Week 6: Ditch (or limit usage of) Big Banks

JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citi....

🔴 Boycott/Divest: JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, US Bank

Big banks aren’t just holding your money—they're fueling systems that threaten our democracy. From funding fossil fuels to supporting political candidates who undermine our rights, major financial institutions like Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank, and Bank of America are propping up the very forces we’re fighting against.

But here’s the truth: every dollar you move is a vote for the future you want. That’s why this week’s action is simple but powerful: ditch your big bank and move your money to a credit union or local community bank that aligns with your values.

Credit unions invest in you and your community. They prioritize people over profit, aren’t controlled by Wall Street, and typically offer better rates with fewer fees. Bonus: they often support small businesses and local development rather than billion-dollar industries that exploit people and the planet.

Take Action This Week:

1. Research a credit union or community bank near you.

2. Start the switch. Open a new account, begin transferring funds, and slowly redirect your direct deposits and bill payments.

3. Spread the word. Share your move with friends and family to inspire a ripple effect of change.

This is more than a financial shift—it’s a declaration of values. Let’s stop fueling the machine and start funding the future. Small move. Big message.

Four for All Group Action Items:

✔️ Move your money to a local bank or credit union. Did you know that credit unions are not-for-profit? This allows them to reinvest earnings back into members instead of paying shareholders. Credit unions can also offer lower fees (such as overdraft fees) and higher interest rates on savings accounts, checking accounts, and investment accounts. How: Run an internet search for "Credit Union and Local banks near [your zip code]". Or go with a referral from friends or neighbors.

✔️ Alternatively, if you can't completely ditch your big bank then try to use it less. Open a credit union account in addition to your big bank account. Us the CU account for as many financial activities as you are comfortable with. Did you know that CU's and small banks pay higher interest rates on holdings (savings, CD's) and charge less interest for loans?

✔️Search for “Ethical Credit Cards” and consider changing from a big bank credit card to something more ethical like Amalgamated Bank’s World Mastercard which gives you 1.5% cashback on all purchases. Amalgamated Bank operates on 100% renewable energy and employs a diverse team of 60% women and people of color. For almost a century, they’ve supported movements like affordable housing, equal access to banking, LBGTQI rights, workers’ rights, criminal justice, reproductive rights, and gun safety.

✔️ Donate: $5 to Brennan Center for Justice (fights voter suppression)

✔️ When you leave a big bank, be sure to leave a review explaining why you left.

✔️Do you invest in big banks or big bank ETFs? You may be supporting environmentally unfriendly practices and big Wall Street thieves. Consider changing to stocks or ETFs that track "ethical banks". Run an internet search on "Ethical bank ETFs." You will get lists for fossil free banking funds, environmentally friendly funds, ethical governance banking funds etc.

✔️Join an action group near you to find protests and more. You can go to sites like Indivisible and 505001 to find a local group, meeting, or protest event.

Four for All Group Activity:

Purpose: Discover exactly how much big banks own.

1. As a group, or individually if you are a remote group, visit a grocery store and walk down the cereal aisle.

   1. Write down all the brands you see.

   2. Research each brand to discover its parent company. For example, General Mills not only owns Cheerios, Trix, Lucky Charms, and Count Chocula - they also own Annie’s and Nature’s Valley.

   3. Once you uncover the parent brands of all the cereal brands, research the percentage of each company that is owned by institutional banks.

2. Discuss with your group:

   1. What did you discover?

   2. How did it make you feel about those brands?

   3. How do you feel about those parent companies?

   4. Imagine you’re a small business that makes delicious homemade granola and sells it at farmer’s markets. You would like to access shelf space in supermarkets. After conducting this experiment, what do you think it would take for you to do that?

   5. After this exercise, how do you feel about giving big banks your money?

3. Have each group member tell at least one person outside the group share a story about this experience.

   1. Be sure to tell it like a story, “The other day, I did a little experiment. I went to the supermarket and explored the cereal aisle. Do you know what I discovered?

   2. Ask the person you’re sharing with, “What do you think about that?”

   3. Encourage an open discussion.

   4. Report back to your group and reflect on the conversations you had with others.

4. Make a social media post about your experience. Tie it to corporate monopolies and big banks and encourage people to switch to credit unions.

🧘Daily Meditation Prompt: (optional)
💜3–5 Minute Home Meditation for Anxiety Relief & Positivity

1. Settle In. Find a comfortable seated position—on a chair, a cushion, or the floor. Let your hands rest gently in your lap or on your knees. Soften your shoulders. Close your eyes if that feels okay, or gently lower your gaze.
2. Breathe with Awareness. Begin to notice your breath. No need to change it—just observe. Feel the air as it moves in through your nose... and out through your mouth. If your mind wanders (and it probably will), gently return your focus to the sensation of breathing.
3. Ground. Bring your attention to where your body connects with the surface beneath you. Feel the support. Feel the stability. You are here. You are safe. With each breath, imagine roots growing from your body into the ground—anchoring you in calm.
4. Invite Positivity. Now, silently repeat one or more of these phrases, either on your breath or in your heart:

• I am safe.

• I am enough.

• I choose peace.

• I welcome joy.
  Let the words wash over you. If one phrase feels especially good, stay with it.

5. Close with Gratitude. Take one last deep breath in… and sigh it out. Gently open your eyes. Think of one thing—big or small—that you're grateful for right now. Let that feeling linger as you move back into your day.