Learning about some of the personalized services offered to commercial customers at Charles River Bank are (from left) Loretta and Henry Arnaudo of HPA Design, Inc. with VP/Commercial Loan Officer Sean Coyle.

Offering a complete line of banking products for private and commercial customers coupled with personalized service is a hallmark of Charles River Bank. “Our depth and breadth of products and services matches anything out there,” said Derek Plourde, Charles River President and CEO. But, he noted, unlike larger banks “all our decisions are made locally,” at the Medway headquarters and customers can always “speak with a person who will help resolve a problem.” He added, “We do it better at the local level.”

A large component of the bank’s ability to assist depositors is the experience of employees at all three Charles River branches—Medway, Bellingham and Mendon. “The people we have in our branches have been here a long time” as have the members of senior management, said Plourde. “We have a consistency of service so we can help you when you need it. When you call or stop by a branch you will speak to a person who knows what you are talking about and will keep you informed until the problem is solved.”

Besides offering individual and commercial customers a full range of saving and checking accounts plus online and mobile services, Charles River Bank also provides assistance with financial planning and investments. He noted a focus in recent years has been helping customers improve their financial literacy. “We have various tools on our website, especially our Financial Wellness Center page, to help anyone from kids to retirees learn about finances,” said Plourde.

Another web-based tool for finances is the Manage My Money page. “It is a one-stop-shop, one-page synopsis of your entire financial life,” said Plourde. “Not only can you put all your Charles River products there but you can also allow financial institutions to feed information about other loans, credit cards, retirement accounts or whatever you think of. All your financial information is on one page that you can see in real time as well as use for budgeting, determining net worth and planning. It gives you the capability of seeing where you are.”

Helping its youngest customers learn about finances is the Charles River Student Banking program which Plourde said is offered through every area school and online. The program features special incentives for youngsters to encourage financial literacy.

Charles River also provides a full range of services for small businesses from cash management tools, various loans including SBA and lines of credit to debit and credit cards. “We offer all the commercial services of larger banks locally,” said Plourde.

Summing up the philosophy underlying Charles River, Plourde said, “We are a mutual bank, so we are not beholden to any stockholder demands. Our depositors are actually the owners of the bank. We know whom we are serving. And we try to do that everyday.”

To learn more about Charles River visit CharlesRiverBank.com, call the main office, 508-533-8661 or stop by one of the three branches in Medway, Bellingham and Mendon.

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