Brian Fogle, vice president of Boatmen's Bank of Southern Missouri, Springfield, has won an American Bankers Association award for coming up with the best Community Reinvestment Act idea this year.
The ABA presented the award May 27 at conference in Baltimore.
Boatmen's started a low-in-come lending program last March called "Basic," which stands for Boatmen's accounts, services, and investments for the community. Basic has made more than 150 home mortgages, totaling $4.2 million.
The city gives down-payment aid, a local housing board gives counseling, and a community college teaches a five-week course on how to shop for a home and mortgage. To encourage participation, Boatmen's waives its 1% mortgage origination fee for any homebuyer who completes the course.
