In 2009, many big bank executives took home six-figure bonuses while other people struggled to keep their homes out of foreclosure.

When Salem resident Shelby Banks accepted a week of temporary work for a small business, the check they gave her bounced, but she wasn't notified about it until after she had paid her rent and purchased groceries for her two sons. The resulting fees cost her hundreds of dollars she couldn’t afford.

She isn’t alone. For thousands of reasons, people across the nation are facing massive penalties from the big four banks: JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citi and Wells Fargo, who are receiving taxpayer bailouts. Additionally, the bailouts, designed to get business moving again, have resulted in relatively few loans to small business owners, according to U.S. Treasury data.

In January, a seed was planted that is growing throughout the nation and around the mid-Willamette Valley. The Move Your Money movement, www.moveyourmoney.info, may have started with five New York high-rollers, but it is now sweeping the country with help from social media and public frustration.

Arianna Huffington, one of the five, acknowledged in a Huffington Post column that the movement likely wouldn’t have a profound impact on the business practices of larger banks; however, in Salem, local banks and credit unions have noticed a rise in new customers.

“There have definitely been stories similar to this,” said Mike Corwin, the Assistant Vice-President for Business Development at OSU Federal Credit Union. “Consumers are looking at other options. We had very steady growth in 2009. We haven’t seen a rush of money to community banks, but people have seen the headlines and are responding.”

According to the Move Your Money Web site, in addition to loans being channeled back to farmers and small businesses in the community, local banks may also consider all mitigating circumstances in bank loans and be able to make approvals when big banks won’t. Additionally, most community banks are small businesses themselves and bank officers are typically available to talk to customers.

Stayton resident Brian Corcoran recently switched to a credit union because of customer service.

“Since the change from WAMU to Chase, their customer service has gone downhill as well as their business practices,” he said. "We have always experienced better service with the credit union ... but with the amount of bank locations with the big banks, our everyday money has been with them until now. We would rather be treated like a valuable customer over convenience.”

While calls to the big four banks were returned, none chose to respond to questions about the Move Your Money movement or lending practices.

While outwardly it may appear that community banks are a solid choice, more than 550 have been taken over nationwide and their assets sold by the FDIC. Three of those banks were in Oregon in 2009 and one in January, including Silver Falls Bank, formerly based in Silverton.

That bank succumbed to a heavy debt load related to the construction industry. Additionally, according to the Appeal Tribune, one loan officer allegedly approved millions of dollars in loans to those unable to afford them. When many builders went bust, the bank couldn’t fulfill its obligations to customer investments, resulting in the takeover.

To help consumers find healthy banks, www.moveyourmoney.info is linked to the Institutional Risk Analytics database, which analyzes the financial health of community banks and lists those with grades of A or B.

In Salem, Citizens Bank, Pioneer Trust, and Washington Federal Savings made the list. The IRA database does not include credit unions.

Although there may not be a mad dash to move away from the big banks at this time, Corwin said he believes businesses and individuals are looking for more than a place to park their money.”

“The dollars they invest stay right here,” Corwin said. “We’re helping local businesses succeed and that’s important part of living in and building a community.”