The 28,000-member, $161 million Hope Credit Union in Jackson,Miss., has rolled out a mobile banking app that it hopes will helpexpand banking services into even more of the largely unbanked andunderbanked Mississippi Delta region.

The new app has versions for both Android and iOS phones andwill allow members to check account balances, transactionhistories, transfer money between accounts and make deposits viatheir phones. This feature, in particular, will make the creditunion far more accessible to people who may live far from a creditunion branch or deposit-taking ATM.

“This can be a game changer for unbanked communities, and inplaces where the only financial options are check cashers, pawnshops and payday lenders,” said HOPE CEO Bill Bynum. “Increasingly, smartphones are a standardaccessory, regardless of income. By combining the Hope Mobile appand a HOPE Anytime Debit Card, people can have a full service abranch in the palm of their hands.”