Hello!
I accept that there are no perfect words right now for the pain, grief, rage, and astronomical healing that are happening. Divine Truth, please bless each person on every side who is engaging in their own ways and at the best levels. There is some amazing activism being offered, as well as tough conversations, all of them worthwhile if it leads to the next level of engagement.
I wanted to speak today to my recent banking exploration, as race is reflected in some of my decisions and I this offer for your own consideration.
Have you heard that suggestion to "follow the money" (quoting from the film All The President's Men)? Following my own money, here is the series of banks I have had accounts with at least in the past year.
Simple Bank
Charles Schwab
Bank of Marin
Alliant Credit Union
SF Fire Credit Union
Community Bank of the Bay
A) I love trying different banks and their online and mobile platforms. It's possible I get the same joy from this as gamers do from their video games.
B) I've learned that my fears of commitment and abandonment show up in how many bank accounts I have. Part of me has taken "don't put all your eggs in one basket" WAY too far. So I'm working on culling the list. I'm ready to face the fears and commit more deeply...to at least 3 banks for now. (Not naturally bank monogamous! Legitimate lifestyle choice.)
C) Simple Bank...I LOVE. LOVE LOVE LOVE Simple Bank. LO....(okok you get the picture). L...(shh Beth, they get it.) So that one stays around for my personal banking. I find them to be a dreamboat of kindness and efficiency.
D) I'm leaving SF Fire Credit Union because I didn't see enough cute firemen in uniform when I went to their branches. KIDDING (though I would definitely not have minded and think they should have a respectful calendar with the SF fire people and their dogs.) They were perfectly fine for many years. Like many institutions where security of assets is involved, it seems employees were kept at a very low level of being able to problem-solve. I did find a spectacular manager once who fixed an error on their part but it had already taken me an hour of going-nowhere conversations to find him. (And I certainly hope I am not being Karen or Becky here.) I appreciate that they are what they are, and I'm also moving on.
E) Bank of Marin. Somewhat similar to the above, but with less staff. Absolutely doing their best, but hit or miss in terms of handling issues effectively. I appreciate the hits, got frustrated with the misses. What mainly made the decision for me is that Mindful Life, Mindful Work has our bank account at Bank of Marin and I kept getting my own account mixed up with MLMW. So that helped me decide to let that one go to just simplify.
F) Alliant is a very solid and straightforward online credit union. They get fantastic reviews and I have been happy with them. But, full disclosure, I have not needed their customer service as much as I needed the others so this is not an apples to apples comparison. Keeping them for my target-specific savings (ie my next used car, my next computer, etc.) (Although, not sleeping on Simple's savings products that they have added since I became a customer. I LOVE LOVE LOVE their savings goals!)
G) Nowwwww here comes the race part. Yep, my pulse has increased and my tummy tensed a bit. I've been using Charles Schwab for banking for at least a couple of years now. We have reviewed my commitment and abandonment issues so, yes, some of that was involved when I perceived I "needed" to set up these accounts. But they have been a very good bank overall. No personal connection per se. Verrry slick and "professional". Like dating someone moderately attractive who does care for you but doesn't have their heart open so you never quite feel if it's real to them or not.
Then comes along Community Bank of the Bay into my life. A client and friend told me about them, and had discovered them during her PPP process. They have a Green Fund (https://www.bankcbb.com/bay-area-green-fund/) which takes bank deposits and invests them in local companies and environmentally sustainable ventures.
***sirens outside my window. Pausing to pray for whatever is happening there***
I just happened to start opening an account right when the pandemic started and employees had to work from home. This did not go smoothly. As someone with aforementioned commitment and abandonment fears, I very much had to face those fears to persevere and get this dang account open. I spent some time kind of resenting feeling so let down by something I had been super excited about in the beginning.
The marketing staff was helpful and responsive when I said how much I had fallen in love with the bank's values, and took the time to meet with me. I even got to talk to the CEO, what?!
I am somewhat surprised I stuck with it, honestly. I don't know if anyone else watched the movie Friday a thousand times but Big Worm's classic line worked well for me here, "Playing with my money is like playing with my emotions." (Except, whatever version of that when I wanted to get them my money and couldn't for a while.)
But it felt right to keep going. To give them the benefit of the doubt that it was a tough time for everyone. Once we got all the wrinkles ironed out, I moved my emergency savings account there as the second account. AND IT FEELS GREAT. I honestly can detect a palpable willingness within myself to put money in the bank, like it might actually matter and get refreshed and get used well. It's more like giving a business loan with very clear terms to a friend who is doing something I believe in. I haven't had that experience with a bank before.
I know now that part of my discomfort with onboarding to them was my own murky combining of "professionalism" with "whiteness". This is an East Bay-based bank. There is actual diversity in the staff. Subconsciously I was wondering if this middle-aged white newcomer from Marin would be welcome there. It took me a long time to get to realizing that. Peoples' names look and sound different than mine, and they are harder to pronounce in a different way. Again, subconsciously questioned, is my money safe here? I did take some extra time to research. I didn't want to put my financial weight behind just a good idea. And everything has checked out really well.
So my offering to you is that is it possible to align values with personal banking. (CBB has business banking, too, my next step in the process now that I'm committed to them in my Big 3!)
Let me know if you'd like to also have a conversation with someone there. And thank you, CBB, for creating a truly diverse and sustainable community banking experience.
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The Enneagram and Money study is continuing. I have another couple of videos for you today, if it calls to you.
Listening to Brene Brown interview Enneagram teacher Chris Heurtz (https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-and-chris-heuertz-a-skeptic-and-a-teacher-on-the-enneagram-and-spiritual-contemplation/) I learned the delightful term "type snipering". Though I'm inclined to type sniper, I must leave you to your own devices and appetite for this. (But email me at any time about it as I love this stuff!!)
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