Home

‘The Nation’ magazine features Oregon’s local banking movement.

The Nation magazine has written a piece on Oregon’s movement to bank locally – including mention of Oregon Banks Local’s efforts to get Oregonians to begin banking with truly local banks and credit unions:

“[...] a coalition of six organizations that includes OWFP, Jobs with Justice and the Rural Organizing Project created Oregon Banks Local to help people determine just “how local a bank or credit union truly is.”

Oregon Banks Local—with assistance from the New Rules Project—researched and rated real, objective and measurable data, including: whether an institution’s headquarters is in the state, region or elsewhere; whether ownership is cooperative, private or limited stock, or NASDAQ/NYSE traded; percentage of branches in-state, the region or elsewhere; and the percentage of assets in small business loans.

The other key strategy of Oregon Banks Local was to connect with the Occupy Portland movement for Bank Transfer Day.

“They had energy and we had a plan,” says organizer Jared Gardner, who has been instrumental in both the state bank campaign and Oregon Banks Local.”
(From ‘The Nation’: The Oregon Trail to Banking Local)

For more coverage on Oregon Banks Local, visit our Press Room.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

What is Oregon Banks Local about?

Banks and credit unions often work really hard to “look local” even when some of them are anything but.  We researched the banks

doing business in Oregon and weighed several objectively measurable factors to rate how local a bank or credit union truly is.

Investing in Oregon, not Wall Street

Currently, 66% of private deposits here in Oregon are held by just five Wall Street banks.  If we want to gain control of our economy away from Wall Street we will have to do better than that!  As we become less reliant on big banks, our local community banks and credit unions will thrive.  Oregon Banks Local is about building a truly local and sustainable economy that keeps our money here in Oregon to rebuild our main streets and rural communities.

Find a local bank or credit union

Get started by finding a new financial institution using our Bank Finder.