Lake City Bank’s Essential Checking and Getting Ahead Checking accounts were recently certified by the national Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) as meeting the 2023-24 Bank On National Account Standards. The account standards designate features that ensure low-cost accounts with high functionality and consumer safety.

Essential Checking is the bank’s newest addition to its personal checking account lineup and features a low monthly maintenance fee of $5, no overdraft or nonsufficient fund fees, access to Lake City Bank Digital and FDIC insurance. Getting Ahead Checking is available to customers through the bank’s Getting Ahead Loan program, launched in 2009, which is designed to help customers establish good credit history. Getting Ahead Checking has similar features to Essential Checking.

“We’re proud to offer our customers many choices when it comes to managing their money,” said Stephanie R. Leniski, Senior Vice President, Chief Retail Banking Officer. “Essential Checking is the latest addition to those options in our personal checking account lineup and we’re thrilled to have the Bank On certification for this new account and our Getting Ahead Checking.”

Bank On certification helps ensure that everyone has access to safe and affordable financial products and services. The Bank On National Account Standards identify critical product features for appropriate bank or credit union accounts, making it easier for local coalitions across the country to connect consumers to accounts that meet their needs.

“As a community bank, we’re committed to providing customers with innovative products and services they need. Adding Essential Checking to our personal checking account mix and adjusting Getting Ahead Checking to meet the Bank On standards underscores our commitment,” said David M. Findlay, President and Chief Executive Officer.

“The CFE Fund is delighted to award its national Bank On account certification to Lake City Bank’s Essential Checking and Getting Ahead Checking accounts,” said Jonathan Mintz, President and Chief Executive Officer of the CFE Fund. “These accounts offer Northern and Central Indiana residents who are looking to improve their finances a safe, affordable, and truly useful mainstream banking product to access and manage their money. Lake City Bank’s offering of these terrific accounts brings them into the forefront of national banking access efforts, and we thank them.”

Lake City Bank, a $6.4 billion bank headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, is the sixth largest bank headquartered in the state, and the largest bank 100% invested in Indiana. Lake City Bank operates 52 branch offices in northern and central Indiana, delivering technology-driven solutions in a client-centric way to individuals and businesses. The bank is the single bank subsidiary of Lakeland Financial Corporation (Nasdaq Global Select/LKFN).

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.