Anyone looking for advice on how to handle their money could do worse than to ask a bank. Below are our picks for the five top small bank blogs in the U.S.
Our list of the five best small bank blogs includes blogs from banks with anywhere from two to 600 branches. As a nice surprise, our favorite blog is from the smallest bank on our list, the two-branch Small Change blog from the Kennet National Bank of Missouri. Other great bank blogs include the Z Blog from Zions Bank & Trust, The Standard Bank & Trust bank blog, The Celtic Bank blog and the Bank of the West bank blog.
1. The Small Change Bank Blog from Kennet National Bank of Missouri
The Small Change bank blog is full of great, useful, catchy articles that pack a punch.
Kennet National Bank of Missouri is a small, two-branch bank in Kennet, Missouri that nonetheless has one of the best bank blogs on the web. One of the oldest independently owned and managed banks in its area, KNB has about 7,000 customers and manages $98 million in assets.
Their Small Change bank blog is a delightful find, focused on “becoming a millionaire by making small financial changes.” A sampling of their article titles shows creativity, wit and a desire to cut to the heart of money matters through tips and ideas that convey key personal finance concepts in an engaging way.
Typical article titles include “What Oprah Can Teach You About Managing Money,” (have a budget, save automatically and have a financial adviser) “How to Take Control of Your Money by Doing Less,” “The Busy Woman’s 20-Minute Guide to Budgeting” and “3 Financial Moves That Can’t Wait.”
The articles are well written, brief enough to read in a few minutes each and contain genuine money tips that can translate to real dollar savings for readers. As nice extras, the blog is well presented and beautifully laid out, and new articles are added often.
Check out the Small Change bank blog by clicking here.
2. The Z Blog Bank Blog from Zions Bank & Trust
The Z Blog is the Zions Bank’s great personal finance bank blog. This bank blog is packed with helpful articles and webinars and great, provocative titles.
Typical articles have titles like, “3 Steps to Make Saving Easier for Your Children,” “Fighting Fraud: What Your Business Needs to Know Webinar,” “How to Finance a Remodel” and “A New Parent’s 3 Saving Strategies.”
The blog contains surprisingly little fluff. A high percentage of the articles are directly useful, providing specific financial advice and money tips as well as interesting finance news items like “Chip Credit Cards are Coming to the U.S.” and “Why Are Millenials Shying Away From Credit Cards?”
The blog’s articles are focused, well-written and brief.
Zions Bank is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah and manages nearly 500 locations in ten Western States.
See the Z Blog bank blog by clicking here.
3. The Standard Bank and Trust Bank Blog
Chock full of great titles and articles, the Standard Bank and Trust Bank Blog is packed with well-presented, helpful information to give readers a financial boost.
A quick walk-through turns up selections like “Seven Steps to Spring Clean Your Finances,” “Protect Your Small Business From Financial Fraud,” “How to Avoid PHRS (Post Holiday Regret Syndrome)” and “Mortgage Preparation Steps.”
There are a few academic articles included in the mix that seem more general interest oriented than personally useful. However, most of the articles in this bank blog are helpful and personal finance related. The blog has been going strong since October of 2010, adding an article every week.
Standard Bank and Trust has 27 branches, all within 150 miles of Chicago, Illinois.
Check out the Standard Bank and Trust Bank Blog by clicking here.
4. The Celtic Bank Blog for Small Business
The Celtic Bank Blog has a dedicated small business focus. This well laid out and fun to scroll through. The articles are either useful, providing money tips and hacks for small business owners, or of interest, delivering legislation changes and technological advances business owners will want to know about.
This blog borders on the necessary, with titles like “5 Tax Tips to Maximize Your Efforts,” “How to Maintain Good Credit,” “The Complete SBA Loan Guide” and “Borrowing Mistakes That Can 
Crush Your Business.” Titles that don’t provide specific advice but still deliver useful news include “Obama’s Budget and What it Means for Small Business,” “What Having Two New Small Business Chairmen in Congress Means for Small Business” and “The Impact of Mobile Payment Technology on Small Business.”
The blog is very well thought out and the articles, though fairly brief, are full of solid information.
Celtic Bank is a privately owned industrial bank chartered by the State of Utah.
You can find the Celtic Bank Blog by clicking here.
5. Bank of the West Bank Blog
The Bank of the West Bank Blog contains a mix of helpful articles that speak directly to personal finance and more academic articles that may be a bit thick for some readers. Having said that, it’s still a great bank blog.
Titles include “5 Factors That Could Influence Your Mortgage Rate,” “Angel Investing, 5 Factors to Consider,” “Roth or Traditional IRA” and “U.S. Outlook: What Does the Drop in New Orders Mean?”
The blog is prolific and has 154 pages of article titles. The articles themselves are in-depth and very well thought out and well-written.
The Bank of the West has over 600 locations in the Midwestern and Western U.S.