CBA, Member Banks Honor Veterans and their Families

CBA General Programs, Deposits & Payments, Financial Education, Mortgage and Home Equity, Small Business Lending
November 10, 2015

Washington, D.C. (November 10, 2015) – In honor of the service and sacrifice our nation’s active duty service members, veterans and their families, the retail banking industry has committed to a number of programs to help them as they continue their missions or transition to civilian life.  These programs include job training and hiring, small business funding, affordable housing, and financial education.

“The incredible sacrifices veterans, active-duty military, and their families have made on behalf of our nation and their fellow citizens make us grateful to be Americans.  Through their commitment to our safety and security, we have the opportunities which set America apart.  We are proud of the many initiatives our member banks have undertaken to support these brave individuals and their families,” said Richard Hunt, president and CEO of the Consumer Bankers Association.

A range of programs offered by CBA member banks to our nation’s veterans and their families include:

 

Bank of America
Bank of America is committed to connecting service members and veterans to the support they need to transition back into civilian life. That includes funding for charitable organizations, offering banking services and financial education for military families, recruiting and hiring veterans, and donating homes to returning service members. Since 2010, Bank of America has hired more than 7,000 veterans, Guard and Reservists and is committed to hiring 10,000 more over the next several years.  

 

BMO Harris
BMO Harris Bank has been a proud supporter of USO of Illinois since 2011. The USO of Illinois supports over 300,000 Active Duty, Guard and Reserve military and military families throughout Illinois. Through this partnership, BMO Harris Bank has been able to provide direct support to veterans and their families in a number of ways. BMO Harris Bank offers grant support towards USO’s Military Youth Financial Literacy program and their Family Day Care Packages program. The bank’s Veterans Advisory Council (VAC) also provides financial literacy to members and families of the military. BMO Harris Bank’s commitment to veteran affairs and financial literacy is apparent in a number of ways –whether it’s through supporting the organization’s annual gala, coordinating volunteer events or enriching lives through financial literacy.

 

Capital One Financial Corporation

Capital One is committed to creating jobs for veterans. In addition to its internal military hiring efforts, Capital One has been proud to partner with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in the “Hiring 500,000 Heroes” initiative. Beginning in March 2012, with the support of Capital One’s three-year, $4.5 million commitment, Hiring 500,000 Heroes has helped host hiring events, provided mentorship programs, and developed tools (like the Military Skills Translator) to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful employment. In June of this year, the campaign achieved a milestone goal with more than 2,000 businesses – large and small – hiring more than 585,000 military men and women.

And to help women veteran entrepreneurs fuel the growth of their small businesses and create new jobs for veterans and civilians across the country, Capital One partnered with Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence to develop the Women Veteran Entrepreneur Corps (WVEC), a training and mentorship program designed to help established women small business owners who are veterans or spouses/domestic partners of veterans conquer daily business challenges and plan ahead for future growth and success. 

Capital One strives to help make the transition to the civilian workforce easier by offering programs and resources specifically for veterans and military spouses. The company’s Military Associate Network, for example, provides outreach and professional development opportunities for associates with military backgrounds and assists them with the transition from the military to a corporate culture. Capital One recognizes that commitments to training and active duty take priority and provides a range of benefits to support associates who continue to serve in the military, including time off for military training and active duty.

 

Citi
As part of its firm-wide Citi Salutes initiative led by Citi Community Development, Citi connects veteran consumers and job-seekers with access to Citi’s entire range of specialized programs and services such as the Citi Disabled Veterans Mortgage Relief Program and Clearpoint ReConnect, which offers free customized online financial education and over-the-phone financial counseling. Citi employs more than 2,000 self-identified veterans across its businesses, co-founded Veterans on Wall Street, and was one of the first financial services companies to launch an official Military Veterans Network for employees.

 

Charles Schwab
November is Military Veterans’ Month at Schwab, a time for the company to celebrate its existing network of over 600 military veterans and their families, and to further raise awareness of the value of hiring and supporting veterans. Schwab remains committed not only to recruiting veterans, but also earning their loyalty by creating a workplace that leverages their unique skills and supports their career growth.  Through the grassroots efforts of the company’s employee resource group, Military Veterans Network, Schwab additionally focuses on community service as well as financial education designed to help transitioning military vets with support on budgeting, saving, investing and managing debt.

Schwab continues to be recognized for providing a work environment, policies and programs that foster meaningful career opportunities for veterans. In 2015 the company was honored with the following awards:

  • Top “Military Friendly® Employers” and top Military Spouse Friendly Employers (2016) for the fourth consecutive year. The recognition is awarded by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse Magazine. Schwab will be showcased along with other 2016 Military Friendly Employers in the December 2015 issue of G.I. Jobs® magazine and the January 2016 issue of Military Spouse Magazine, as well as on MilitaryFriendly.com..

  • Military Times Edge “Best for Vets Employer 2015” for the sixth consecutive year

  • U.S. Veteran Magazine “Best of the Best” employers for the fourth consecutive year

  • Civilianjobs.com’s “Most Valuable Employers” (MVE) for Military for the second consecutive year

  • Schwab’s Forward March initiative was awarded the DirectEmployers Association’s Runner-Up:

    • VEVRAA and Section 503 Compliance Initiatives Award

  • Multiple awards from the ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve), including a second Seven Seals Award.

 

Discover Financial Services
Discover's work at home program for military personnel and family members continues to grow and succeed. Started in 2013, the program provides training, resources and job opportunities for new employees seeking careers within the financial services industry. In addition to training, Discover supplies each new employee with the proper equipment and installation support to ensure a successful working environment at home. The program addresses a need to connect military personnel with skilled, flexible and local employment opportunities to accommodate the uncertainties of a military schedule.

Discover’s work-at-home program for military veterans and their family members has expanded to include ten additional states outside of Delaware as employees get assigned to other bases. The program also provides employees opportunities to advance within the company as many have been promoted into team leadership positions.

Discover also has employee resource groups throughout the company that honor military veterans. These grassroots groups provide an outlet for employees to come together for networking and development opportunities. The Honoring Military group works to bring awareness and understanding of military related skills, coordinate outreach programs that support community military programs and help honor military service members.

 

JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase is committed to serving the unique needs of America’s military servicemembers, Veterans and their families. The firm has committed more than $45 million in grants and sponsorships since 2011 focused on helping to address the emerging needs of the military community, particularly in the areas of employment, financial capability and small business.

Employment

  • Since JPMorgan Chase and ten other companies launched the Veteran Jobs Mission in 2011, the coalition has hired 292,645 Veterans and grown to over 200 companies that represent almost every industry in the U.S. economy.

  • The Mission has increased its commitment to hire a total of one million Veterans.

  • JPMorgan Chase has hired more than 9,500 Veterans since 2011 and created a dedicated recruiting team made up of Veterans and others who understand the obstacles encountered when transitioning from the military to the private sector.

  • To help further bridge the gap between military service and private sector employment, JPMorgan Chase:

    • Developed Military 101 -- a training program for hiring managers and recruiters about the unique skills Veterans gain through military service -- and Body Armor to Business Suits -- a training program that teaches recently transitioned employee Veterans about corporate culture.

    • Launched the Career Transition Workshop, through which bank employees help transitioning Veterans develop the necessary skills for obtaining a meaningful career in the private sector.

    • Established a Veterans-oriented business resource group that helps employee Veterans and others network with colleagues, work on professional development and get involved in local community service projects.

    • Participates in the Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership and partners with Military Officers Association of America to provide workforce development training specifically designed for military spouses.

    • Promotes the economic growth and development of Veteran-owned businesses.

  • JPMorgan Chase co-founded Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), the first national center of excellence in higher education focused on social, economic, education and policy issues impacting Veterans and their families. IVMF and JPMorgan Chase launched the Veterans Career Transition Program, a tuition-free, online career development program for post-9/11 Veterans and military spouses. More than 3,000 certificates have been earned by over 2,100 Veterans and military spouses. Approximately 1,700 more are currently enrolled in the program.

  • To help improve the Veteran education experience, JPMorgan Chase has invested $1 million to fund higher education programs and leading practices for Veterans at the University of South Florida, Florida State College at Jacksonville, University of Texas at Arlington, Texas State University San Marcos, San Diego State University, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and Ohio State University.

  • JPMorgan Chase is also helping the University of South Florida’s Florida Center for Cybersecurity prepare Veterans for jobs in the rapidly-growing cybersecurity field.

Financial Capability

  • In 2011, Chase pledged to award 1,000 mortgage-free homes to military families. Since then, the bank has provided over 850 mortgage-free homes, valued at a total of more than $140 million, to military families through nonprofit partners Building Homes for Heroes, Military Warriors Support Foundation and Operation Homefront. Chase refurbishes each home to meet the unique needs of the Veteran. In addition to awarding homes, these organizations work with Veterans and their families to help them better manage their finances.

  • JPMorgan Chase provided more than $750,000 in support of Community Solutions’ 100,000 Homes Campaign to strengthen communities and permanently house 100,000 homeless Americans, including 30,000 homeless Veterans.

Small Business

  • Many returning Veterans start their own businesses or find jobs in small businesses. Through sponsorship of entrepreneurship programs, collaboration with nonprofits and government, our supplier diversity program, and an array of Chase products and services, the firm is helping Veteran-owned small businesses gain access to capital, create jobs and grow.

Military Survivor Program

  • Chase’s Military Survivor Program offers debt forgiveness benefits to surviving family members and beneficiaries on the debt of military customers who were killed in combat action or while deployed in a combat theater of operations.

 

USAA Bank

The Team at USAA are passionate advocates for military members and their families.

The same core values that guide our military inspire USAA employees to go above and beyond for our members each and every day. We are dedicated to recruiting veterans and military spouses and encouraging other companies to do the same. More than 9,100 veterans and military spouses were hired by USAA from 2006 – Sept. 30, 2014. USAA is also ranked number one for military-friendly employers for 2014, according to Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs Magazine.

Founded by military members for the military community, we know what it means to serve. We actively support our employees who have worn the uniform and the family members who support them. USAA and Hiring Our Heroes have commissioned Sperling's BestPlaces to create a list to help veterans as they transition from the armed forces to civilian life. The list highlights the best places in the nation for veterans to find military skill-related jobs.

Our employees – whether they have served or not – are immersed in a culture that appreciates and understands the military. In addition, the bank provides a number of unique checklists and services for service members exiting the military and has partnered with Hiring Our Heroes, part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, to helps veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses find employment through job fairs and online resources.

U.S. Bank

U.S. Bank’s Proud to Serve group, which manages all of the ways that U.S. Bank supports, respects and gives back to the men and women of the armed services, has launched three new chapters of the Proud to Serve Business Resource Group (BRG) in Cincinnati, Milwaukee and the Twin Cities.  Proud to Serve BRGs are employee-led and provide valuable business input, opportunities to volunteer with military service organizations and opportunities to attend professional development seminars.

In October, U.S. Bank Proud to Serve placed 4th out of more than 500 applicants in the Association of Employee Resource Groups & Councils Honors Award program.  The ERG & Councils Honors Award recognizes outstanding employee resource groups and diversity councils at companies across the country.

More than 1,700 military veterans work at U.S. Bank today. The company hired more than 340 veterans in 2015 through Bankers in Boots, its veteran hiring initiative. Each veteran hired is personally welcomed by the U.S. Bank Global Inclusion and Diversity team, a designated military recruiter and a member of the Proud to Serve Steering Committee.

In addition, this year U.S. Bank:

  • donated homes to wounded veterans and their families in Apopka, Florida and Washougal, Washington; the next home will be donated to a wounded veteran on November 18 in La Grange, Kentucky (total now stands at 10 since 2013);

  • added an employee volunteer program to teach financial education and job-search skills to veterans;

  • offered credit card customers a way to donate points to Honor Flight, a nonprofit organization that transports veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit their war memorials;

  • began tracking partnerships with veteran-owned businesses as part of its supplier diversity program; and

  • this holiday season, employees are collecting supplies and sending holiday cards to deployed troops.

 

Webster Bank
Webster Bank, earlier this month, unveiled its Military Banking Program.  The program provides any retired Veterans or active duty personnel serving full or part-time (including National Guard and Reserves) with exclusive access to the following benefits:

  • $500 mortgage rebate to go along with the core WebsterOne Relationship checking account;

  • In addition to the normal 0.25% off with auto deduction from a Webster One Relationship checking, Military Banking customers will be eligible for 0.25% discount on Home Equity Loans and Home Equity Lines and a 0.50% interest rate discount on Fixed Rate Loans;

  • SBA Veterans Advantage program for veterans/spouses who either own or want to start a business; SBA guarantee fees are waived and reduced; 

  • Free Webster One checks;

  • Free Travelers Checques;

  • Free Webster One Savings with higher rates;

  • Free withdrawals at non-Webster ATMs; Webster will also rebate the surcharges assessed by other banks;

  • Free withdrawals at international ATMs; Webster will also rebate the surcharges assessed by other banks. 

To learn more, click here.

 

Wells Fargo
Earlier this month, Wells Fargo announced it had donated more than $66 million to help service members, veterans, and their families over the last three years—well beyond its $35 million goal set in 2012.

Since November 2012, Wells Fargo has:

  • Donated or is in the process of donating to wounded veterans more than 300 properties valued at more than $49 million.

  • Donated nearly $17 million to military- and veteran- related nonprofits.

  • Hired more than 4,800 veterans.

  • Participated in more than 650 military job fairs.

  • Launched Hands on Banking for Military®, a financial education program that has been used by more than 100,000 people.

Wells Fargo will take part in numerous activities throughout November to celebrate National Veteran Small Business Week, Veterans Days and Military Family Month. Several examples include:

  • Wells Fargo is part of the Coalition for Veteran Owned Businesses and will help support one of the organization’s goals — to increase opportunities for diverse suppliers. Wells Fargo’s Supplier Diversity program builds relationships with diverse-owned businesses, including veterans, and integrates those businesses into its supply chain.

  • Wells Fargo is a participating lender in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Veterans Pledge Initiative, an industry-wide effort to increase SBA lending to veteran small business entrepreneurs by 5 percent a year through 2017. Wells Fargo supports the SBA’s efforts to approve more SBA loans for military veteran small business entrepreneurs who seek financing and are ready to use credit for their business.

  • Wells Fargo is participating in numerous Veterans Day events across the U.S., including sponsorship of the Salute to Service in San Diego and participation in 11 parades across the U.S. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage has invited veterans to ride inside the Wells Fargo stagecoach during Veterans Day parades in Dallas, San Francisco, Phoenix, San Antonio, and New York. These veterans have received mortgage-free homes donated by Wells Fargo in collaboration with Military Warriors Support Foundation and Operation Homefront. During the San Francisco parade on Nov. 8, home donation recipient James Gordon, an Army veteran, will receive the deed to his donated home, signaling his completion of the financial education program that will help him sustain homeownership.

  • Wells Fargo has provided more than $3 million in support for GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit organization that makes solar power and solar job training accessible in underserved communities, including targeted support for its veteran's job training initiative. This Veterans Day, Wells Fargo volunteers will join GRID Alternatives and veteran job trainees in three California communities — San Diego, Paso Robles, and Riverside — to help install solar power panels  for veteran families. 

  • Wells Fargo will offer three free financial educational webinars to service members Nov. 10–12. Topics include purchasing a home, managing credit, and budgeting and saving. The free online sessions are offered through the Military Mortgage Express® program. The instructor-led sessions are open to all interested military members, veterans, and family members. Participants have the opportunity to ask questions. Registration at www.wellsfargo.com/rsvp is required (use codes Mil1stHome, MilBudget, and MilCredit). Space is limited; those interested are encouraged to register early.

More information about Wells Fargo’s support of service members, veterans, and their families is available at wellsfargo.com/military/veterans.

 

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