Tag Archives: FDIC

2021’s FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households – African America’s Highlights

  • Among households with income between $30,000 and $50,000, 8.0 percent of African American households were unbanked compared with 1.7 percent of European American households.
  • Despite being the lowest unbanked group at 1.7 percent, African Americans earning $75,000 or more are still almost 600 percent more unbanked than their European American counterparts at the same income level. The largest gap among all income levels reported.
  • Among households with income between $50,000 and $75,000, 64.8 percent of African American households had a credit card or bank personal loan, whereas 81.3 percent of European American households did so.
  • Unbanked among African Americans has dropped from 16.8 percent in 2017 down to 11.3 percent in 2021. A reduction of almost 33 percent. European Americans have the lowest unbanked rate at 2.1 percent followed by Asian Americans at 2.9 percent.
  • 21.4 percent of African American single-mother households were unbanked in 2021, compared with 8.0 percent of European American single-mother households.
  • Interest in having a bank account was also higher among African American unbanked households (32.0 percent were very or somewhat interested in having an account in 2021).
  • African American households comprised 12.8 percent of the overall household population, they made up 41.1 percent of the recently unbanked.
  • Use of Prepaid Cards by Bank Account Ownership and Selected Household Characteristics was highest among African Americans at 12.3 percent and lowest among Asian Americans at 4.6 percent.
  • Three in four African American banked households (76.5 percent) used bank accounts to save or keep money safe, a lower share than among households of other races and ethnicities. For example, 85.2 percent of European American banked households saved or kept money safe using bank accounts in 2021.
  • African American banked households saved or kept money safe using prepaid cards compared with 1.2 percent of European American banked households.
  • In 2021, 49.9 percent of African American households had a credit card or bank personal loan, compared with 78.8 percent of European American households.
  • 36 percent of African American households are underbanked/unbanked.
  • Rent-to-Own Service or Payday, Pawn Shop, Tax Refund Anticipation, or Auto Title Loan is used by 7.6 percent of African American households.

To read the full FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households, click here.

Industrial Bank Acquires City NB of New Jersey Strengthening One Black Bank And Closing Another

Industrial Bank, based in Washington D.C., becomes the undisputed third largest African American owned bank by assets after securing City NB of New Jersey, based in Newark, New Jersey, at the end of 2019 after City NB of New Jersey went under receivership by the FDIC as a failed bank. Previously, Industrial was competing with Broadway Bank in California and Citizens Trust Bank in Georgia for third position. However, with the acquisition of City’s $120 million in assets that spot is now comfortably secured. This makes what was going to be an otherwise paltry year for Industrial being able to increase their assets into a blowout one. Prior to the acquisition, Industrial was on pace to increase its assets by just over 1 percent in fiscal 2019, but this gives them a gain of 26.1 percent instead.

It also pushes the geographic reach of the D.C. based bank into multi-state territory. A claim that only three other African American banks, OneUnited, Liberty Bank & Trust, and Unity National Bank of Houston have. The first two being the largest two African American owned banks, respectively. New Jersey is home to almost 1.4 million African Americans, the 14th largest African American population in the United States so if Industrial can get right what City was getting wrong, there is immense opportunity there.

The FDIC Press Release: “City National Bank of New Jersey (“City National”) in Newark was closed today by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. To protect depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Industrial Bank in Washington, D.C. to assume all of the deposits of City National.

The three branches of City National will reopen as branches of Industrial Bank during normal business hours. Depositors of City National will automatically become depositors of Industrial Bank.  Because deposits will continue to be insured by the FDIC up to applicable limits, customers do not need to change their banking relationship in order to retain their deposit insurance coverage.

Customers of City National should continue to use their existing branch until they receive notice from Industrial Bank that it has completed systems changes to allow other Industrial Bank branches to process their accounts as well.

This evening and over the weekend, depositors of City National can access their money by writing checks or using ATM or debit cards. Checks drawn on the bank will continue to be processed. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual.

As of September 30, 2019, City National had approximately $120.6 million in total assets and $111.2 million in total deposits. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, Industrial Bank agreed to purchase essentially all of its assets.”