A bank account isn’t just dollars and cents on a balance sheet. For bank customers, what’s in (or isn’t in) a bank account can be a source of anxiety. By contrast, says Brian N. Ford, head of financial wellness at Truist Bank, “our research shows that when you have a fully funded account and it’s in the right place, a tremendous amount of confidence will come into your life, regardless of if an emergency ever happens to you in the future.”

On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast, Ford discusses how he and his team brought financial wellness education — with a focus on emergency savings as a source of financial confidence — to employees at SunTrust Banks, now Truist after its merger with BB&T. Ford also discusses Truist Momentum, through which Truist’s corporate clients can offer an at-cost financial wellness program as a free employee benefit.

This episode is the first in a series this fall focused on how banks of all sizes are promoting financial inclusion, making the banking system work for all Americans.