BAI and Finacle just released their study on consumer attitudes about banks.
The BAI & Finacle Index of Bank Sentiment has been around since August of 2009. As you might expect, consumer trust in banks has dropped since then (remember all the headlines about big banks and the financial crisis?) but seems to be leveling off as the dust settles. In addition:
"Thirty-seven percent of respondents indicate they see banks as trustworthy up from 33 percent six months ago. Respondents age 65 to 70 held this sentiment most strongly, while consumers age 21 to 34 had the lowest trust levels of banks."
Attitudes about fees are not changing. 85% of respondents believe that checking accounts should be free, but free checking is becoming less and less common. At the same time, respondents seem to understand that banks need to make a few bucks to stay in business:
"Forty-four percent of respondents state that fees charged by banks are reasonable, yet 42 percent remain neutral about the fairness of fees."
How has your view of banks changed recently? Tell us about it in the comments.