STATISTICS, FACTS, & SUCH

• 91% of banks and savings institutions now offer ATM services, with almost 89 % of them levying some type of charge for using their machines. Federal Reserve Study, www.frbservices.org.
  
  
• 85% of Internet banks do not charge their customers who choose to use another bank's ATM. Bankrate.com
  
  
• Approximately 22% of interest bearing accounts at Internet banks do not charge a service fee, compared to only 4% at traditional banks. However, Internet banking usually requires a greater minimum opening deposit. Bankrate.com
  
  
• In the year 2000, Friday was the most likely day for a robbery to occur - 1,634 times, as opposed to Thursday's low of 1,236 (not counting Saturdays and Sundays.) Most (2,026) robberies took place between 9 to 11 a.m.; the least (1,468) between 3 to 6 p.m. Branch offices were hit the most (7,003) in contrast to 410 at main offices. 4,901 bank robberies were in commercial districts as opposed to 522 in residential branches. Notes were used 3,782 times - weapons used 2,279 times. FBI Crime Statistics, 2000
  
  
• 10% to 13% of U.S. households, primarily low-to-moderate-income, minorities, and recent immigrants, do not have bank accounts. FDIC Chairman Don Powell, introducing Spanish version of Money Smart www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/ moneysmart/index.html
  
  
• $18 billion is wired annually to Latin America, $9.5 billion to Mexico alone. Latinos' disposable income is projected to be $600 billion this year. 60% of Latino immigrants are currently unbanked. One California bank opened 25,000 accounts in seven months by accepting Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers issued by the IRS, or the Matricula consular card issued by Mexican consulates to open new accounts. Ibid.
  
  
• The average amount of a credit card transaction in the United States is $70. The highest interest rate charged on any credit card is 41%, according to CompuCredit, which did not name the issuer. Motley Fool/Cardweb.com

Copyright © 2002 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 12, No. 9, 12/02