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SDI Productions/Getty Images July 07, 2022 René Bennett is a writer for Bankrate, reporting on banking products and personal finance. Brian Beers is the managing editor for the Wealth team at Bankrate. He oversees editorial coverage of banking, investing, the economy and all things money. Bankrate logo

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You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. With the emergence of online banking, many consumers are no longer confined by geography when . Other factors become much more important: the convenience and features of a bank’s , the offered by a credit union or sticking with your hometown bank when you take a job five states away. Another significant factor you may consider is finding an institution that aligns with your values, faith or the causes that are important to you. Here are some options for consumers seeking banks that match their values.

Banking for political values

Banks lend money to various borrowers to make profit, and who and where they choose to invest in may have political implications. For example, a (including Reclaim Finance, Rainforest Action Network and BankTrack) found that JPMorgan Chase invested the most amount of money in fossil fuels out of all banks globally, so consumers opposed to fossil fuel processing may prefer to deposit their money elsewhere. A helpful resource for finding banks that align with your political values is , a bank comparison site that breaks down public data about how banks use their money and who owns them. You can search for a specific bank to see the breakdown of its investments, or filter banks based on certain criteria, such as those that invest in low-income communities. , a nonprofit research organization, also provides a useful visual analysis of the political contributions of people and political action committees associated with commercial banks and how much of these contributions go to different political parties. For example, its data shows that Amalgamated Bank is affiliated with some of the top contributors to Democrats and liberals, while Woodforest National Bank is affiliated with some of the top contributors to Republicans and conservatives. could be a good option for those with progressive political leanings. Based in New York, it traditionally served labor union workers, and has expanded over time to be a proponent of socially responsible causes. The bank offers a Give-Back Savings account that pays a competitive rate, and it matches half of the interest a customer earns and donates it to a participating organization of the customer’s choice. The account requires a $100 minimum opening deposit and charges no monthly fee. Amalgamated also offers an interest-bearing , the Give-Back Checking account, with a similar donation deal. For conservatives looking to deposit their money in a bank affiliated with conservative contributors, several of the top banks listed by Open Secrets as affiliated with conservatives and Republican contributors include Woodforest National Bank, First Premier Bank and Arvest Bank Group.

Faith-based banking

There are several financial institutions with religious affiliations across the U.S., including the , a Christian-based Institution in Brea, California. Credit unions typically have a membership requirement, and at AdelFi it is pretty straight-forward: Anyone who agrees with its statement of faith can join. At its core, AdelFi was designed to serve the financial needs of Americans engaged in missionary work around the world, letting them focus on the “full-time work of ministry,” says president and CEO Abel Pomar. The credit union gives 10 percent of its profits to missionaries and other Christian-based efforts. There are various institutions oriented around other faiths, too. For instance, University Bank in Ann Arbor, Michigan, operates , a lender that offers sharia-adherent products, including mortgages that are built around the Islamic prohibition against charging interest. Meanwhile, provides a directory of banks and lending institutions that comply with Jewish law.

Environmentally friendly banking

If is a top concern in your consumption habits, finding a bank or credit union that actively aims to be green is a good place to start. One way to find a sustainable and environmentally-friendly bank is through the . GABV members are required to meet certain criteria and share practices that put the environment and community first. Some U.S. members of GABV include Amalgamated Bank, Civic Federal Credit Union and Southern Bancorp. in Orlando is so green that one of its branches has a toilet that runs on rainwater. Its commitment to green initiatives shows up largely in its lending. For instance, the bank offers discounted interest rates for home projects that meet green building criteria for LEED certification. It also has a program for solar panels. is another eco-friendly bank that could be a good option for those who want to invest some money in (CDs). The bank is paperless and only offers CDs, but its rates are some of the highest on the market and the deposits help the bank fund solar energy initiatives.

Socially responsible investing

(SRI) is an investment strategy that aims to balance financial returns and social good. There are several variations of SRI investing. Some people really care about good governance, and they want to know that they are investing in companies that care about accountability and transparency. Others may want to invest in companies that don’t rely on sweatshop labor. SRI strategies are hot in , especially as they try to court millennials. For instance, includes several socially responsible themes in its Morgan Stanley Access portfolio options, including a climate action theme and global frontier theme. The has found that socially responsible investing is becoming more mainstream, with the percentage of millennials interested in SRI increasing from 84 percent in 2015 to 95 percent in 2019. As of 2021, it has found that 52 percent of the general population partake in at least one sustainable investing activity. While companies like Morgan Stanley and make SRI an option, it is the bread and butter for robo firms like EarthFolio, the robo platform from Blue Marble Investments.

The case for staying local

Trying to align your values with your bank may not necessarily involve switching institutions, especially if supporting your local community is important to you. Many banks give back to their communities in some way. The Bank of North Dakota is a great example of a local bank that proactively works to address the state’s needs. It gives up much of its profits to the state and to mission-driven loan programs, with the goal of driving economic development and infrastructure projects in North Dakota. For example, the Bank of North Dakota provided recovery funding during the 2011 floods in Minot and Bismarck, North Dakota. If you bank locally, see what initiatives your bank is invested in; it might very well line up with your values. — Robert Barba wrote a previous version of this story. SHARE: René Bennett is a writer for Bankrate, reporting on banking products and personal finance. Brian Beers is the managing editor for the Wealth team at Bankrate. He oversees editorial coverage of banking, investing, the economy and all things money.

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