Battle Bank

Our Mission is to Revolutionize Banking: Traditional banks have the standard low-rate and high-fee model, while most digital banks offer narrow client solutions and minimal access to global products overall. Battle Bank is different. We will reduce uncertainty by clearly articulating when fees apply and adhering to a “fee-for-service” mentality, allowing you to make better, more informed banking decisions. Check us out at BattleBank.com

President

Creating the Void

After about 20 years of working on the EverBank project I am now delighted to be taking a break.  I am creating a void so that new innovation thoughts can have room to maneuver in spaces that have been devoted to the business.  More to come, stay tuned.

Chairman

EverBank

Responsible for EverBank World Markets, EverBank Wealth Management, and EverTrade Direct Brokerage.

Chairman, EverBank Global Markets

President, EverBank Direct

EverBank Wealth Management

Mercantile Bank St Louis

SVP - Director International Markets

Mark Twain Bank

Director - International Markets

Frank Trotter has been involved in the banking business since 1981. In 1998, he became a co-founder of everBank.com, a national direct-to-consumer bank which was acquired by EverBank Financial in 2004. From 1998 through the sale of EverBank Financial Corp to TIAA in 2017, he served in various executive capacities including Chairman of everBank.com, President of EverBank Direct, and Chairman of EverBank Wealth Management. From 1981 through 1997, Frank served Mark Twain Banks in various capacities including Vice President of Commercial Lending, and President of Mark Twain International Markets. In 1986, Frank created the WorldCurrency® deposit product for Mark Twain Banks and operated this business through 1997. In 2000, everBank.com acquired this business from the successor of Mark Twain Banks and operated the product line at EverBank. Frank holds a Bachelor of Arts from St Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and an MBA from Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri.

At Battle Bank we consider ourselves community bankers so it was great to sit down virtually with Caleb Stevens for this edition of the Community Bank Podcast.

This discussion is pointed mostly at bankers so if that's of interest to you please jump on and listen.

We are building a bank to service our community that is not defined by geography but rather by attitude, philosophy, and outlook.

Take a peek at https://www.battlebank.com if you haven't been there already.




Lara Trosky

Frank Trotter

View company: SouthState Correspondent Division

🎙️Listen to the newest episode of The Community Bank Podcast!🎙️

Today we sit down with Frank Trotter, CEO of Battle Bank. We talk about his background with EverBank, how he raised $100 million in capital to start Battle Bank, and how to build a bank based on "mindset" not geography.

Listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/ed2SDj2y
Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ePC4D3qU

Cash for free.  Or your cash for free anyway.

After being charged $4 at the ATM to take out $300 a couple weeks ago I was further charged $2.50 by the debit card issuer.  I had never heard of this but a little investigation showed it was rampant across the banking industry.

So pay no interest, charge monthly fee, and charge when you don't use their ATM - what on earth is wrong with that?

Coming soon to you will be the Battle Bank High Yield Cash Account.  Money market interest, no monthly fees above a $5,000 average balance, and we'll reimburse your monthly ATM fees up to $30.

With more stores and restaurants changing for using a debit or credit card we're seeing more use of cash.  Don't let your bank change your for something that is yours.

https://www.battlebank.com

Sometimes things fall right into your lap.

I spend a fair amount of time talking about the big financial supermarkets.  Low to no interest on checking deposits.  Often low to no interest on savings accounts. 

My hypothesis is that to support any branch network, even a small one, you'll have to design your product set to focus on fees.

Fees on deposit accounts.
Large mark-ups on currency transactions.
Lots of junk fees.

But this testimony takes the cake.

You won't be surprised that at Battle Bank we plan to be transparent concerning fees, and keep them as low as we can.

It's one of our founding principals.

Get ready to kiss your big box bank goodbye and join the Waitlist to open your account at Battle Bank.

https://www.battlebank.com

A loan officer just told me something that floored me.
They don't have loan goals anymore. Zero. 
Instead, they're just chasing fee income.




Let that sink in…

This wasn’t a rookie banker. It was a seasoned middle market commercial loan officer at JPMorgan Chase.

Someone who’s spent years helping businesses secure financing, now being told, “Forget new loans. Focus on fees.”

Credit cards. Deposits. Account fees.
All the small charges that quietly appear on your statement and make you wonder what they’re for.

That says a lot about where big banking is heading.

When institutions become so large that new loans barely register on the balance sheet, the priorities naturally evolve.
Fee income is faster. Easier. More predictable.

And that shift has real consequences.
Talented lenders are being turned into fee generators.
Business owners are left dealing with systems that care more about transactions than trust.

Meanwhile, smaller banks are quietly doing what banking was meant to do.
They’re listening.
They’re lending.
They’re still invested in helping their local economies grow.

This isn’t about big versus small.
It’s about what happens when scale overtakes purpose.

For business owners, it’s worth paying attention.
Sometimes the best financial partner isn’t the biggest name.
It’s the one that still believes in lending as a way to build relationships, not just revenue.

Because when the purpose shifts from growth to fees, everyone eventually feels it.

#effectuate

Junk fees, what are you seeing?

Just wow.

I walked up to the ATM to pull out some cash. This time I’ll try my FirstBank  card.

Enter the PIN, choose the cash alternative, yes, I know there’s an ATM fee, grab the cash and go. Magic in its own way.

On the next day’s financial transaction summary there was a shocking surprise.

In addition to the ATM fee, eFisrtBank had added its own $2.50 charge.

So not only did they not reimburse my ATM fee, which Battle Bank plans to do for clients who have our High Yield Cash Account (of course see disclosures on our website), they charged me an additional fee.

Banks are out of control with junk fees, even while paying zero interest on accounts.

First up, shame on me for not reading the fine print.  But wow, this is a new one that I didn't see coming.

Okay, so we’ve gotten used to the required “resort fee” that hotels charge in addition to their daily rental. 

Restaurants that automatically add a 20% tip (so sad Danny Meyer wasn’t successful with the no-tip idea).  

Fees that appear random on our brokerage statement.

Many others – list your least favorite or the most despicable . . . 

It’s their way of doing business so if that's how they want to do it then it's up to them.

My alternative is to move my account.

I’ll be doing that shortly. To Battle Bank.

A fair rate of interest. Transparent fees. No junk fees.

The battle for better banking starts soon. Join the Waitlist and kiss your banker goodbye.

li_at

JSESSIONID

FirstBank

President at Battle Bank

The time is now!  You heard that right.

Battle Bank will provide storage for your precious metals.  Now.

Safe and secure.  No more under the floorboard or buried in the back yard.

We believe in holding precious metals as the rock solid foundation in your portfolio.

And you can store them with us.  Now.

Hold them here to add to your position.  Maybe borrow against the holdings to provide yourself with liquidity while you maintain the position.

There is a lot more to come at Battle Bank, but you can contact our Global Markets team at GlobalMarkets@battlebank.com to discuss how you can ship your metals to us.  Now.

Store it or Ship it!

Brink’s vault or your doorstep? You’ll choose. Battle Bank will give you control over your metals—because your assets shouldn’t be held hostage.

Frank Trotter Rick Rule #PreciousMetals #MetalsLoans #BattleForBetterBanking

Know anyone who fits this description - and maybe that's you - that loves bank operations and wants to work in Islandia, New York.

Well this is the job for them (you)!!!

As I watch other institutions and their labyrinth of accounts I wonder what the meetings are like at Product Committee.

Is there an internal game to add fees that won't be obvious?

What does a rate committee look like when the APY is 0.01%?

Who decided to require a Canadian to come into a physical branch to open an account?

Everyone must go to the bar at the end of the week and fall down laughing as they discuss what new trick was implemented.

It's about time to kiss your current banker goodbye and good riddance.

Join the Waitlist at Battle Bank and get ready to discover what banking can be,

Frank Trotter #BattleForBetterBanking #HighYieldCashAccount

One of our core beliefs is that despite being the reserve currency for the world based on relative fiscal and monetary policies in place that the US dollar is likely to decline against a number of foreign currencies over the next decade.

Adding foreign currencies as part of a diversified portfolio may make sense for you.

This year has shown a significant decline in the US dollar as new economic policies roll into place.  Here are just a few examples of appreciation against the USD YTD through December 2nd.

euro          +12%
Norway     +12%
Australia    + 6%

True these aren't the returns of precious metals but diversification is key.  We don't think in terms of speculation, but rather in terms of investing.

Our Global Markets deposits allow you to make this investment easily in your IRA, or in any other account type you hold.

Battle Bank will let you ditch the dollar drama and diversify like a globe-trotting financial genius. Passport not required!

Frank Trotter #battleforbetterbanking #foreigncurrency

Does this feel better than wasting time transferring $$ between accounts just to earn a little interest?

Sweet and simple.

It's time to kiss your banker goodbye and good riddance.

Give yourself an early holiday gift by joining the Waitlist at:
https://www.battlebank.com

It's a revolution.

Diversifying a portion of your portfolio into foreign currencies, at times, can be a hedge against depreciation of the US dollar.

I have talked a lot here about the reduced buying power each dollar we have shows.  Many of our future clients participate in precious metals as a hedge.

But well chosen foreign currencies can add to that return and possibly provide some protection as US fiscal and monetary policy combine to drive the US dollar lower in the global marketplace.

In the long run we're all dead, wait a minute, I meant to say in the long run currencies trend on inflation and the related money supply growth differentials.  

If your currency, here the US or Canadian dollar, has a larger inflation rate and money supply growth than another country then our currencies should decline.

And we do have a higher rate than many places around the world.

Check us out at https://www.battlebank.com and join the Waitlist now for access to foreign currency deposits.






#currency #foreigncurrency #diversification

Inflation? We Don’t Know Her

Tired of your retirement riding the dollar coaster? Battle Bank will give you access to foreign currencies that won’t flinch when inflation shows up uninvited. Smooth sailing, global style. 

Frank Trotter Rick Rule #BattleForBetterBanking #ForeignCurrency

Access to global markets for diversification.

Sure I suppose you can speculate and trade but this is a retirement account.  Step back and place allocations where they match your analysis.

Transparency

Choice

Value

#BattleForBetterBanking #ForeignCurrency #Euro Frank Trotter

Many of our future clients have a strong viewpoint about holding gold.

For some it's insurance.

For others an anchor in their portfolio.

Regardless they do not want to part with this holding.

But they need cash:

=> For a project around the house.
=> To make another investment.
=> To purchase more metals.

At Battle Bank we'll be providing this facility both directly to our clients, and through other trusted metals dealers.

Borrow Without Selling

Need cash but don’t want to sell your gold? Battle Bank will let you borrow up to 50% of its value. You’ll keep your metal and unlock your money—because liquidity shouldn’t mean letting go.

Frank Trotter Rick Rule #MetalsLoans

Edwards, Colorado.

In 1928 a business group ran an advertisement in the New York World suggesting their presidential candidate had created a situation where “prosperity has reduced hours and increased earning capacity, silenced discontent, put the proverbial “chicken in every pot.” And a car in every backyard, to boot.”

Sitting here in 2025 it’s a little unsettling to consider that having the ability to have a chicken dinner on Sunday was a worthy campaign promotion for president. And this was before the 1929 crash and the onset of the depression.

Over the past 100 years the situation for people worldwide, and especially here in the US has improved massively. Technology, agriculture, medicine, infrastructure, housing, education – you name the sector and it’s better – well except for government finance and overreach. Sure there are things teetering on the edge of broken but if left to the market those problems can be rectified.

But even today that “American Dream” remains a subject of debate. Before we start let’s admit that not everyone can live the dream. Not everyone has the capacity to earn it, our population does not have the inclination to cover it with donations, and government does not have the funds to make it happen (and should stay out the redistribution business for all but the most destitute).

This graphic from Visual Capitalist defines what constitutes the American Dream today and estimates the costs at a little over $5 million.

A few takeaways.

Grossing up numbers over a lifetime often distorts what happens on an annual basis. Lots of things happen in the short term.

The US median income (separately sourced) in 2024 was $83,730, up from $55,775 ten years ago. That’s up a round 50% despite not growing in real terms. Can you say ‘inflation?’

According to the graphic, in order to reach the Dream would require an average annual income of a little over $117 thousand – although I am not sure if that’s before or after taxes. That’s about 140% over the current median income in the US.

Playing with some very hazy numbers that suggests that about 25% of US households can reach the stated American Dream.

Where does this take us?

Is this impossible to achieve for the median, or what has to change to make it accessible?

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Frank Trotter's Linkedin Analytics

Frank Trotter

Performance ScoreFrank Trotter's LinkedIn Performance

Frank Trotter's Best Posts (last 30 days)

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Frank Trotter

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Frank Trotter's LinkedIn Performance

Frank Trotter's Best Posts .css-1emoo84{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:400;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);}(last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Frank Trotter's Linkedin Analytics

Performance ScoreFrank Trotter's LinkedIn Performance

Frank Trotter's Best Posts (last 30 days)