AARP Recognizes 193 Financial Organizations for Their Role in Fighting Financial Exploitation

WASHINGTON—Today, AARP announced that 193 banks, credit unions and financial advisory firms nationwide have earned the 2025 BankSafe Trained Seal in recognition of the steps they’ve taken to curb financial exploitation of older adults. This represents a 15% increase in the number of seal recipients since 2024. A list of the financial organizations that received the 2025 BankSafe Trained Seal can be found here.

A June 2023 AARP BankSafe report found that at least $28.3 billion a year is stolen from adults over the age of 60 in the U.S. This report underscores the importance of empowering financial organizations and their employees to recognize and act against financial exploitation.

“The tremendous growth in the number of financial organizations using AARP BankSafe shows just how valuable the initiative is to frontline workers across the nation,” said Jilenne Gunther, National Director of AARP’s BankSafe Initiative. “Not only do we have financial organizations coming back year after year to provide their staff with the BankSafe training, but more institutions continue to learn of its value. Our impact is growing exponentially as we provide more workers with the tools, skills and confidence to help prevent financial exploitation.”

AARP BankSafe includes a free online platform developed in collaboration with more than 2,000 industry professionals and used by nearly 250,000 frontline professionals to learn how to spot and stop financial exploitation.

Based on a Virginia Tech study, it is estimated that BankSafe-trained employees save customers 16 times more than frontline workers who don’t complete the training. Saving a record $137 million in 2024 – a 53% increase in dollars saved over the previous year – BankSafe has totaled more than $428 million in savings since its inception.

To earn the esteemed seal, organizations must ensure at least 80% of their frontline staff complete AARP's comprehensive BankSafe training annually, alongside actively pursuing policies to address suspected financial exploitation. Eligibility for the seal also requires a positive standing in Better Business Bureau ratings and adherence to specific legal and regulatory standards.

The BankSafe Trained Seal is not a product or service endorsement but indicates that a financial institution’s frontline employees have been substantially trained in financial exploitation prevention. Training courses for each respective industry are available at no cost to banks, credit unions and financial advisors in the United States.

More information about AARP’s BankSafe trainings and resources, including how to sign up for the training, can be found at aarp.org/banksafe.

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AARP Recognizes 193 Financial Organizations for Their Role in Fighting Financial Exploitation