Under-banked McDonald’s employees in St. Louis, Missouri now have access to a low-fee mobile banking account, the opportunity to build credit, and be eligible for additional financial products and services to help them achieve their financial goals.
In a transformative collaboration aimed at bolstering financial inclusivity and empowerment, FinLocker, a financial technology company based in St. Louis, which offers a pioneering personal financial fitness and homeownership tool, is proud to be partnering with MoCaFi, a mobile banking platform committed to closing America’s racial wealth gap, to offer under-banked McDonald’s employees in St. Louis the opportunity to establish a banking relationship and build a credit profile.
The collaboration, in partnership with St. Louis native James E. “Jimmy” Williams Jr., President and CEO of Estel Foods, Inc., which operates over 20 McDonald’s franchises in Illinois and Missouri, aims to provide hundreds of employees access to a low-fee mobile banking account, credit-building opportunities, financial education, and a range of financial products and services to help them achieve their financial goals.
“Foundational to financial empowerment are a bank account and a credit profile,” said Jimmy Williams, President and CEO of Estel Foods, Inc. “I’m thrilled that FinLocker and MoCaFi are partnering to offer my McDonald’s employees the financial tools and education to achieve their financial goals with the convenience of a mobile bank account for managing their income and using the credit building tools and other resources in the Blueprint app to make informed financial decisions.”
Employees embracing using their MoCaFi Bank Account for direct deposits will gain seamless access to their wages through a dedicated debit card, with no-fee cash withdrawals at Allpoint™ and Wells Fargo ATMs. They will also be able to utilize a no-fee electronic Bill Pay feature to bolster their credit score using their positive rent payment history.
“At MoCaFi, we’re driven by a mission to bring financial services to underbanked communities, creating pathways to financial empowerment for millions of people across the country,” said Wole Coaxum, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MoCaFi. “We are excited to partner with FinLocker to offer banking services, financial education, tools, and guidance to McDonald’s employees in underserved communities throughout Missouri and Illinois.”
Furthermore, employees will have access to the FinLocker-powered Blueprint app via MoCaFi. This comprehensive app equips users with tools to build and monitor their credit, manage their financial accounts, track their spending history, create budgets, and set financial goals. In addition, they will receive valuable financial education, access to personal coaching, and lender referrals for purchasing a car or a home.
“FinLocker is unwavering in its commitment to empower individuals with the tools needed to enhance their financial fitness, steering them toward homeownership,” said Brian Vieaux, President and Chief Operating Officer of FinLocker. “By providing access to financial education and credit-building tools through the FinLocker-powered Blueprint app via MoCaFi, this partnership aims to positively impact the lives of McDonald’s employees and their families throughout the St. Louis region.”
The MoCaFi bank account and Blueprint app are being rolled out through community engagement events being held at various McDonald’s locations. Starting early next year, they’ll become a standard part of the onboarding process for new McDonald’s employees, emphasizing Williams’ commitment to nurturing financial empowerment by providing essential financial tools from the outset of their employment journey.
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About FinLocker
FinLocker provides a secure financial fitness app that aggregates and analyzes a member’s financial data to offer hyper-personalized journeys that guide users in building and monitoring their credit, managing their financial accounts, budgeting, saving, reducing debt, and improving their mortgage readiness. Consumers can also initiate their property search and store personal and financial documents, which can be securely shared with their loan officer directly from the app to start their loan application. Mortgage lenders, banks, and credit unions white-label FinLocker to attract, assist, and educate members, gain market share, reduce loan processing costs, reduce friction, and create a lifetime of loyalty. For more information, visit FinLocker.com.
About MoCaFi
MoCaFi’s mission is to help excluded communities create wealth through better access to public, private, and social capital. MoCaFi’s Financial Services as Infrastructure™ platform works with government and philanthropic organizations to provide cash assistance, mobile banking, and financial programming to individuals and families. MoCaFi’s products include a Mastercard branded Immediate Response Card and Demand Deposit Account providing no-fee cash withdrawals, no-fee deposit options, online banking services and access to credit-building tools and financial literacy programs. Blueprint by MoCaFi empowers users to manage their finances, track credit scores, reduce debt, and work towards mortgage readiness. On Our Block by MoCaFi™ community-banking pop-ups bring its banking products, financial programming and resources to support Black and brown communities in building personalized pathways to wealth.
MoCaFi has been named to FORBES Fintech 50: Most Innovative Fintechs of 2021, FORTUNE’s Impact 20 (2021) and The Plug’s 100 Promising Black-led, High-Growth Tech Companies focusing on Social Impact ( 2023). For more information, visit www.mocafi.com.
The MoCaFi Bank Account and the MoCaFi Debit Mastercard are issued by Sunrise Banks N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. The card may be used everywhere Debit Mastercard is accepted. Use of this card constitutes acceptance of the terms and conditions stated in the Account Agreement. The MoCaFi Bank Account is marketed and administered by MoCaFi. MoCaFi is a financial technology company and not a bank. Banking services are provided by Sunrise Banks N.A. Your funds are FDIC insured up to $250,000 through Sunrise Banks, N.A., Members FDIC.
