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.
City Survey: Birmingham
From Black-owned banks to community-focused credit unions, Birmingham offers several Better Banking Options supporting local neighborhoods and families.
City Survey: Detroit
Detroit offers several Better Banking Options focused on community lending, Black economic empowerment, and wealth-building loans for local families.
City Survey: Memphis
From Black-led banks to community-focused credit unions, Memphis offers several Better Banking Options making real investments in local neighborhoods and families.
City Survey: Louisville
Looking for better banking options in Louisville, Kentucky? Here’s a guide to local banks and credit unions investing more directly in the community.
More About Our Data & How It’s Updated
Our Better Banking Options search engine uses FDIC and NCUA data to rank banks and credit unions based on community-focused lending and local impact.
What is Values-Based Banking?
Values-based banking prioritizes community wellbeing, sustainable growth, and relationship-focused lending over short-term profit maximization. Here’s why it matters.
Five Reasons to Break Up With Your Mega Bank
Mega banks prioritize profits and speculative investments over communities. Here are five reasons why moving your money to a local bank or credit union can make a real difference.
Anti-Racist Personal Finance: 5 Ways to Fight Racism With Your Money
Your financial choices can help support racial justice. From banking with Black-owned institutions to investing intentionally, here are five ways to align your money with anti-racist values.
Black Credit Unions You Should Move Your Money to TODAY
Black credit unions play an important role in expanding access to affordable financial services, community lending, and economic opportunity in Black communities across the United States.
Black Banks You Should Move Your Money To TODAY
Looking for a meaningful way to support Black communities financially? Black-owned banks and Minority Depository Institutions help expand access to housing, business loans, and banking services in historically underserved neighborhoods across the country.
Why Aren’t I Seeing My Favorite Banking Option in My Search Results?
Wondering why your favorite bank or credit union isn’t ranking highly in our search engine? Learn how the Better Banking Options scoring system evaluates community lending, local investment, and neighborhood impact.
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.
How Better Banking Fits Into Ethical Consumerism
Ethical consumerism can feel impossible in today’s economy, but where you bank still matters. Learn how Better Banking helps turn your deposits into community investment and positive economic change.
Why Transparency in Banking Matters for Community Development and Ethical Lending
Transparency in banking helps consumers understand how financial institutions use their deposits and whether banks are truly investing in underserved communities. As regulatory changes reduce reporting requirements for housing lending data, it becomes more difficult to evaluate which banks prioritize affordable housing, community development, and equitable lending practices.
What to Ask When Researching a Better Banking Option
Not all banks that market themselves as community-focused are equally effective at supporting local economies and underserved communities. This guide explains the key questions to ask when researching a bank or credit union, including how much they lend to small businesses and affordable housing, how transparent they are about their practices, and whether their leadership reflects the communities they serve.
How Better Banking Can Support Climate Action and Environmental Justice
The banks we choose can have a major impact on climate change and environmental justice. While mega banks continue financing fossil fuel industries and high-emission corporations, community banks and mission-driven financial institutions often invest more heavily in local economies, small businesses, and sustainable community development. Moving your money to a Better Banking Option can be one meaningful way to support climate action and economic justice at the same time.
Understanding the Different Types of Financial Institutions
Financial institutions do far more than hold checking accounts. From traditional banks and credit unions to community development loan funds and investment firms, each type of institution plays a unique role in lending, investing, and supporting local economies. Understanding how these organizations operate can help consumers make more informed and socially responsible financial decisions.
How Mega Banks Create the Illusion of Effectiveness While Failing Communities
Mega banks often promote billion-dollar community development initiatives, but those numbers can be misleading when compared to the trillions of dollars they hold in assets. This article explains how to evaluate lending statistics using percentages rather than raw dollar amounts so you can better understand which banks are truly investing in low-income communities, affordable housing, and local economic development.
Updates & Announcements for Better Banking Options
Better Banking Options reflects on a year of researching community banks, credit unions, and ethical banking institutions across the country while outlining plans for the future. From developing a community banking search engine to expanding research into mission-driven financial institutions, the project continues working to make socially responsible banking more accessible and transparent.