I have never written anything for submission to a newspaper of any sort before, but feel compelled to do so now. In the Middleburg Eccentric Sept. 28 – Oct. 26, 2017, edition, Elaine Broadhead of Middleburg, Va. wrote a "Letter to the Editor: Bank Manager" concerned with the character of the new merger between Access Bank and Middleburg Bank and wrote "Access claims it is a community bank which in my estimation means a Bank for everyone regardless of wealth. This does not jibe with the new policy eliminating free checking and charging unless one has a minimum of $1,500. I hope that Access will reconsider their policy and will again be a bank for the people all people." To this, I wish to respond.

I have only been with Middleburg Bank for one decade and, although with the recent merger, they allowed my senior account to remain under old terms so long as I had direct deposit (SSA) and received statements via e-mail, changes still did not apply to all terms. When I visited concerning the other accounts (overdraft, etc.), there were new methods/terms/expenses on how they would handle the same and it became quite obvious that even the senior allowance granted might change in the not-too-distant future.

Following at-length meetings with officers of Middleburg Bank, I have taken my business to the Bank of Clarke County, where not only do they offer free checking to more than just the elderly, but they have hired some of the very special personnel from Middleburg Bank, who previously might have handled your account as well, as they were themselves unhappy with the new Access changes. It is my understanding from Bank of Clarke County that Middleburg clients have been flocking to Clarke for these very same reasons.

An article on page 9 of the Loudoun Tribune Aug. 3, 2017, says it all:

Access President and Chief Executive Officer Michael W. Clarke said in a release "As we integrate the two companies, our combined financial strength, and economies of scale will allow us to deliver a valuable and compelling client experience to targeted businesses and affluent/high net worth consumers in a manner that also generates attractive financial performance measures compared to peers."

Perhaps Elaine and all you non-affluent consumers out there might want to change to Clarke too … I too want only a bank for "all the people" – not just the affluent – and I would hope that the affluent would also want the same for "all the people."