Urban Trust Bank Partners With Church To Launch ‘dfree’ Card

(Capital Business Staff Reports) — Bethesda-based Urban Trust Bank, a minority-controlled bank founded by BET founder Robert L. Johnson, has teamed up with a church group to offer a Visa-branded prepaid card as part of the “dfree” financial literacy program. Dfree, which stands for Debt, Delinquency and Deficit Free” was created in 2005 by DeForest B. Soaries, a New Jersey pastor, as a way to address the financial education needs of his congregation. The dfree campaign is slated to expand to churches nationwide in 2010.