BEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTION

United Community Bank

301 N. Main St.

Chatham, 483-2491

Numerous branches

For United Community Bank, banking is about making the community better. Known affectionately by customers as simply “UCB,” the bank earned numerous positive comments from BOS voters, including several lauding its friendly customer service. One even called it the “best banking institution ever.” Not many banks have the ability to actually make customers excited like that, but for bank president and chief operating officer Todd Wise, it’s simple. “We’re the leader in community banking,” he says. “We’re committed to old-style, old-fashioned community banking where we take good care of our customers.” With drive-up hours even on Sundays, three branches in Springfield and numerous more in surrounding cities, UCB is accessible, too. They even have a fancy smartphone app for online banking. UCB offers the same services as regional megabanks, Wise says, but loan decisions at UCB are made locally instead of by some faraway executives in Chicago or New York. “We live in the same community as our customers,” he says.

Runner-up: Bank of Springfield