Central Mass Banks Rated Well By Bauer

Central Massachusetts' banks are generally in good financial shape, according to BauerFinancial's latest bank and credit union star ratings.

A number of the region's banks, including Athol Savings Bank, Barre Savings Bank, Marlborough Savings Bank, Middlesex Savings Bank in Natick, Rollstone Bank & Trust in Fitchburg and Commerce Bank in Worcester received five-star ratings from Bauer, a rating firm based in Florida.

A number of banks from Central Massachusetts also received four-star ratings from Bauer, including Fidelity Co-operative Bank in Fitchburg, Hometown Bank in Webster and Unibank for Savings in Whitinsville.

The lowest-rated banks in Central Massachusetts included Strata Bank of Medway, which has been acquired by Middlesex. Strata received one star in the latest Bauer rating. Southbridge Savings scored three stars. Millbury National Bank and Milford National Bank & Trust each scored three and a half stars.

Bauer said that nationally, 55.7 percent of banks were rated with either four or five stars. However, the number of banks rated at two stars or fewer hit 899, meaning that more than 10 percent of all banks in the United States are on Bauer's list of "troubled and problematic" banks.