In this day and age, it is not possible for a person to carry all their money with them everywhere they go. So, people turn to banks for help in managing their money and assets. But when it comes to banks, one may find it difficult to choose between the various types like national banks, big corporate ones, and town banks.
While bigger banks have their perks, working with a town bank is the best choice for personal banking needs.
What Is A Town Bank?
A town bank is a bank that is locally owned and mainly provides its services to the local community. The people who hold accounts and deposit their money in the organization live locally. The people and businesses who take loans from there live locally as well.
The atmosphere in town banks is such that banking is relationship-based instead of being just transactional. Owning a personal account in such a bank comes with a lot of benefits.
What Are The Advantages Of Working With A Town Bank?
Here are a few advantages that a person may get if they work with a town bank for their personal banking needs.
Familiarity and Personal Connection
As town banks are locally owned, the depositors and the employees who work in the organization all live locally and know each other. This helps develop familiarity and personal connection. One may be greeted warmly when they enter the bank and may even be offered refreshments.
An account holder who is having trouble with their account may go straight to the bankers with the surety that their problems will be dealt with as quickly as possible and with personal attention. As the employees in the bank are familiar with the person, they make sure to help them as best as they can.
Lower Fees And Easier Approval
Town banks also have lower fees and charge less in comparison to bigger banks. Big corporate banks charge more fees because their goal is to generate as much revenue as possible. Town banks are more aligned with the needs and well-being of the community they serve.
Small local businesses wanting to take a loan from banks can also get quicker and easier loan approval from town banks. This process may get lengthy and require much more paperwork if they go to a bigger corporation. This further strengthens the relationship between town banks and their consumers.
Availability Of A Wide Range Of Services
One big argument that people give in favor of big corporate banks is that small, local banks may not offer as many services as bigger banks. This may have some weight in certain cases. However, for personal banking, a town bank provides every banking service that a person may need.
One can open a savings or current account, deposit money, send and receive money, get credit and debit cards, and take loans. Town banks also offer many other banking services, like providing business loans, mortgages, and online banking services.
Helpful For Small Businesses
Small businesses are often locally owned, with the owners and the consumers both living in the same community. These businesses hold a lot of meaning for the people, some being family businesses and others being dream projects.
Town banks provide loans to these businesses at a lower fee than bigger corporates and sometimes even act as partners. This helps the brands maintain and grow themselves. Thus, town banks give back to the community and help the community prosper.
A town bank’s money comes from the account holders and depositors. Working with such banks for personal banking needs can help the bank have more deposits which in turn will help the community.
Decisions That Benefit The Community
Big corporations and banks can not understand the unique needs of a local community. They are more focused on well-crafted but generalized charts and metrics which do not take into account the uniqueness of a small local community and the people living there.
The owners and employees of a town bank live among the locals. Many have been born and brought up in the community. They understand the needs and requirements of the community members. They understand what the local businesses want, the businesses that will be helpful for the community if they are allowed to grow, etc.
This helps town banks make decisions that help the community. Many town banks also sponsor charitable programs which are uniquely crafted for their communities.
Have Strong Ethics And Are Stable
When one is known locally and has a reputation to uphold, doing anything unethical is not an option. Town banks depend on their service and good relationship with others to continue their business. They have strong ethics and make sure that a consumer’s trust in them is never broken.
Today, many big corporations are caught up in legal issues. This can scare people and make them wonder if their money is safe in such banks. However, as local banks have high ethical standards and have been functioning in the same locality for many years, they are trustworthy and offer the promise of stability.
Higher Quality Of Service
If there is one thing that people who are planning to have a bank account or already have one value the most, it is the quality of service. In bigger banks, people may find it difficult to get their queries properly answered or share the problems they are facing with their accounts and get a clear answer. The staff may leave them standing or get annoyed by their questions.
However, in town banks, one can expect to be welcomed warmly, listened to with patience, explained the terms and conditions multiple times until they are clear, and assisted whenever needed. Having relationship-based banking ensures that consumers will receive a high-quality service.
Conclusion
When looking for a bank for personal banking needs, it is always a good idea to consider one’s local town bank. Town banks have lower fees and offer easier loan approvals. Their terms are usually more flexible when compared to bigger banks. Town banks also give back to the local community and make decisions that help the community prosper.
