An Honest Review with Wisdom (Not an Intern Review! Read why that matters!) - Risk Finance FHLBank Chicago Employee Review

1.0
Aug 23, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

A great place to work if you're 10 years away from retiring, know someone in senior management, and are at a low risk of heart attacks!

Cons

First things first - you'll see a lot of positive reviews from interns and first year employees, as the company tries to use smoke and mirrors to get new talent in the door, by offering them to meet the board and senior leadership. This illusion wears away quickly kids. They only do this because you're cheap capital and they pay $0 for your pension benefit. There's no work life balance here, and at all costs refrain from working here if you want to enjoy life outside of work or aspire to have a family without being an miserable wrench. If you work in Capital Markets or anything Finance related, you'll be luck to have a pet that won't die in the first year. These groups don't care about the vacation policies that HR will sell you on and will try to terminate you if you speak of any of your benefits. They sell you the benefits during the recruiting phase, but you quickly learn that you are not allowed to take a lunch, go to the bathroom, take a vacation, or get all of the Federal Holidays off. The FHFA should investigate this. The company is not transparent with younger staff about their benefits and how mid-senior level managers get a Long Term Incentive bonus on top of their hefty pensions (younger employees I encourage you to reach out to Pentegra to see what your pension would be worth, if you had the same years of service but were older than 45 years old - you'll quickly see that they are taking advantage of you). Younger folks are much better off working at start-up companies or mature companies that allow them to purchase discounted stock, as the FHLBC retained earnings is earmarked for the older pensioners and stockholder's dividend payments, not the younger folks who will either be pushed out after 10 years (plenty of cases - myself included) or leave because of lack of promotional opportunities. This is not an attempt for some _includedescription_person_ to blow off some steam and write a scathing review. I truly mean this with all of my being -- this is not a place that will appreciate you young or old (especially if you have ailments). You will be treated as a widget just like I and the many before me. You will be doing yourself a favor by not working here -- trust me.

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FHLBank Chicago Response
5y
Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your experience at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice regardless of an employee’s career level. Our professional development opportunities and industry-leading benefits reflect this, and are available to employees of all races, ethnicities, genders, and tenures. We are disheartened to learn that your experience has not been consistent with that standard. We take your feedback seriously and will take this opportunity to review how we can address the concerns you have raised regarding the Bank’s commitments to our employees.

Explore other reviews about FHLBank Chicago

5.0
Feb 20, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I enjoy my job, work with wonderful people, and feel valued at work. The office is nice. Happy with the benefits and events at work.

Cons

My experience has differed from many recent negative reviews - the company is pretty siloed, and culture seems to vary significantly across departments. I agree with the previous reviews about HR being hostile.

2
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FHLBank Chicago Response
4mo
We are proud to provide a collaborative and supportive workplace for employees. Our competitive benefits, ample learning opportunities, and inclusive culture ensure employees feel valued in their roles. We recognize that consistency across departments is important and continue to focus on strengthening collaboration and alignment across the organization. We always encourage employees to share their perspectives through our internal channels for any concerns they have so we can continue to evolve our ways of working with each other and in support of our mission.
3.0
May 15, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Nice office space at the OPO

Cons

Miss the 2 days at home option.

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