As of April 1, Sandy Spring Bank has merged into Atlantic Union Bank. Learn more on our merger site.

Financial Inclusion


Accessible Banking Solutions

We are committed to increasing people’s access to financial tools, while seeking to ensure that our products are affordable for as many members of our community as possible. This helps people access financial freedom for themselves and their families. Our Steps Toward Achieving Results (STAR) program is designed to make owning a home an affordable reality. This year, through our STAR program, we helped 66 families reach their goals of homeownership or improvement.

Since 2022, our PRISM Checking/Savings accounts have been Bank On certified, meeting standards for safe, low-cost financial products. These accounts offer a low minimum opening deposit, a low monthly maintenance fee, free branch access and functionalities like Bill Pay and Online Banking.

To further support financial access, PRISM accounts come with waived fees for our youngest and senior customers. Additionally, we offer Thank U Checking, a low-cost account option for military personnel, educators, healthcare professionals and first responders.

mom and daughter
debit card
BankOn Logo



Round Up Savings

In 2024, we introduced Round-Up Savings – an easy way for people to save. Round-Up Savings rounds up every transaction made with a debit card to the nearest whole dollar and moves the extra into a savings account. This helps customers save small amounts that can really add up over time. This helped our customers collectively save approximately $410,000 over the course of the year.


Homebuyer Support

We believe that owning a home shouldn’t be out of reach—especially for those working hard to achieve it. That’s why we are committed to providing down payment assistance, affordable loan options and community-focused lending to help individuals and families turn their homeownership dreams into reality.

In 2024 alone, we:

  • Provided $835,000 in down payment assistance to support 64 homebuyers, making homeownership more accessible.
  • Helped 230 first-time buyers secure financing, guiding them through the process with personalized support.
  • Funded over $47.4 million mortgages in low-to-moderate income (LMI) areas and underserved communities, increasing access to housing opportunities.

For many, purchasing a home is one of the most significant financial steps they will take. Whether it’s a young family buying their first home, a longtime renter finally achieving homeownership or a community member finding stability in an affordable home, we are here to offer qualified buyers the financial resources and guidance needed to make it happen.


Mortgage Assistance Center (MAC)

In 2024, our Mortgage Assistance Center (MAC) reached out to over 370 homeowners facing financial difficulties, providing support and resources to help them explore solutions to maintain homeownership. Through these efforts, MAC successfully facilitated loan modifications and forbearances, restructuring and deferring over $3.98 million to help borrowers regain their financial footing.

At its core, MAC supports homeowners facing unexpected hardships, such as job loss, medical emergencies or the passing of a loved one. By offering customized solutions like loan modifications, forbearances and alternative options, MAC has helped numerous families avoid foreclosure and find a path forward.

MAC’s personalized approach has transformed lives. One borrower, after losing a spouse and their income, feared they would lose their home. With MAC’s assistance, their loan term was extended, and their interest rate was adjusted, making homeownership sustainable. In another case, a borrower inherited a home already in foreclosure. Thanks to MAC’s quick intervention, the foreclosure was stopped, and a forbearance was arranged, giving them the time needed to restore the property and retain ownership.

By providing compassionate, solutions-driven support, the Mortgage Assistance Center is helping homeowners turn financial setbacks into fresh starts, allowing more families can remain in their homes during difficult times.




Banzai Financial Education Program

Learning about money is an eye-opener and door-opener to future success. That's why AUB sponsors Banzai, an online financial education platform, giving educators, students and community members free access to fun, easy to follow lessons right on their smartphone or computer.

Since partnering with Banzai, AUB has been able to help more than 25,000 students and 384 educators in our service areas to become better prepared for a successful financial future. 

Many options exist for financial education teaching materials. Unfortunately, most of the options available do not engage students with interesting and relevant material that is based on the real world. The Banzai Financial Literacy Program teaches proven principles through real life scenarios in an interactive virtual environment. Students are able to work at their own learning pace. Representatives from Atlantic Union Bank have also made themselves available to provide in-class support to students working through the program.

In addition to teaching financial skills in the classroom, we believe it’s never too late to begin your financial journey. With online platforms making learning more accessible than ever, financial education is within reach for all ages. As part of our ongoing commitment to the communities we serve, empowering individuals through financial literacy is a top priority. Our goal is to support schools, teachers, students and community members in building stronger financial futures.

2024 Banzai Numbers:

  • 173 Sponsored Schools
  • 6,080 Workbooks Ordered
  • 58 New Teachers
  • 1,622 Total Student Sign-Ups
  • 4,798 Student Logins
  • 4,169 Hours Spent
  • 52% Average Pre-Test Score
  • 82% Average Post-Test Score





Solutions Banking

Solutions Banking is a financial wellness program for businesses as a no-cost component of their employee benefits package. AUB provides the companies' employees with special banking rewards and tailored financial education through one-to-one consultation, tailored seminars, webinars and our on-demand financial education platform with Banzai.

In 2024, our Solutions Banking team made a measurable impact:

  • 690 companies participated in the program.
  • 257 site visits were conducted to deliver tailored support directly to businesses.
  • 74 financial education events were hosted to help employees at all levels enhance their financial well-being.

Through Solutions Banking, AUB is:

  • making financial education accessible to workplaces throughout the bank’s footprint;
  • addressing the unique needs of employees from entry level to the C-suite; and
  • reducing a top workforce pain point of attracting and retaining talent with our added employee financial wellness benefit.

We want businesses to have the tools to empower their teams with financial education. We believe in equipping employees with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive financially.

Teammates pirctured: Tonya Young, Kristin Routt, Jennifer Huffman, Cheryl Kirby

Small business loans make an impact

We are committed to strengthening our business ecosystem by providing small businesses with the financing they need to grow, create jobs and drive economic success. In 2024 alone, our SBA Lending helped create and retain 785 jobs, based on application data submitted to the US Small Business Administration. We are committed to seeking to ensure that businesses across our communities continue to thrive.

As a Preferred SBA Lender, our experienced Relationship Managers guide business owners through the benefits of SBA 504 and BCA loans, helping them select the best government-backed financing options for their unique needs. From navigating documentation and approvals to structuring loan terms that align with their goals, we are dedicated to making the lending process seamless.

Pictured: SBA 504 Chief Linda Reilly, SBA Financial Analyst Andrew Bermanson, BFG Chair Sarah DeVoe, AUB Group President- Business Banking and SBA Lending John Young and AUB Commercial Relationship Manager Michael Nester

 

Business Needs

At AUB, our goal is to understand the unique needs of our business clients and to provide them with the tools and resources needed to succeed and thrive in their respective industries.
 
We have established affinity partnerships in the community to offer workshops, seminars and networking events geared towards education. Our dedicated team of bankers are available to provide guidance and to help entrepreneurs make informed financial decisions and pursue their business goals.

Teammates pictured: Brenda Hisghman, Katrice Howard, Angela Sadsad and Neddal Abu-Taa 

Caution Regarding Forward–Looking Statements

This report contains certain forward–looking statements, including, but not limited to, certain plans, expectations, goals, projections, and statements, which are not historical facts and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties. Statements that do not describe historical or current facts, including statements about beliefs and expectations, are forward–looking statements. Forward–looking statements may be identified by words such as “expect,” “seek to,” “strive to,” “anticipate,” “vision,” “committed,” “believe,” “intend,” “estimate,” “continue,” “plan,” “target,” “goal,” or similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as will, may, might, should, would, could, or similar variations. The forward–looking statements are intended to be subject to the safe harbor provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While there is no assurance that any list of risks and uncertainties or risk factors is complete, below are certain factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained or implied in the forward–looking statements: changes in general economic, political, or industry conditions particularly in the markets in which we operate and which our loans are concentrated, including the effects of declines in real estate values, an increase in unemployment levels and slowdowns in economic growth; changes in market interest rates and their related impact on macroeconomic conditions, customer and client behavior, our funding costs, and our loan and securities portfolio; volatility and disruptions in capital and credit markets; inflation and its impact on economic growth and customer and client behavior; competitive pressures on product pricing and services; success, impact, and timing of our business strategies; the nature, extent, timing, and results of governmental actions, examinations, reviews, reforms, regulations, and interpretations; potential claims, damages, and fines related to litigation or government actions; cybersecurity risks and the vulnerability of our network and online banking portals, and the systems of parties with whom we contract, to unauthorized access, computer viruses, phishing schemes, spam attacks, human error, and other security breaches that could adversely affect or disrupt our business and financial performance or reputation; and the adverse effects of events beyond our control that may have a destabilizing effect on financial markets and the economy, such as epidemics and pandemics, war or terrorist activities, essential utility outages, deterioration in the global economy, instability in the credit markets, disruptions in our customers’ supply chains or disruption in transportation. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our Annual Report on Form 10–K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in our subsequent Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings, which are on file with the SEC and available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. All forward–looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and are based on information available at that time. We do not assume any obligation to update forward–looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward–looking statements were made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events except as required by federal securities laws. As forward–looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, caution should be exercised against placing undue reliance on such statements.

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