New Bank & Credit Union Star-Ratings; What a Difference a Decade Makes

December 18, 2019: BauerFinancial, Inc., Coral Gables, FL, the nation's leading independent bank and credit union rating firm, is pleased to announce that new ratings, based on September 30, 2019 financial data, are now available-free of charge-at bauerfinancial.com on all U.S. banks and credit unions. Star-ratings are assigned on a scale of zero to five-stars with five-stars being the strongest and reflect the overall financial strength of the institution.

As we approach the end of this year, and the end of another decade, we'd like to reflect on some of the  biggest changes we've seen over the past ten years. Ten years ago, the combined U.S. bank and credit union industries boasted over 16,000 institutions, only about 40% of them earned Bauer's highest (5-Star) rating. Hundreds of failures and thousands of mergers have transpired since, bringing our system of federally-insured depository institutions down to only about 10,000.

While they may lack the quantity they once had, the vast majority of today's banks and credit unions are quite strong. There are literally thousands of high quality financial institutions in operation across the nation today. BauerFinancial recommends all 5-Stars and 4-Star rated institutions, and there are plenty to select from. In fact, those rated 2-Stars or below, at the other end of the spectrum, currently account for less than 2% of the total. Don't be caught unaware. Make a resolution today to check the ratings of your financial institutions every January. Bauer makes it easy. And ratings are always free on our website.

To find out the rating of your bank or credit union, simply visit bauerfinancial.com. Look up as many ratings as you like. Free really does mean Free. While you're there, check out our CD rate pages to get the best CD rates in the country and read all about the current status of the banking  industry.

It's Simple. It's Smart. And it's Free on our website: bauerfinancial.com.

BauerFinancial: providing the public with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions regarding their banking relationships since 1983.

Bauer…Trusted. 

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Members of the press may request a free spreadsheet of all the bank and/or credit union star ratings in their state, along with financial highlights, by emailing research@bauerfinancial.com.