Align your money with your values
Third Act Upstate New York offers workshops for individuals and organizations to learn how to prevent their bank deposits, credit cards, insurance premiums, and investments from being used to finance the fossil fuel industry… and instead fund local businesses, community housing, and development of renewable clean energy. To host a workshop, write to: oxherders@icloud.com
#1 PERSONAL BANKING
If you bank with Chase, Citi, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, TD Bank, U.S. Bank or another mega-bank, some of your money is likely being used to fund companies causing climate destruction. Learn how to find regional and local credit unions and community banks that use your deposits to fund local businesses and farms, build local housing, and invest in your community... and not fossil fuel projects. Simply put: Shop Local - Eat Local - Bank Local.
Get an Alternative Bank
or Credit Union
Finding an alternative to a mega-bank that is funding fossil fuel companies is relatively easy as there are several options within most communities. Look for a credit union or community bank that is based within your state or region. Banking locally is a simple yet effective way to support your community.
#2 CREDIT CARDS
If you have a credit card with Chase, Citi, Bank of America, U.S. Bank (Elan Financial), or Wells Fargo, the money from transaction fees, annual fees, and interest on debt is feeding into the money pipeline to finance fossil fuel companies. Learn how to find an alternative credit card.
What Financial Institution Issues Your Credit Card?
The easiest way to get a climate-friendly credit card is to bank with a credit union or community bank that issues its own credit card.​
Many community banks offer credit cards featuring their logo but outsource the issuing and servicing to an “agent credit card bank”. Two of these banks are acceptable alternatives to the mega-banks: FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha) and TCM Bank; neither issue loans to or have assets invested in the fossil fuel industry.
Many credit unions offer credit cards featuring their logo but outsource the issuing and servicing to an “agent credit card issuer”. These credit card issuers are owned by credit unions associations and are not directly involved in funding fossil fuel companies:
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​America’s Credit Unions (formerly CUNA)
PSCU | COOP Solutions
CSCU - Card Services for Credit Unions)
Alert: many credit unions and community banks offer credit cards issued by Elan Financial a subsidiary of U.S. Bank, which is a major funder of fossil fuel companies.
Get a "Climate-Friendly"
Credit Card
Find a credit card to ensure that your expenditures are contributing the least possible into the money pipeline funding the extraction, production or distribution of fossil fuel.
click button for
updated guide from
TH!RD ACT Upstate New York
regional banks & credit unions
that issue their own credit cards:
First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO)
examples of regional banks with
"co-branded" credit cards:
Amalgamated Bank (FNBO)
Community Bank, N.A. (FNBO)
Wintrust Bank, N.A. (FNBO)
Co-Branded Cards
and Store Cards
Co-Branded cards feature the brand of a retailer, not-for-profit organization, major league sport, colleges, .
Affinity cards are co-branded cards that support non-profits through your credit card purchases. Each time you use an affinity card, the issuing bank donates a set amount to a partner nonprofit - averaging half a penny for every dollar you charge.
Co-branded and affinity cards are issued by a bank or other financial institution and can be used wherever the credit card network (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) is accepted.
Alert: Many co-branded and affinity credit cards are issued by the mega-banks: Costco/Citi; The Nature Conservancy/Bank of America; Amazon Visa/Chase; Target/TD Bank.
​
Look for credit cards issued by Synchrony or Bread Financial (formerly Comenity), which do not have significant investments in fossil fuel companies.
Store cards are private label credit cards branded for a specific store or brand.
Store cards are issued by a bank or other financial institution only for use at a specific store. Most store cards do not use a credit card network and do not have transaction fees or annual fees.​
​
Look closely as some store cards are issued by a mega-bank, but there are many issued by Bread Financial or Synchrony (which issues the "Amazon Prime" store card).
#3 HOME & AUTO INSURANCE
If you insure your home and/or auto with Liberty Mutual, Travelers, All-State, GEICO, State Farm or other major insurance companies, then some of your premium payment is likely being used to both insure and finance the excavation, production and distribution of oil, tar sands, coal and gas. Learn how to find mutual insurance companies that do not insure nor finance fossil fuel projects.
Get Insurance Companies Out of Fossil Fuels
Insurance companies are backing some of the most dangerous fossil fuel projects in the world. To make matters worse, they’re pulling your coverage when climate change hits. Join us is demanding that Liberty Mutual and the nation’s top insurance companies respond to the growing climate crisis.
Get a "Climate Smart"
Insurance Company
​Finding alternatives to the big national insurance companies that are insuring and/or funding fossil fuel companies has not been a simple task because - until now - there has not been a directory to find local and regional mutual insurance companies that are contributing the least possible into the money pipeline leading to climate chaos.
click for updated directory from Green America and
TH!RD ACT Upstate New York
This directory, though not comprehensive, contains several suggestions for local and regional home and auto insurance companies in each state.
This directory offers suggestions for which insurance companies to obtain quotes from through a local independent insurance agent or directly on-line..
Consider contacting two or three local independent insurance agents, as each agent works with different companies.
Insurance Companies That Insure & Invest in Fossil Fuels
Insure Our Future is a campaign holding the insurance industry accountable for its role in the climate crisis... it promotes the rapid shift of the insurance industry away from supporting and financing fossil fuels to accelerating the transition to a clean energy economy.
Insurers & Investors in Fossil Fuel
AllState
Chubb
Erie
Farmers (Zurich)
GEICO (Berkshire Hathaway)
The Hartford
Liberty Mutual
Nationwide
Progressive
State Farm
Travelers
USAA (Charles Schwab)
#4 INVESTMENTS
Large asset managers - companies that people pay to manage and invest their money - such as BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street, and Capital Group are the among the largest shareholders in fossil fuel companies on behalf of their clients. Learn about the mutual funds you are now investing in and how to find alternative investments... and learn how to find a financial advisor that shares your values.
Third Act Upstate New York and Rivers & Mountains GreenFaith, Inc. are not qualified investment or financial advisors, or any other kind of advisors. Information is provided as a public service to use - or not - for one's own purposes and at one's own risk. Third Act Upstate New York and Rivers & Mountains GreenFaith, Inc. do not endorse, and specifically disclaim responsibility for the future performance of, any bank, insurance company, financial advisor, asset manager, investment fund, or other financial business or product.