The stat that should make every CMO pay attention.
Nearly 1 in 10 Hispanic households in the U.S. still keep their savings “under the mattress,” meaning they don’t have a bank account at all, according to the FDIC. Millions more are underbanked, underserved and disengaged from products that can help them build real financial wealth.
The problem isn’t language.
Ask a bank why Latino customers aren’t opening accounts, and you’ll hear the same answer: language. Translate the website. Hire a bilingual teller. Problem solved.
But it goes deeper than that.
Trust in banking is a family memory. Many Latino households watched relatives get turned away, overcharged, or misled, here or back home. That history doesn’t disappear because your homepage now has a Spanish toggle. Distrust in government and financial institutions is especially real in 2026.
The number that proves it.
Fifty-five percent of Latino savers say they’re dissatisfied with financial services, according to McKinsey research. Not because the products are bad, because the relationship never got built.
What actually builds trust.
It’s a segment marketing strategy that meets them where they are, speaks their language, and shows you care. It’s the stories that reflect how Latino families live and bank: multigenerational households, remittances sent home, cash habits that don’t fit a standard credit score model. It’s messaging built from those realities instead of borrowed from a general market campaign. It’s earned media and community partnerships that put your institution’s name in front of people before you’re asking them for anything. It’s redirecting media budget toward sponsoring the local youth league instead of running one ad during the game.
That’s the real shift marketing can drive: from advertising to Latino customers to showing up as part of their community.
Why most banks miss it.
This isn’t a marketing tactic. It’s a long game, and most banks aren’t playing it. They want the fast fix: a translated homepage, a bilingual ad, a check-the-box campaign. Trust doesn’t work on that timeline.
We are.
Captiva Branding helps financial institutions earn Latino trust through strategy built on cultural fluency, not translation. If your institution is ready to stop guessing and start building real relationships, let’s talk. Check out bankingforlatinos.com and download for free The Latino Growth Strategy Playbook (no email required).
The takeaway: Language gets you in the door. Trust keeps people there. Build for both.
Source for 55% stat: McKinsey, “The economic state of Latinos in America: Advancing financial growth,” Dec. 2023.
Pam is Captiva’s Co- Founder and Chief Brand Officer. She’s a bilingual (English/Spanish) communications strategist with 17+ years of experience spanning federal agencies, nonprofits, and the private sector. She’s led science-based public health campaigns for federal clients including the FDA (genetically modified foods), HHS Office on Women’s Health (multicultural communications), and CDC (Zika awareness, English and Spanish), building measurable brand awareness on complex topics for diverse audiences.
