Still Mad at the Banks

It has been more than five years since the 2008 financial crisis and the bailout of some of the biggest Wall Street banks, but that situation doesn’t mean Americans still aren’t mad as hell about it.

According to a recent survey titled the Consumer Banking Insights Study, nearly eight in 10 Americans (78%) still think that big banks are to blame for the financial crisis. Moreover, the survey revealed that two-thirds of respondents were still angry at the big banks for the crisis. And in another interesting finding, nearly half of Americans (49%) said that it was important to do business with local banks.

The study, conducted online by Harris Poll in December 2013, included more than 1,000 U.S. adults and was commissioned by more than 200 community banks and credit unions in partnership with financial firm Kasasa.

The same study also revealed that roughly seven in 10 Americans (71%) believe that the big banks have yet to make up for their role in the financial crisis.

Conclusion — we’re still mad at the banks. And, judging by the rise of the Tea Party and other anti-bailout movements, we’re also still mad at the other culprits in the bailout debacle, the federal government.