Posted on 04/08/2002 4:07:42 AM PDT by GRRRRR
Fifth Third Bank, Chicago, Launches Major Initiative in Hispanic Communities
April 2, 2002
New Account Opening Procedures and Spanish Advertising Campaign Key Elements of Program
Fifth Third Bank, Chicago, has launched a series of programs tailored to better serve the unique needs of the Chicago-area Hispanic community, including new account opening procedures and a Spanish language advertising campaign.
"Fifth Third's acquisition of Old Kent Bank gave us the unique opportunity to serve Chicagoland's growing Hispanic community, and we're eager to put the resources and convenience of Fifth Third to work there," offers Bradlee F. Stamper, President & CEO, Fifth Third Bank (Chicago). "Our first step — and it's a crucial one — is to start accepting new means of identification for persons otherwise shut out of the U.S. banking system. Starting now, Fifth Third will honor the Matricula Consular Card issued by the Government of Mexico and the Internal Revenue Service's Taxpayer Identification Number as legal identification for undocumented immigrants who lack proper identification to open savings and checking accounts." The action makes Fifth Third Bank, Chicago, one of the first banks in the nation to extend banking privileges to undocumented immigrants. Fifth Third Bank, Chicago, serves several Hispanic communities in its 11-county region in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana with 116 full-service Banking Center locations.
Fifth Third's new identification systems are the first phase of a significant effort to market to the Hispanic community in Chicago. Fifth Third is also launching a Hispanic advertising campaign focusing on its core deposit products including Totally Free Checking, Fifth Third's hassle-free account that does not charge a minimum balance fee or carry monthly minimum charges, and Platinum checking that pays interest on higher balances. Each of these accounts will soon be accessible at all Fifth Third's bilingual Jeanie ATMs and customer questions can be addressed by calling Fifth Third's bilingual customer service line at 1-800-726-3493.
"Our staff has always had bilingual capability," said Mr. Stamper, "and we're expanding that base to include more and more Spanish-speaking service representatives. Our brochures are being re-written in Spanish and we're planning an entire series of new banking services specifically tailored for the Hispanic marketplace including loans, checking and saving options, and a full range of business banking services."
Mr. Stamper continues, "The Chicago metropolitan area boasts the nation's fourth-largest Hispanic population at 6%. These communities include individuals and businesses characterized by a very high regard for financial security and thrift. Key household measurements show high levels of concern for the well-being of their families and high achievement goals, making them the kinds of customers we want to serve better."
Fifth Third Bank, Chicago, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bancorp. The Chicago subsidiary has $8.5 billion in assets, $6 billion in deposits, 400,000 customers in Northwest Indiana and Northern Illinois. It operates four major businesses: retail, commercial, investment advisors and consumer lending through 116 full-service banking centers in a 11-county area from Elkhart, Ind., to Sterling, Ill.
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Company has $71 billion in assets, operates 16 affiliate banks with 927 full-service Banking Centers, including 136 Bank Mart® locations open seven days a week inside select grocery stores and 1,830 Jeanie® ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida and West Virginia. The financial strength of Fifth Third's affiliate banks continues to be recognized by rating agencies with deposit ratings of AA- and Aa2 from Standard & Poor's and Moody's, respectively. Additionally, Fifth Third Bancorp continues to maintain the highest short-term ratings available at A-1+ and Prime-1, and was recently recognized by Moody's with one of the highest senior debt ratings for any U.S. bank holding company of Aa3. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Retail, Commercial, Investment Advisors and Midwest Payment Systems, the Bank's electronic payment processing subsidiary. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. The company's common stock is traded in the over-the-counter market through the NASDAQ National Market System under the symbol "FITB."
This stinks! First Motor voter and now this...why do we put up with this crap?
GRRRRRRollin
I don't get totally free checking. Why should they?
Oh, I forgot - I'm just a legal American citizen.
Donde esta las chicas?
Senor GRRRRRRollin~
Not in the USA.... not until they're here with bonafide, valid, undisputed papers.
What part of undocumented immigrants don't you understand?
Wahh! Wahh! If you don't get totally free checking, go look in the mirror. That's where you'll see the person who's responsible for you not having it. Quit whining and DO something about it!
The bank's policy regarding the consular ID is pure pandering because it does not alter the IRS rules which would make fairly difficult for such a person to have a bank account.
In my opinion, no.
To me illegal means not legal. It is identical to a bank knowingly opening a drug dealer's or a launderer's account. It is prosecutable.
But never mind that. This story is a non issue.
I opened a checking account at Wells Fargo Bank and somehow it got linked with the account of an illegal alien who has had the account since 1996.
When I accessed my new account over the net there it was, accessible to me.
This individual does not have a social security number OR a driver's license.
The link has still not been completely eliminated after 3 visits to my local bank branch and indeed, his account statements have begun arriving at my address 100 miles away from when this alien lives.
News? I don't think so.
The INS couldn't track an elephant in 6 foot of snow. The INS could care less about tracking these people and seizing their assets. If they did care, they could arrest and deport these people by the hundreds of thousands every day without bank records.
All this does is make it easy for the people to send their estimated 9 billion dollars a year back to Mexico.
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