Community Bank? I don't think so....

What is a "Community Bank"? Don't let the marketing message of the Wells Fargo and others fool you. I'm going to pick on WF in this example because their most recent ad states that they are a community bank. How is this possible?

Aren't they a publicly traded company? Aren't they based on the West Coast and didn't they acquire Wachovia? Aren't they the second biggest bank after BOA? They are the proverbial 800lb gorilla in the room. They did take the TARP money where many community banks did not.

Let me put it this way. Why should you trust anyone who is willing to lie outright in their message to the public. The main mission of any publicly traded company is to their shareholders and their investors. How can they serve two masters. Afterall, if you serve Wall Street, doesn't your customer service and commitment to your clients seem secondary?

Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think.