PROVIDENCE – Six banks and six credit unions with operations within Rhode Island and Bristol County, Mass., were named to the “America’s Best Regional Banks & Credit Unions 2026” list by Newsweek.
The rankings, produced by Newsweek in partnership with Plant-A Insights Group, evaluated more than 9,000 financial institutions nationwide using customer surveys, digital reviews and social media data. The final list includes 500 regional banks and 500 regional credit unions.
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Of the six regional banks, four have operations in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts – Beacon Bank, Eastern Bank, Webster Bank and Santander Bank; and two are located in Bristol County, Mass. – Mechanics Cooperative Bank in Taunton and North Easton Savings Bank in South Easton.
Of the six credit unions, five are located in Bristol County, Mass., including Westport Federal Credit Union in Westport, Fall River Municipal Credit Union in Fall River, First Citizens’ Federal Credit Union in Fairhaven, New Bedford Credit Union in New Bedford and St. Anne’s Credit Union in Fall River. While Navigant Credit Union was the only Rhode Island-based credit union named to the list, this year marked its third consecutive recognition on the list.
Navigant CEO and President Kathleen C. Orovitz said the recognition reflects the institution’s focus on service and community engagement.
“This honor is a true testament to our team, our mission and the trust our members place in us,” she said.
Navigant operates 25 branch locations across Rhode Island.
The rankings methodology drew on more than 71,000 customer surveys, 1.9 million social media reviews and 129 million mobile app reviews, measuring factors such as customer satisfaction, trust, digital experience and service quality.
Jennifer H. Cunningham, editor-in-chief for Newsweek, said the rankings highlight the role regional institutions continue to play in their communities.
“More than financial service providers, local banks are community partners, showing up in neighborhoods, participating in local initiatives and helping strengthen the connections that bind their members together,” she said.
Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.
