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Since you both have US Bank credit cards, if you have a US Bank branch locally, you can get the Gold Checking account for free.
We were with US Bank for about 6 years before switching to Chase. Chase has been great. US Bank was a constantly frustrating experience.
Personally, I would never bank with one of the megabanks. My first preference is a local credit union, second would be a local bank. The problem with the latter is they seem to keep getting merged into larger banks so you might end up with a megabank even if you didn't plan to.
A good example, an organization I was involved in had a commerical account with BOA, and occasionally I had to make deposits. This was an exercise in frustration:
I expect to see more of the same from the large banks.
While I like my Colorado bank, if I ever decide to leave them it will be for a credit union. Banks are generally awful.
Of course there can be benefits to going with a big bank like Chase - the green check card approvals and in branch offers that can be when you’re over 5/24 but honestly that’s a minor perk.
@Anonymous wrote:
Wells Fargo is down for the 3rd time in a week. Can’t even access my accounts in branch.
That is what made you finally have enough with Wells Fargo? For me it was in 2010, I had banked with them since 1999. With the financial crisis of 2008 and the stock market dump, being close to retirement I closed out a former employer 401k invested in mutual funds and put it into a Wells Fargo CD earning 1.75%. When the CD matured I got a notice that my CD had been "automatically" been rolled over into their shortest term CD, 6 months, paying 1/10th of 1%. I looked and there was a 15 month CD paying over 1% so I called and told them that's what I wanted. The rep said if I wanted to change my CD I had to go to a branch, and by the end of the week for the grace period. I protested, the nearest branch was over an hour away, and why in the world couldn't I change it over the phone. The rep, like most WF reps I had encountered couldn't care less what I wanted and said "that's just how we do things, if you want to change to a different CD maturity you have to go to a branch, and by the end of the week". So I went to a branch, and told them "give me all my money and close all my accounts".
There are several good suggestions here for banking with brick and mortar branches. I like local credit unions, much better service and less fees.
@DaveInAZ wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
Wells Fargo is down for the 3rd time in a week. Can’t even access my accounts in branch.That is what made you finally have enough with Wells Fargo? For me it was in 2010, I had banked with them since 1999. With the financial crisis of 2008 and the stock market dump, being close to retirement I closed out a former employer 401k invested in mutual funds and put it into a Wells Fargo CD earning 1.75%. When the CD matured I got a notice that my CD had been "automatically" been rolled over into their shortest term CD, 6 months, paying 1/10th of 1%. I looked and there was a 15 month CD paying over 1% so I called and told them that's what I wanted. The rep said if I wanted to change my CD I had to go to a branch, and by the end of the week for the grace period. I protested, the nearest branch was over an hour away, and why in the world couldn't I change it over the phone. The rep, like most WF reps I had encountered couldn't care less what I wanted and said "that's just how we do things, if you want to change to a different CD maturity you have to go to a branch, and by the end of the week". So I went to a branch, and told them "give me all my money and close all my accounts".
There are several good suggestions here for banking with brick and mortar branches. I like local credit unions, much better service and less fees.
I’ve had Wells Fargo for a little over a year now. I like them as a bank, but the monthly service fee is killer. I am getting tired of doing 10 debit card transactions per month to waive it. I don’t have direct deposit. And since Wells Fargo won’t give me a card, citing not enough money going through my account, I’m really considering dumping them.
Wells Fargo I would not touch with a ten foot pole. As a vendor I was continuealy misled. I fired them as a client. This does not even take into account all the client stories. The first Mrs Backwoods was a District President over 10 to 20 branches of another one of the big banks. I know how they work. Scores get loans and big deposits/big loans get friendships. I would not bank with them because of the the first Mrs Backwoods . Many of the small and medium sized banks are simply gone. I have an account with $100 in with a bank next door to the office. I have posted stories about them. They require a 750 fico for online banking. I think 800 score wil get you a secured deposit loan. Great place to cash a check or atm with no fee. My regular accounts are with Navy Federal love 24 X 7 real people and a medium sized bank with the closest local branch about 100 miles away but they have a strong on line platform for personal and business and they have telephone service with real people Monday to Saturday 7 AM to 7 PM. I would move everything to Navy if they were closer.
Wells Fargo has had some issues as of late with systems outages but those will likely clear up in the coming months. Promotions could be better. Wells Fargo has restrictions on it now and so it will be awhile before the bank fully recovers.
@Anonymous wrote:Wells Fargo I would not touch with a ten foot pole. As a vendor I was continuealy misled. I fired them as a client. This does not even take into account all the client stories. The first Mrs Backwoods was a District President over 10 to 20 branches of another one of the big banks. I know how they work. Scores get loans and big deposits/big loans get friendships. I would not bank with them because of the the first Mrs Backwoods . Many of the small and medium sized banks are simply gone. I have an account with $100 in with a bank next door to the office. I have posted stories about them. They require a 750 fico for online banking. I think 800 score wil get you a secured deposit loan. Great place to cash a check or atm with no fee. My regular accounts are with Navy Federal love 24 X 7 real people and a medium sized bank with the closest local branch about 100 miles away but they have a strong on line platform for personal and business and they have telephone service with real people Monday to Saturday 7 AM to 7 PM. I would move everything to Navy if they were closer.
I would join Navy, but I really think it would require me to communicate with my family, and to call my grandpa up and ask him for his DD214 15 years after he cut me off just so I could get an account at Navy would make him think I’m a selfish ******* who just called to see what I could benefit from him.