On May 26th, a group of CCIP students visited the Flushing branch of TD Bank for a chance to learn about the American banking system and how it compares to the systems in Hong Kong and China. The bank's representative graciously took time to discuss TD Bank's history with the students, detailing how the company achieves community engagement and the ways in which branding has helped it stand out from other banking institutions.

"In Asia, we only discuss American banks when there is a financial crisis," said Dongqing Liu (Cathy), an activity leader and mechanical engineering student from Nanyang Technological University. "I felt like this gave me a completely new perspective, and I really appreciated hearing about the different ways that the bank helps out in the community."

Founded in Canada, TD Bank has extended banking hours and is open seven days a week. Their branches are designed without windows between the tellers and customers to create a more open environment. At the talk, students learned about how the bank distinguishes itself from its competitors through its unique business practices and niche positioning.

The visit also included a walkthrough of the facilities, with a description of the rationale behind each design and an opportunity for the students to ask questions. Overall, it was a useful time for students in both financial and unrelated majors to gain insight into the operations and branding of a banking institution in the United States.

Zhijing Jin (Maggie), another activity leader and engineering major from the University of Hong Kong, said, "Getting to learn about a new financial perspective and seeing how things work behind the scenes was fascinating. Being able to open a bank account with them is also great, because I can experience the bank firsthand. The bank staff were very personable and professional, while the design really does make the bank feel more open and personal than other banks."