I did not grow up with a clear understanding of mainstream financial services. As a young boy, I knew very little about traditional banking. What I knew more about were payday lenders, pawn shops, and the ways families sometimes found cash when there were not many good options available.
Sometimes money came by pawning something of value for only a fraction of what it was worth. The hope was always that you could come back, repay the money, and reclaim what belonged to you. But too often, that kind of financial transaction was not about building stability. It was about surviving the moment.
That was part of the world I understood.
The first time I was really exposed to banking was while I was in an independent living program in the foster care system. I was working hard during summers and during the school year to earn money. The group home would take what I earned and place it into what they called a checking or savings account at a local bank.
But I did not really understand what that meant.
I had an account, but I did not yet have context.
I had access, but I did not yet have understanding.
I had money in a bank, but I did not yet understand the power of a banking relationship.
That understanding came later, especially when I went to college and had to manage accounts, bills, student loans, and everyday financial decisions for myself. Over time, my knowledge grew. My confidence grew. My understanding grew.
The first time I ever took out a loan outside of a car loan or a student loan was early in my marriage. It was a $5,000 signature loan. I had a bank account, I walked into the bank, and I was able to borrow money to help pay for expenses related to our honeymoon.
That may sound simple to some people. But for me, it represented something much larger.
It represented access.
It represented trust.
It represented a relationship with a mainstream financial institution that was not designed to take advantage of me, but to help me move
forward.
I have come a long way from that young boy who knew more about pawn shops than bank branches. And because I have come a long way, one of the things I enjoy most today is exposing young people and young adults to traditional banking, especially those who may not yet have a concept for what banking can mean in their lives.
In many respects, their backgrounds mirror mine.
They may have seen money move through check-cashing stores, prepaid cards, payday lenders, pawn shops, or apps that store money but do not necessarily create a full financial relationship. They may have accounts, but not guidance. They may have access to tools, but not access to wisdom. They may be moving money, but not yet building financial strength.
In America, we often talk about the unbanked and the underbanked. Those words matter because they describe real people, real
families, and real communities. They describe people who are working, earning, striving, and surviving, but who may not yet be connected to the financial systems that help create stability, credit, ownership, and wealth.
The path to wealth creation often begins with a safe, affordable, trusted financial relationship.
It begins when someone has a place to deposit their money safely.
It grows when they understand how to save, budget, borrow, and build credit.
It strengthens when they have a banker or financial partner
who sees their dignity, not just their balance.
And it expands when banking becomes more than a transaction.
It becomes a relationship.
That is why efforts like Bank On matter.
Bank On is about helping people gain access to safe, affordable, mainstream bank and credit union accounts. It is about removing barriers. It is about reducing fear. It is about helping people who may have been left out, pushed out, or priced out of traditional banking find a trusted
pathway in.
For me, this is not abstract. It is personal.
I know what it feels like to stand outside systems that other people take for granted. I know what it feels like to have access without understanding. I know what it feels like to learn financial language later than others and still have to compete in the same world.
That is why part of my mission at Midwest BankCentre is to help create conditions for people to live better lives. I believe that happens
through what we earn, what we save, what we own, and our capacity to borrow responsibly. I also believe it happens when banks see themselves not merely as financial institutions, but as community institutions.
Because when banking is done right, it can help people move from survival to stability.
From stability to ownership.
From ownership to legacy.
Did you catch that?
This work is not just about opening an account. It is about opening a door. It is about helping a young person understand that a checking account is not just a place to hold money. It can be the beginning of a financial identity. A savings account is not just a balance. It can be the
beginning of discipline and hope. A loan is not just debt. When structured responsibly, it can be a tool for opportunity, mobility, and growth.
I was privileged to be part of a recent Bank On event because it aligned so deeply with my own story and with the work I believe community banks must continue to do. We must keep finding ways to make mainstream banking more accessible, more understandable, and more relevant to the people and communities that have too often been overlooked.
If you are ready to take the next step financially, I encourage you to visit a local community bank. Ask questions. Learn what is available. Open the door to a relationship that can help you move forward.
For some, it may start with a simple account. But for many, it can become the first step toward a different financial future.