Feb 13, 2017

Question: In What Year Was The First A.T.M. Installed (And Other Fun Facts About Banking)?

Answer: 1969.

Good opener to this 1,000 word article (about 5 minutes reading time) on the history of banking from NerdWallet. Here are a few interesting points (some of which I even remember!):

  • During Civil War, government levied a tax on the use of banknotes
  • FDIC originally insured deposits up to $5,000 in 1934 (that would be $91,000 in today’s dollars)
  • Banks used to give out appliances to encourage consumers to set up accounts: “New customers received prizes when they opened new accounts — if you walked into a bank with a deposit in those days, you might leave with a toaster or an electric wall clock.”
  • Banks actually used to pay out interest on savings accounts. We have been in a low-interest rate environment for about a year now.
    • “In 1957, people could earn 3% interest. By 1986, some passbook savings accounts paid over 5%.”
    • I can recall earning 15% per year on a 5 year CD during my youth. Taught me a great lesson in compounding interest!
  • Most people still like to visit bank branches:
    • “But don’t write off brick-and-mortar banks and branches just yet: In a 2016 study from the consulting firm Bain & Company, 92% of respondents over the age of 65 and 84% of people aged 18 to 24 said they had visited a teller at least once in the previous quarter.”

________

Interested in bank accounts? Check out this NGPF Activity on Selecting a Checking Account

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

author image More by Tim right solid arrow
Mail Icon

Subscribe to the blog

Join the more than 12,000 teachers who get the NGPF daily blog delivered to their inbox: