Hartford Chase Branch Manager, Keith Williamson and Central Connecticut, Market Director, Mark Telesmanick along with State Banking Commissioner, Jorge Perez, and State Representative, Tom Delnicki, and branch staff cut the ribbon of Chase’s first CT Capital Region branch in fall 2019. Photo courtesy Chase Bank
Chase Bank held a grand opening celebration at its first branch in the Hartford area on Thursday. In addition to this new branch at 151 Asylum St. in Hartford, JPMorgan Chase plans to open between six and 10 branches in the region in the next few years. Last month Chase opened a branch at 201 W. Main St. in Avon. These new locations join more than 40 other Chase branches in Connecticut.
The new full-service branches include modern design elements and open, collaborative spaces with room for meetings and “Chase Chats,” a new series of small group sessions focused on financial health.
Chase plans to hire more than 50 people at these branches in the next few years, including veterans. Entry level employees will be paid no less than $18 per hour and will receive the firm’s full benefits package, including health care coverage and retirement savings.
Chase has had a Commercial Banking presence in the region since 2016. Small businesses entrepreneurs will have access to dedicated bankers and products, including small-business loans, merchant services, cash management and credit card services. Through Small Business Forward and Women on the Move initiatives, Chase will provide women-, minority- and veteran-owned small businesses access to capital and technical assistance.
As part of the branch expansion, Chase is also working with community partners to help drive inclusive economic growth. In June 2019, JPMorgan Chase committed $200,000 to support United Way’s ALICE Saves. The program is designed to encourage “ALICE” families – Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed – to begin saving. The program provides free coaching and financial rewards for saving.
SaverLife, a savings product from the California‐based nonprofit EARN, and Trusted Advisor, a financial counseling program operated by the New York-based Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners, are available to help families build emergency savings and work toward financial security. Individuals who sign up for ALICE Saves will receive $10 for each month in which they save at least $20 during their first six months of savings.
“We are excited to support the innovative collaborative effort of the Connecticut United Way, Earn and Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners,” Jeanique Druses, vice president of global philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase, said in a statement. “The latter two are both organizations that developed their financial technology products with the support from the JPMorgan Chase funded Financial Solutions Lab. To see these products evolve and to now fund their stackable impact to improve the Financial Health of Connecticut residents is amazing”
The program is open to all Connecticut residents over age 18 until the end of 2019.
