AARP BankSafe: Protection Against Financial Exploitation

The AARP BankSafe Initiative

The BankSafe Initiative helps the financial industry better meet consumers’ financial needs and safeguard their assets. The initiative focuses on four key areas:

Preventing financial exploitation
Empowering family caregivers
Helping those with dementia
Making banking tools and environments easier to access

With the average victim losing $120,000, prevention of financial exploitation is critical to AARP’s mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. BankSafe meets this need by conducting research into consumer insights, facilitating partnerships between the aging network and the financial industry, and developing the innovative BankSafe training platform to help financial professionals identify and stop suspected exploitation.

How Banks and Credit Unions Can Better Serve and Protect People 50-Plus

AARP BankSafe Financial Exploitation Intervention Platform

aarp banksafe-trained staff have stopped nearly $300 million from being stolen

Download BiteSized BankSafe

New: BiteSized BankSafe

Download new resources for financial institutions to share with frontline employees to help keep their financial exploitation prevention skills fresh.

The free plug-and-play package includes:

A never-before-seen testimonial discussing an emerging trend in financial exploitation: A.I.-based scams
An email template to share emerging A.I. trends in exploitation with employees
A tipsheet and banker testimonial emphasizing the importance of spotting red flags
A social media kit, including suggested posts and hashtags to distribute on owned social media channels

Awards

AARP’s BankSafe Initiative has been recognized both nationally and internationally as a leading resource for the financial industry in the fight against financial exploitation. Our resources are proven to help frontline staff prevent and report exploitation and people are talking about it.

Learnx Live Platinum Award

The Telly Awards honor excellence in video and television. Each year, the awards are given to some of the most respected agencies in the world and showcase the best of the best in production across all screens. AARP BankSafe was recognized for its innovation in video production and quality.

The Davey Awards acknowledge big ideas within small budgets. Sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, the prestigious Davey recognizes creativity and innovation in video production.

AARP BankSafe has received two Gold Awards in Excellence in Learning from the Brandon Hall Group for the “Best Results of a Learning Program” category

The Banking Technology, Women in Technology Awards recognize outstanding, innovative women making a positive impact within their organization and on the wider banking and financial services industry. Jilenne Gunther, National Director for AARP’s BankSafe Initiative was recognized as a leader in the way she uses interactive technology and real-world experiences in BankSafe’s training approaches. This combined with her collaboration with financial industry partners to combat financial exploitation head-on gave her this prestigious recognition as an industry leader.

The Association Women Technology Impact Award is given to an individual who has pioneered the use of technology in a way that has a substantial impact on members and moves their association forward. The Director of BankSafe, Jilenne Gunther won this award by creating a free, interactive training platform designed to empower bank, credit union and investment firm employees to stop financial exploitation from occurring before it happens.

The Learning Award is the ultimate accolade given to any enterprise providing learning services to external partners. As a finalist, AARP BankSafe has demonstrated consistent high-quality, innovative strategies in recognizing and preventing financial exploitation in older Americans.

brandon hall group gold award

The Horizon Interactive Award is recognized as one of the most prestigious web design awards available and AARP BankSafe was honored with a Silver for its excellence in interactivity and site design.

A Free, Award-Winning Training, Endorsed by the Financial Industry

"The BankSafe training is a game changer. It's taking training new employees to a whole new level. It's flexible and provides the accountability that a bank wants and the modern training that employees have come to expect."

— Linda Navarro, President and CEO, Oregon Bankers Association

"As the CEO of a small credit union, it's really important that we're here to protect our members, and that's what's great about BankSafe. Our members come to us because they trust us, and now we have the training to show them we know what we're talking about."

— Linda White, CEO, Upward Credit Union

BankSafe graphic

New Course and Research Addressing Gift Card Fraud

AARP has launched a brand new course available to all U.S. retailers to prevent gift card and money-wiring fraud. Learn more about this growing concern and email us at BankSafe@aarp.org to sign up for the free course today!

What Every Financial Institution Should Know

Learn what the 50+ want out of financial institutions and ways to protect consumers from exploitation

Access BankSafe Guides and Resources

Get tip sheets, checklists and other resources for financial institutions, employees and consumers

The Impact of AARP BankSafe

Researchers from Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology studied the impact of training bank and credit union staff to spot and prevent financial exploitation. The research shows significant benefits to consumers and financial institutions when frontline employees take the AARP BankSafe training rather than other forms of training, including:

A 133% increase in knowledge regarding exploitation
Four times greater employee confidence in recognizing, preventing, and reporting cases of financial exploitation
BankSafe trained employees saved 16x more money from exploitation

Banksafe trained employee graphic

Full Report – AARP BankSafe™: The Impact of Training Financial Professionals to Prevent Financial Exploitation

Summary – AARP BankSafe™: The Impact of Training Financial Professionals to Prevent Financial Exploitation

Apply for the AARP BankSafe Trained Seal

As part of the BankSafe program, banks, credit unions and investment firms can apply to have AARP verify that at least 80% of their frontline staff successfully passed the BankSafe training and confirm that they have a financial-exploitation escalation reporting policy. Qualifying banks, credit unions, and investment firms in good standing can apply to receive a seal from AARP, good for one year, recognizing their commitment to fighting exploitation. Learn how to earn the BankSafe trained seal.

2024 AARP BankSafe Verified Organizations

Abacus Federal Savings Bank

Allegacy Federal Credit Union

American Commerce Bank, N.A.

Americas Credit Union

AmeriChoice Federal Credit Union

AppleTree Credit Union

Approach Financial Inc

Availa Bank

Bangor Federal Credit Union

Bank of Eastern Oregon

Bank of Springfield

BankGloucester

Bay Port State Bank

Bellwether Community Credit Union

Better Banks

Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union

BW Financial Planning

CalCom FCU

Cape Cod Five

CASE Credit Union

Cavalot Capital LLC

Chase Bank

Chesapeake Bank

Chesapeake Bank and Trust

Chicago Firefighters Credit Union

Chief Financial Federal Credit Union

Citizens Federal Savings Bank

Cloverbelt Credit Union

Collective Wealth Planning

Commercial National Bank of Brady

Community Credit Union

Community West Credit Union

Connected Credit Union

Conscious Impact Financial Planning

Cornerstone Bank

Cornerstone Credit Union

Dedham Savings

Delta Schools Federal Credit Union

Desert Valleys FCU

Dillon Financial Planning

East Cambridge Savings Bank

Eastmill Federal Credit Union

Embassy Bank for the Lehigh Valley

Embers Credit Union

Employees Federal Credit Union

Family First CU

Farmers and Merchants National Bank

Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Bushnell

Fidelity Bank and Trust

Firelands Federal Credit Union

First Bank Chicago

First Bank of Wyoming, a Division of Glacier Bank

First Education Federal Credit Union

First National Bank and Trust Phillipsburg Kansas

First National Bank of St. Ignace

First Pioneers FCU

First State Bank a Division of Glacier Bank

First Trust Credit Union

FirstEnergy Family Credit Union

Five County Credit Union

Fond du Lac Credit Union

Freedom Credit Union

Friend Bank

Gamma Wealth Management

Georgia Banking Company

Glacier Hills Credit Union

Greenville Federal Credit Union

Hampton Roads Educators Credit Union

Harborstone Credit Union

Harris County Federal Credit Union

Hawaiian Financial FCU

Heartland Credit Union

Heartland State Bank

Hilltop Bank

Holy Rosary Credit Union

Homefield Credit Union

HomeTown Bank

Horicon Bank

Horizon Credit Union

Howland Capital Management LLC

HTG Investment Advisors Inc

Intandem Credit Union

Jersey Shore Financial Advisors LLC

Katahdin Federal Credit Union

KEB Hana Bank USA

Kennebunk Savings Bank

KJH Financial Services

Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union

Kopka Financial LLC

KS StateBank

Main Street Bank

Maine Savings Federal Credit Union

Marquette Savings Bank

Mattel Federal Credit Union

MAX Credit Union

Members First Credit Union

Members First Credit Union MI

MembersOwn Credit Union

Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union

Michigan United Credit Union

Midcoast Federal Credit Union

Modestos First Federal Credit Union

Montana Credit Union

MPD Community Credit Union

Natco Credit Union

NBT Bank

NE PA Community Federal Credit Union

Nebraska State Bank & Trust Co

Net Worth Asset Management

Nevada Bank & Trust

New Cumberland Federal Credit Union

Nikkei Credit Union

North Star Community Credit Union

Northeast Bank - Lewiston

Northstar Financial Planning LLC

Onomea Federal Credit Union

Oxford FCU

Parkside Credit Union

Peoples State Bank of Munising

Pinal County Federal Credit Union

Piscataqua Savings Bank

Polam Federal Credit Union

POPA Federal Credit Union

Rayne Building & Loan Association

Rewey Asset Management

River City Federal Credit Union

Rollstone Bank and Trust

Romney Federal Credit Union

Route 31 Federal Credit Union

RTD Financial

Security Bank - Illinois

Service 1 FCU

Service One Credit Union

Share Advantage Credit Union

Shotwell Rutter Baer

Signal Financial Planning LLC

Sioux Valley Community Credit Union

Southwest Montana Community Credit Union

Spectra Federal Credit Union

Squam Lakes Financial Advisors LLC

State Street Bank

Sturdy Savings Bank

SunCoast Credit Union

Synergos Advisory LLC

The First National Bank of Bemidji

The Village Bank

Tongass Federal Credit Union

Tower Federal Credit Union

Trademark FCU

Tri State Rail Federal Credit Union

Triangle Federal Credit Union

TRU FI Credit Union

United Bay Community Credit Union

United Midwest Savings Bank

United Savings Credit Union

University Credit Union

Upward Credit Union

Valley First Credit Union

Vantage West Credit Union

VRM Mortgage Services

WatchDog Planning

WayMaker Financial Planning

WealthDevs

West Community Credit Union

Wexford Community Credit Union

WyHy FCU

Zing Credit Union

Zuraw Financial Advisors

new bank safe seal

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