Banking Matters

Native American banks and credit unions play a vital role in addressing generations of economic exclusion and underbanking in Native communities. By supporting housing, small business lending, and financial access, these institutions help strengthen economic opportunity and preserve community self-determination.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With Cattleman’s Bank
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With Cattleman’s Bank

Cattleman’s Bank is a community-focused bank serving southwestern Oklahoma and Dallas through exceptional small business and agricultural lending. Originally founded in rural Oklahoma, the bank continues to invest heavily in local economies through small farm loans, business financing, and community-focused banking services.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With Equitable Bank
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With Equitable Bank

Equitable Bank is a Nebraska community bank combining small-town relationship banking with highly effective community development lending in Omaha and beyond. Through strong small business, agricultural, and housing lending, the bank helps support local economies across both rural and urban communities in Nebraska.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With First Federal Savings and Loan Assoc.
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With First Federal Savings and Loan Assoc.

First Federal Savings and Loan Association is a tiny but impactful local bank serving Morehead, Kentucky through affordable housing loans, small business lending, and community-focused banking. With a strong commitment to keeping deposits invested locally, the institution demonstrates how small hometown banks can play a major role in supporting rural economic development.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With Cottonport Bank
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With Cottonport Bank

Cottonport Bank is a Louisiana-based CDFI providing affordable housing loans, small business financing, and essential banking services to underserved rural communities. With branches in small towns often overlooked by larger financial institutions, the bank plays an important role in expanding economic opportunity across southeast Louisiana.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With First State Bank of the Southeast
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With First State Bank of the Southeast

First State Bank of the Southeast is a community-focused Kentucky bank serving Appalachian communities through affordable housing loans, small business financing, and local investment. With more than a century of history in southeastern Kentucky, the bank helps expand economic opportunity and strengthen rural communities often overlooked by larger financial institutions.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With Southern Bancorp Bank
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With Southern Bancorp Bank

Southern Bancorp is one of the largest community development financial institutions in the United States, serving underbanked rural communities across Arkansas and Mississippi. Through affordable housing loans, small business financing, agricultural lending, and financial education, the bank helps expand economic opportunity in areas often overlooked by traditional banking institutions.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With Bank of Charlotte County
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With Bank of Charlotte County

Bank of Charlotte County is a community-focused rural bank in southern Virginia known for its exceptional affordable housing, small business, and agricultural lending. By investing heavily in low- and moderate-income households and small-town economies, the bank plays a vital role in preserving economic opportunity and community life in rural Virginia.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With Citizens Bank
Sara Loving Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With Citizens Bank

Citizens Bank is a community-focused CDFI serving southern Mississippi through affordable housing loans, small business financing, and agricultural lending. With deep roots in small-town banking and a strong commitment to local economic development, the bank helps expand financial opportunity in underserved rural communities across the region.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With Sycamore Bank
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With Sycamore Bank

Sycamore Bank is a community-focused CDFI serving northern Mississippi through affordable housing loans, small business financing, and agricultural lending. With deep roots in small-town Mississippi and a strong commitment to low- and moderate-income communities, the bank helps expand economic opportunity across rural areas surrounding Memphis and Oxford.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With Legacy Bank & Trust Co.
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With Legacy Bank & Trust Co.

Legacy Bank & Trust Co. is a mission-driven community bank serving southcentral Missouri through strong small business lending, agricultural financing, and investment in underserved rural communities. As a certified CDFI and CDBI, the bank plays a vital role in supporting local economies, small farms, and community development across rural Missouri.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With First Farmers & Merchants National Bank
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With First Farmers & Merchants National Bank

First Farmers & Merchants National Bank is a community-focused Minnesota bank supporting small businesses, local agriculture, and rural economic development in Fairmont and St. Paul. With strong small business and farm lending alongside modern online banking services, the bank helps strengthen both rural communities and urban local economies across Minnesota.

Read More
Why Small Community Banks Are Essential to Rural America’s Economic Health
Feature Sara Loving Feature Sara Loving

Why Small Community Banks Are Essential to Rural America’s Economic Health

Small community banks play a vital role in sustaining rural America by keeping local money invested in small businesses, housing, farms, and underserved communities. As large national banks continue pulling out of rural towns, community banking institutions remain essential to preserving economic opportunity, local investment, and long-term community stability.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With AmeriState Bank
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With AmeriState Bank

AmeriState Bank is a community-focused Oklahoma bank serving rural towns and Native American communities through housing loans, small business lending, and agricultural financing. With a strong commitment to local economic development and underserved populations, the bank plays an important role in expanding financial opportunity across southern Oklahoma.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With Cross Keys Bank
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With Cross Keys Bank

Cross Keys Bank is a community-focused CDFI serving Northern Louisiana through small business lending, housing loans, and agricultural financing in underserved rural communities. With a long history of local investment and personalized customer service, the bank helps strengthen economic opportunity in small towns across the region.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With Bank of Montgomery
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With Bank of Montgomery

Bank of Montgomery is a community-focused CDFI serving Northern Louisiana through housing loans, small business lending, and agricultural financing. With a strong commitment to local lending, personalized customer service, and investment in underserved communities, the bank helps strengthen economic opportunity across rural Louisiana.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With West Alabama Bank & Trust
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With West Alabama Bank & Trust

West Alabama Bank & Trust is a community-focused CDFI serving small towns across West Alabama through housing loans, small business lending, and agricultural financing. With branches located in underserved rural communities and a strong commitment to local lending, the bank helps support economic stability and opportunity throughout the region.

Read More
Why You Should Be Banking With BankFirst Financial Services
Profile Sara Loving Profile Sara Loving

Why You Should Be Banking With BankFirst Financial Services

BankFirst Financial Services is a community-focused Mississippi bank serving low- and moderate-income families through housing loans, small business lending, and investment in underserved communities. With branches located throughout the Golden Triangle region and a strong commitment to local lending, the bank plays an important role in supporting economic opportunity in Eastern Mississippi.

Read More