2022 365 Picture Today Post

49/365 | Friday, February 18, 2022 | #365PictureToday

Off Prompt

Picture Color | Red

Today was the end of an era.  I opened a bank account in October 1986 at what was then called Fauquier National Bank in Catlett.  I was sixteen and a senior in high school, and it was time to upgrade from a savings account to a checking account.  Several months later I traveled off to college at the University of Virginia, and even though the internet was a few years off, the ATM had become popular and merchants in Charlottesville were willing to accept out-of-town checks from college students because of the strength of the Honor Code at UVA so I kept my account at my hometown bank.  I stayed in Charlottesville for several years after graduating, and thanks to direct deposit, I still kept my account at my beloved small town bank.  After getting married, my husband and I moved back to Fauquier County to raise our family, and still, I kept my account at our local bank.  Over the years the name changed from Fauquier National Bank to the Fauquier Bank, and they added more branches.  Other local banks merged with big national banks.  Some banks closed. New banks opened.  But for 120 years the Fauquier Bank was here to serve our county.  They were holding their own and fending off attempts from larger banks to absorb them.  Then on April 21, 2021, that all changed.  The Fauquier Bank decided to merge with Virginia National Bank to become a regional bank.  Promises were made that the merger would be good for Fauquier Bank customers and that our interests would be protected; that nothing would change.  That turned out to be far from the truth.  Bank lobbies were closed during the summer of 2021 for weeks at a time for "training."  Charges for routine banking services were suddenly appearing.  Bank lobbies again closed in January 2022.  I stuck it out as long as I could, but by the fall of 2021 it was clear that the new management didn't care about their clients in Fauquier County; they were just out to make a quick buck off of us.  I did some research and found a new local bank, and after allowing all of our checks to clear and establishing direct deposit at the new bank, it was time to close my account.  Since the lobbies are closed, this required making an appointment.  Yes, I had to make an appointment to do a routine banking activity!  So after 35 1/2 years, I closed my account at what was formerly The Fauquier Bank (the signs still say it is), now Virginia National Bank.  Because of the bank's red brick, this manages to fit with color week.