President's Message

Independence Federal Savings Bank and ICBA Urge Consumers:

Go Local by Banking Locally with Your Community Bank

Banking with your local community bank is a hometown investment you can be proud of

 Recently there has been a very noticeable trend of Americans leaving the huge megabanks in favor of dealing with local community banks. You may have seen media coverage of this, or noticed interviews with consumers who gave reasons for their switch such as "I'm tired of being a number."

 As many of the nation's consumers consider switching banks, Independence Federal Savings Bank and the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) are reminding them that now is the perfect time to join the "go local" movement by banking locally with their local community bank.  By doing so, consumers will realize the litany of benefits that come with banking at a community bank, including a relationship-based banking experience, superior customer service and the pride that comes with reinvesting in one's community.

Most community banks, including Independence Federal Savings Bank, belong to the ICBA, the Independent Community Bankers of America. Membership in ICBA and organizations like it give community banks the clout to obtain products and services for our customers that rival the benefits of dealing with a megabank, yet we retain the personal touch that makes "Go Local" so attractive.

Here's a sample of what the ICBA and others have been saying recently.

"By going local and banking locally with your community bank, consumers can make a real difference in the lives of their neighbors and the future of their community," said Sal Marranca, ICBA chairman and president and CEO of Cattaraugus County Bank, Little Valley, N.Y. "They'll be making a hometown investment they can be proud of.  After all, the money they deposit in their community bank will be reinvested in ways that drive their local economy, such as in the form of loans to local residents who want to buy a home or to small business owners who are looking to open a shop on Main Street."

As small businesses themselves, community banks thrive when their customers and communities thrive, so taking care of their customers and looking out for the best interest of their community is ingrained in the way they conduct their business every day.  And when consumers call their local community bank, they'll be reassured to know that they won't be talking to someone halfway across the globe.  Instead, they will be talking with their community banker who lives and works in the same community they do.

Whether located in small towns, suburbia or big-city neighborhoods, community banks improve America's communities by funding nearly 60 percent of all small businesses under $1 million and by using local dollars to help families purchase homes, buy a car, finance college and build financial security. By driving local economies and creating local jobs, community banks are an integral part of our financial system and play a key role in our nation's economic recovery. Of the more than 7,000 community banks across the country, nearly 5,000 are ICBA members.  Representing more than 23,000 locations nationwide and employing more than 280,000 Americans, ICBA members hold more than $1 trillion in assets, $900 billion in deposits, and $700 billion in loans to consumers, small businesses and the agricultural community.

Independence Federal Savings Bank wants to be your local community bank. And, rather than just telling you that, come by and let us show you.

 Bob

 Robert B. Isard