Ok, we admit it. There are a LOT of resources out there that claim to meet your banking and/or lending needs. From the national and international banks and credit unions, with their splashy, ubiquitous ads on your TVs and mobile devices to the online-only providers, offering speed and simplicity at your fingertips any hour of the day or night. Some insurance and financial services companies are dipping their toes into the banking waters as well. The question becomes, “Are there advantages to dealing with community banks versus their larger/online competitors?”

In a word, yes.Rhinebeck Branch - exterior winter photo

As a community bank, Rhinebeck Bank can offer many of the same products, services, and technological capabilities that the larger banks, credit unions and online entities provide their customers. We understand that our customers’ needs are evolving all the time and we strive to meet them. In addition, there are some clear advantages to doing business with a community bank:

  • Community Banks Build Communities: Community banks can put money back into the communities they serve. Our residential lending team helps individuals and families achieve the dream of home ownership with competitive rates and many mortgage loan options. Rhinebeck Bank helps start-up and growing businesses throughout the Hudson Valley reach their goals with a wide array of business banking and commercial lending products and services. (According to the ICBA, community banks provide roughly 60% of all small business loans in the U.S.) We’re also able to support a number of local charities and non-profit organizations throughout the year with donations, and our employees and management team are very active as board members or volunteers. Simply put – we live here, we work here, and we play here.

  • Relationships Matter: As a community bank with roots in the Hudson Valley dating back more than 160 years, we’ve strived to ensure our customers are our first priority each and every day. Larger institutions of the brick-and-mortar and online variety typically aren’t willing, nor able, to truly know their customers. Have questions about your account or loan? Would you rather call a Customer Service phone number located several states away or try to work with a bot through the nuances of your account/loan question? At Rhinebeck Bank, our staff will speak or meet with you personally and take the time to answer your questions or address your concerns. We certainly understand and appreciate that some of our customers may not require a high level of personal involvement. We won’t take it personally, trust us! What’s important is that we always want ALL our customers to know whenever you need us, we’re here for you!

  • Decisions Made Locally: When a person or business applies for a loan with Rhinebeck Bank, our lending teams typically review and decide on that loan application more nimbly than our larger competitors. Our decisions come from our corporate headquarters in Poughkeepsie or at the branch level, when appropriate. (You won’t need to wait for an approval chain-of-command that ends in another state.) Our loan officers know the marketplace well, from the local housing market to the economic climate dealt with by local businesses and non-profits on a daily basis, and we have a better understanding of the challenges facing our customers than larger banks, credit unions and online lenders.

We may be biased, but we believe community banks like us can offer the best of both worlds – the products, services and technology that today’s on-the-go customers demand, all while maintaining the personal touch and community-first mindset that has been a hallmark of ours since 1861!

For more information about us, visit our website or stop by your nearby Rhinebeck Bank branch during regular business hours. We look forward to seeing you soon!

References:

“About Community Banking”. ICBA website. https://www.icba.org/about/community-banking