Sunflower Bank Launches Bank On-Certified Financial Empowerment Checking Account in Texas

We're pleased to announce that the Sunflower Bank Achievement Checking Account was officially certified by the national Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) as meeting the Bank On National Account Standards (2021 - 2022). Being awarded the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund’s Bank On National Account Standards Certification indicates that our Achievement Checking Account(Opens in a new window) meets over 25 features for safe and affordable consumer transaction accounts. The Achievement Checking account is currently available in all our personal banking locations in 20 Texas communities.

“We’re excited that Sunflower Bank is now one of the 36 institutions offering a safe and affordable, Bank On-certified account to communities large and small across the great state of Texas,” said Matt Lamb, Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Banking Officer at Sunflower Bank. “Access to a checking account is an important step for individuals seeking to achieve financial stability, and we look forward to making this beneficial Achievement Checking Account product available everywhere we serve in the coming months.”

Texas is a primary market for Sunflower Bank as a result of the April 2022 completed merger of our holding company, FirstSun Capital Bancorp, with Pioneer Bancshares, Inc. (“Pioneer”) that also made effective the merger of Pioneer’s subsidiary bank, Pioneer Bank, SSB, into Sunflower Bank. Pioneer’s geographic footprint of Austin, Central Texas, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio complemented Sunflower Bank’s pre-merger locations in Texas.

In addition to connecting unbanked individuals to accounts through the Bank On program, we're engaged in expanding financial access to low- and moderate-income (LMI) geographies and persons, small businesses, and organizations focused on community development. Other Sunflower Bank programs focused on supporting LMI financial needs in Texas include:

• Launch of a partnership with On The Road Lending, a nonprofit auto lender that provides character-based affordable loans for reliable cars. On the Road Lending works with LMI individuals who, due to low credit scores, can be forced to purchase unreliable cars at subprime interest rates, robbing the family budget of funds needed to be stable. Sunflower Bank’s investment brings the program to its rural Texas markets where public transportation is often non-existent.
• A new collaboration with Austin Habitat for Humanity to provide below-market interest rate mortgage loans to homebuyers in its homeownership program.

Our community-banking model is built on local leadership and services. Using this approach, we develop partnerships and programs that support the complete financial and credit needs of Texans and all those who reside in our banking and mortgage lending footprint.

About the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund)
The CFE Fund supports municipal efforts to improve the financial stability of households by leveraging opportunities unique to local government. By translating cutting edge experience with large scale programs, research, and policy in cities of all sizes, the CFE Fund assists mayors and other local leaders to identify, develop, fund, implement, and research pilots and programs that help families build assets and make the most of their financial resources. The CFE Fund is currently working in over 100 cities and counties, and has disbursed over $59 million to local governments and their partners to support these efforts. For more information, please visit www.cfefund.org or follow us on Twitter at @CFEFund.

About Bank On
Bank On coalitions are locally-led partnerships between local public officials; city, state, and federal government agencies; financial institutions; and community organizations that work together to help improve the financial stability of unbanked and underbanked individuals and families in their communities. The Bank On national initiative builds on a grassroots movement of over 90 coalitions in cities across the country, offering national account standards, capacity grant support, pilot funding, and a learning community. In addition to connecting unbanked individuals to accounts, Bank On programs raise public awareness, target outreach to the unbanked, and expand access to financial education. Visit www.cfefund.org/bankon for more information, or follow the conversation on Twitter @CFEFund #BankOn.