Free Republic

In the 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life, James Stewart stars as George Bailey, the director of the Bailey Building and Loan Association in the fictional community of Bedford Falls, N.Y. Bailey faces numerous challenges to keep the Building and Loan afloat in order to continue supporting the people and businesses of his hometown. His chief challenge is Mr. Potter, the wealthy slumlord who repeatedly schemes to force Bailey out of business. Although It’s a Wonderful Life is fictional, the Building and Loan is a prototype of a real, modern institution, the community bank. And in 2013, community banks are...

Honor Your Word, or This Banker May Call Mom By RON LIEBER Just a few years ago, it was easy to write off the local community bank as a relic, a quaint reminder of an age when you actually needed to visit a branch to manage your money. Who needed a local banker when a mortgage broker could easily connect you with financing from some faraway lender? Internet banks offered savings accounts with interest rates far superior to community banks’ pathetic payouts, and brokerage firms created fee-free checking accounts. Like many of you, I suspect, I haven’t set foot in...