why First Financial?

We stay flexible to serve your needs

Not only are we on our toes – we can touch them. Thanks to our strategic growth, technology, and regional roots, First Financial has the combined resources and knowledge to flexibly meet our clients’ needs.

The members of our team know the neighborhoods where our clients want to buy homes and start businesses, because they’re the same neighborhoods where we live and work. So when we look at a loan application, we see more than just the numbers. We see the bigger picture and adjust our offerings based on your needs and our knowledge of the area.

This bigger picture includes the potential of every neighborhood, and the people and businesses that shape its destination. We have, for example, assisted more than 6,500 businesses through the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program, which issues forgivable business loans of up to $10 million to cover payroll, rent, debt interest, and other expenses.¹ We began assisting clients on day one of the program, and have issued nearly $900 million in funding since spring 2020. 

We jump to take advantage of programs like this because they help us fulfill our role as a “say yes” kind of bank. And thanks to our size, heritage, and expertise, we put those programs to work for our clients wherever they are on their financial – and life – journey.

We invest in the community, financially and personally

We opened our doors in Hamilton, Ohio, in 1863, making us the sixth-oldest bank in America. We’re here for you through ups and downs.  We’ve withstood the worst financial crises our country has seen, managing to support our local communities throughout.  And, we’ve supported you through economic highs as well.

We understand that as a local lender, we play an essential role in helping to build and maintain strong local economies. One way we proudly put this commitment to work is through our ALIVE strategy, which stands for Access, Lending, Investing/Inclusion, Volunteering, and Education.

A main focus of our ALIVE strategy is to help increase financial literacy and education in our communities, particularly within underbanked communities. This includes providing affordable, easy access to the banking and lending services that help all people and communities thrive. Here are some of the ways we do so:

• Through our partnerships with local nonprofits and community organizations, we help bring affordable housing, jobs, and economic opportunity to the areas that need it most. Our individual development savings and match accounts, for example, help low-income families trying to save for home ownership, post-secondary education, and other goals.
• We believe dreams should be accessible. Our Credit Achiever Program is a savings-secured loan through which proceeds are deposited into an interest-bearing savings account as collateral. In August 2019, we also created our Dream Builder loans for borrowers with limited income.
• We invest in emerging markets through our First Financial Foundation, which supports neighborhood and workforce development, education, culture, and the arts. In 2021, our associates completed 11,791 volunteer hours and the Bank donated funds, laptops, and even our buildings to emerging communities.
• Our commitment to inclusion. We recognize the worth and dignity of all people, so we work hard to provide access to the resources needed to make their opportunities come to life. Our diversity spending represents 17% of our total spending.

In short, we know community development is more than words. It’s action.

We tailor our services to your needs

Acting on behalf of the community also means offering a variety of services and products so everyone can find a solution to their needs, regardless of the size of their accounts.

We have more than a dozen checking and savings accounts alone to choose from. Our NOworry checking, for example, protects holders from overdraft fees by declining transactions that exceed funds. And our Everyday Student account helps teens prepare to become financially aware adults. Not sure what account to open? We’ll ask the right questions to help you find what solutions best meet your needs.

We also provide specialized mortgage programs for doctors, veterans, and those choosing to buy in low- to moderate-income urban areas. And we have highly specialized business offerings that reflect our regional lineage. Our agribusiness experts, for example, are seasoned professionals who know the complexities of running a farm and maintaining our nation’s food supply chain.

We designed each of our services to help our clients succeed financially, and more is yet to come.