BENEFITS OF BEING BANKED

1. PROTECTION

• Safeguard against theft and fraud through financial institutions
• Reduce vulnerability to discriminatory or predatory lending services – the practice of making high-interest loans to borrowers so they are unlikely to be able to repay the loans
• Increase access to lower cost loan options

2. ACCESSIBILITY

• Conduct basic financial transactions, like using checks to pay bills or debit cards for transactions and ATM withdrawals
• Establish a credit history to increase the ability to have applications approved for competitive interest rates for credit cards and loans, rental housing, and car and home purchase

3. ACCUMULATION

• Plan for an emergency or long-term financial security in a safe, federally-insured savings vehicle that has the ability to gain interest
• Expand opportunities to grow assets and build economic security by saving hundreds of dollars spent on alternative financial services

CERTIFIED ACCOUNTS AVAILABLE IN SWLA

Banks and credit unions across Southwest Louisiana offer low-cost, low-fee transaction accounts that are certified as meeting the Bank On National Account Standards. The accounts listed below feature online banking, bill pay, mobile deposit, debit card usage, direct deposit, and more. An overview of each account is provided below and you can visit each account details page for more information. Some accounts can only be opened in-branch while others offer an online option for opening.