• U.S. is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), making its involvement in the fight against climate change a matter of critical importance.
• Efforts outside the federal government could enable the U.S. to fulfill two-thirds of its commitment to reduce GHG emissions.

Banks, with their array of financial service offerings and bottom-line image, may not seem like natural cheerleaders for sustainable corporate practices. Your banker, after all, doesn’t make a living sourcing fair-trade chocolate for candy bars or producing renewable biomass fuel. Banks, however, play an increasingly significant role in promoting sustainable activities that support a clean environment, vulnerable populations and human rights, among other goals through their internal practices and through the enterprises they finance.

The Montrose Center broke ground Tuesday on its affordable senior independent living center in Houston, as part of the organization’s mission to empower primarily LGBTQ individuals and their families, to enjoy healthier and more fulfilling lives.

The main goal of volunteering is to help others. But it turns out volunteers also benefit from their charitable activities. Over the years, many studies have shown volunteers experience greater fulfillment, better health, and improved overall well-being.

Behavioral economics, the study of human behavior regarding decision making, is the latest field of study BBVA is using to improve customer experience and simplify banking for its customers.

Just months after announcing its plan to realign its global brand, BBVA USA introduced a newly updated Premium Checking account, intended to deliver on the bank’s commitment to provide global products and services, an improved user experience, and solutions that help customers make better financial decisions.

• Newly updated account reflects updated brand strategy: BBVA’s global focus on transparency and simplicity are reflected in the product’s new features and benefits
• A simpler, more transparent product: The new Premium Checking account is streamlined with simpler qualifying criteria and expanded benefits
• Lower monthly fees, more easily avoided: BBVA’s relationship program and private bank were also notable reasons for the bank’s designation.

Decision making can be psychologically, emotionally and sometimes even physically exhausting. That’s why all of us have created mental shortcuts, biases, and preferences that help us make decisions. While this can save us time and fatigue, it doesn’t always help us make the best decisions.

BBVA USA was recognized by Kiplinger as its runner-up in the Best Banks for High-Net-Worth Families category for 2019. The Washington, D.C.-based publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice cited BBVA’s expansive wealth services, including its attractive relationship program and well-regarded private bank, and specifically noted its Premier Personal Banking program.

We humans have a history of finding faster, simpler, more efficient ways of doing things. Over time, we’ve sped up every process from building a car to ordering a pizza online.  So it’s really no surprise that we’ve also established thought processes to help us wade through all the information we encounter and make decisions more quickly.

According to the latest Economic Outlook published this week by BBVA Research, GDP growth has decelerated in 2Q2019, but a rebound in consumption should support moderate growth rates in 2H2019. Survey-based investment indicators are also declining amidst deteriorating business expectations. In addition, countervailing trade dynamics — weaker global growth versus reduced trade tensions — imply there will be no material change in the net export balance.

BBVA has selected 19 social entrepreneurs from across the U.S. to participate in its BBVA Momentum accelerator program, designed to help participants enhance their operations to impact the lives of more people.

BBVA today initiated its new brand strategy and updated logo originally announced in April, beginning the process of replacing tens of thousands of physical logos — and thousands more digital ones — with the bank’s new mark. In the U.S., crown signage on high rise buildings in Birmingham, Ala., Denver, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston unveiled the new logo today, along with four branch locations. Remaining locations will transition to the new brand in the coming months.

For many Americans, their home is their greatest source of wealth. It is for this reason — and many others — that the housing market has always been an extremely important part of the U.S. economy. What’s more, studies have shown time and time again homeowners are more active in their communities, healthier and less likely to be victims of crime. Simply put, home ownership is good for our citizens, our communities and our country. Which is why over the years, the U.S. government has created programs designed to make homeownership accessible for more Americans.

What if the whole world came together to eliminate poverty and hunger; ensure good health, quality education and clean water for all people and reduce inequalities? What if every country committed to work toward affordable, clean energy and responsible consumption and production? It may sound too good to be true, but through the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, that’s actually happening now.

Homeownership has always been a part of the American dream. All you have to do is work hard, and you can get your piece of the economic pie. We’re a country built on the promise of social mobility, and for many Americans, owning a home means you made it to the top.

Investors who want to put their money where their ethics are — to realize potentially attractive returns while supporting environmentally sound and humane business practices — may choose from a variety of financial instruments that align with these goals.

Sustainable businesses benefit the environment, their people and the community around them. But a focus on sustainability isn’t just about giving back; it also makes good business sense.

Business giants like Nike and Cisco are making significant investments in diversity efforts. In California, public companies are now required to include both men and women on their boards, reports NPR. And there’s a reason why attention on diversity and inclusion in the workplace continues to grow: A diverse, inclusive workforce isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also good for business.

Every day, we ask our brains to make decisions, about what to wear, what to order, which shoes to buy, which route to take to work. Some of these decisions are made so automatically, we aren’t even aware we’re making them. Our brains do that on purpose — relying on shortcuts and preferences — to avoid the continuous ongoing stress of making the same decisions again and again.

BBVA Compass earned a spot on DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity 2019 list, the bank’s second recognition in the U.S. in the last three years.

Mortgage rates recently reached their lowest point in 13 months, leading many homeowners to ask if now is the right time to consider refinancing.

BBVA Compass received a perfect score of 100 on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation.  The bank joins the ranks of over 570 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.

In February 2019, BBVA Compass announced that the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta rated it “Outstanding” for CRA performance for its most recent examination period. This three-part series will take a detailed look at the key efforts behind that rating in lending, investment and community giving.

Two young friends on a surfing trip to Bali, shocked by the heaps of plastic they found washed up on the beach, returned to the United States with an entrepreneurial vision to clean the ocean. Their company, 4Ocean, promises to remove one pound of trash from oceans and coastlines with the sale of every one of its $20 bracelets, which are made from recycled plastic and glass bottles. In roughly two years, the venture, which now employs more than 150 people around the planet, reports that it has recovered over 4 million pounds of trash.

Earning an outstanding rating for CRA performance is a rare accomplishment — fewer than 10 percent of banks earn that rating.  For BBVA Compass, it’s a clear reflection of the cultural shift that’s taken place within the organization over the past three years.

BBVA Compass launched its full financial education program for 2019 last week, on the heels of a successful four-month pilot program which wrapped in December, aiming to reach approximately 7,000 more people during its first full year in existence.

According to the latest Economic Outlook published this week by BBVA Research, GDP growth is expected to slow to 2.5 percent in 2019 and 2.0 percent in 2020, while the risk of recession remains elevated over the next 24 months.

BBVA Compass today announced that the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta rated it “Outstanding” for CRA performance for its most recent examination period encompassing 2015 to 2017. The bank achieved “excellent performance” for community development lending and investments, and “high satisfactory” for service, which would translate to an overall “Outstanding” rating.

According to the Economic Outlook published this week by BBVA Research, GDP growth is expected to moderate in 2019, while the risk of recession remains elevated over the next 24 months.

The U.S. total fertility rate continues its downward trend, falling to its lowest point in 48 years at 1.77, according to a white paper published by BBVA Research this week. The report goes on to identify both the cause and the impact of this drop.

In general, banks are able to continue with business as usual during a government shutdown. Accounts can be opened, transactions can be processed, loans can be funded. However, there are some areas that rely heavily on Federal employees in specific situations.

In general, banks are able to continue with business as usual during a government shutdown. Accounts can be opened, transactions can be processed, loans can be funded. However, there are some areas that rely heavily on federal employees in specific situations.

What do you get when you cross a group of agile-trained bankers with a community food bank project? A record-breaking day.

After half a decade of bringing holiday joy and toys to students across the country, the BBVA Compass Foundation’s Project Blue Elf campaign has shifted its focus to surprise and delight families that participate in the bank’s financial education programs.

Like many Americans, you may find your mailbox stuffed with envelopes from banks, credit card providers and other lenders who want to make you an offer. (That includes your email, too.) Those offers may range from a pre-approved offer, to an invitation to apply, to a 4-page application.

BBVA Compass wraps up a four-month pilot program in December designed to provide financial education workshops through partnerships with local nonprofit organizations. Based on the success of the pilot program, the bank plans to execute a full program launch next year.

A new career development program at BBVA Compass is leading to better customer experiences and greater employee engagement on the Mortgage Fulfillment team.

BBVA Momentum, the social enterprise accelerator program launched in Spain and Mexico in 2011, wrapped up its second year in the U.S. in November with 16 entrepreneur participants.

Nothing can prepare you for the loss of a spouse or partner. The emotional burden alone is enough to virtually paralyze even the strongest and most organized people. But the logistics in the aftermath of a death in the family can also be staggering. That’s why it is so important to prepare yourself and your family well in advance.

If you use online or mobile banking, you already know how convenient it is to check your balance, pay a bill or confirm a transaction. But you may not be taking full advantage of all the benefits your mobile banking app can offer.

The BBVA Research team has published its Economic Outlook for fourth quarter 2018, a timely look at the anticipated economic impact of midterm elections.

Social entrepreneur Michelle Corson of Dallas, Texas took home the $75,000 first prize for On the Road Lending, a company which finances fuel-efficient and reliable cars, under warranty, for lower-skilled workers with weak credit at the wrap of BBVA Compass second annual social entrepreneur program BBVA Momentum.

Saving money can feel like a personal triumph (and it should!). To live within your means and set aside funds for a rainy day, major purchase or personal goal is very empowering. But did you know your savings can also impact the country’s economy as a whole?

BBVA Compass teamed up with Experian to give small business owners access to expert advice and insight at a recent national webinar. The online workshop was intended to help small business owners and entrepreneurs navigate the impact of the 2018 tax law change which may permit taxpayers other than corporations to deduct of up to 20 percent of their qualified business income from a qualified trade or business under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Money20/20 USA, the world’s largest fintech and payments event, took place earlier this week in Las Vegas. The annual event, now in its sixth year, touts itself as the place where the payments, fintech and financial services create and explore the ways consumers and businesses manage, spend and borrow money.

If you’re like most people, there’s not much more terrifying than that countdown to Christmas: only 120, 75, 15 days until Christmas. Not only does it trigger the anxiety to both start and finish shopping, it also usually comes with a mild panic about how to fund all those purchases.

Whether it’s your first home or your fourth, the whole mortgage process can be confusing and stressful… so many decisions to make, so much jargon to decipher, so many boxes to initial.

One simple word you may hear is “points”. It sounds like such a simple word, but do you really know what points are?  A point is technically one percent of your mortgage amount, or $1,000 for every $100,000 you finance.

This week, a quick wrap-up of the top fintech stories:

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group this week launched the Bali Fintech Agenda, a set of 12 policy elements aimed at helping member countries harness the benefits and opportunities of rapid advances in financial technology.

More than 1,800 BBVA Compass employees — plus another 250 friends and family members — joined their BBVA co-workers across the globe to participate in the bank’s Week of Volunteering September 24-30.  Employees across the footprint participated in 189 individual events, including Habitat for Humanity projects, food bank initiatives, community clean up efforts, and financial education workshops for individuals and small businesses.