Bangor Savings Bank—My Bank—Buys Portlanders Free Parking

My bank, Bangor Savings Bank, pulled a cool publicity stunt yesterday here in Portland, Maine. They paid the city $10,000 to make downtown parking meters free for the day. The bank covered meters with a blue hood that read “Free parking today from Bangor Savings Bank. Unconditionally free ATMs every day.”

The bank’s free ATM feature is what led me to become a customer in the first place. Bangor Savings Bank refunds any ATM fee, anywhere in the world, immediately. Take that, Stank of America!

“The bread and butter of community banking is having a person’s primary checking account,” Yellow Light Breen, a senior vice president for Bangor Savings told MaineToday.com. “It’s hard to get people to change banks. But when people are frustrated, maybe they’ll think of your bank to turn to.”

In addition to free ATMs wherever I roam, I like banking with a local bank because I know my money is staying local and that I can walk into any branch in the state and be treated like a person, not a number. I admit, I keep the bulk of my savings in high-yield savings accounts offered by bigger banks to take advantage of their high rates, but I’ll always keep my checking account local.

I just don’t see what advantages big national banks offer checking customers, other than a large ATM network—which Bangor Savings Bank’s ATM feature altogether negates.

Do you use a local bank that you love? Who are they, and why do you love them?

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