» FINANCIAL | BEST BANK
MINDY SCHAUER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
California Bank & Trust was voted the top bank in the Orange County Register’s Best of Orange County readers’ choice poll.
1. California Bank & Trust
and Tustin, with 225 employees. Multiple locations; Calbanktrust.com “We are incredibly For nearly 70 years, and customized options not humbled to win ‘Best Bank’ California Bank & Trust has found at other banks. for the eighth year in a been helping generations The bank has $13 billion row,” said Ben Alvarado, the of Californians and in loans, $15 billion in bank’s executive director California businesses to deposits, and nearly 90 of Core Banking. “This grow and prosper, helping branches located throughout recognition represents the to lead them to brighter California. There are 10 commitment our associates and financially sound branches in Orange County: have to our clients, futures. Today, California in Brea, Huntington Beach, and we look forward to Bank & Trust is among Irvine Center, La Palma, continuing to serve Orange California’s most dynamic Laguna Hills, Monarch County by building lasting and admired banks, offering Beach, Orange, San Juan relationships with awardguidance, collaboration, Capistrano, San Clemente winning customer service
each and every day.” California Bank & Trust is headquartered in San Diego and offers a range of financial services. Register readers have voted the bank as the county’s “Best Bank” seven times consecutively in previous years for Best of OC; this year is their eighth win. Bank leaders attributed their winning streak to the bank’s dedicated employees who maintain high standards of service.
2. JPMorgan Chase Bank
3. Bank of America
A major name in banking since 1799 with 97 branches and 1,600 employees in Orange County, JPMorgan Chase is committing $30 billion to advance racial equity. The bank is investing in affordable housing in underserved communities and lower mortgage payments in Black and Latino households, small business loans, and financial literacy nationwide as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion within the bank. The bank last year also assisted thousands of small businesses during
Bank of America maintains a large presence in Orange County, in terms of numbers, dollars and impact, with more than 5,000 employees, 89 financial centers, 390 ATMs, six Merrill offices, and one private bank office in the county. In Orange County, Bank of America has $27.1 billion in local consumer deposits, increasing deposits by $3 billion last year in part by equipping clients with industry-leading digital and mobile capabilities to conveniently perform common bank transactions at home or by smartphone.
Multiple locations; Jpmorganchase.com
the pandemic. More than 280,000 loans were funded, 80 percent of which were for less than $100,000 and half of which went to businesses with fewer than five employees. In addition, through March 2021, Chase provided over $40 billion to more than 400,000 small businesses through the PPP program. Since March 13, 2020, Chase has delayed payments and refunded fees for customers on over two million accounts, and the bank committed $250 million in global business and philanthropic initiatives.
– Amy Bentley
Multiple locations; Bankofamerica.com Bank of America has also made $580 million in small business loans and $7.4 billion in commercial loans. Since last year, Bank of America provided more than $3 million to Orange County nonprofits for COVID-19 relief, economic mobility and advancing racial equality as well as donating over 745,000 PPE masks, gloves and sanitizer bottles to local organizations and employees delivering 263 free Better Money Habits financial education modules to nonprofits, schools and businesses.
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