If You Only Had One Debit Card, Which One Would It Be?

[FicoMike0]

I think I've only used a debit card once for cash abroad, it was fidelity. I checked in advance, a lot of cards have fees at atms abroad, fidelity doesnt. I actually have two fidelity debit cards, one for cma and the bloom card. I keep $100 in bloom, it's the only debit I don't keep frozen. I know I could unfreeze and move money with the app, but I like to have some cash even if I don't have my phone or its dead or can't get the app to work, etc.

[Gunnerboy]

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@MichaelMyer wrote:

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@Gunnerboy wrote:

The only debit card I have is BECU where I do my primary bankng. I carried it once overseas, but didn't use it. I prefer carrying cash, over a debit card. Sometimes I'll carry it for domestic. I only keep a small balance in checking, in case it gets hacked.

I'll probably request a Fidelity debit card for one of my brokerage accounts or open a Cash Management Account. Their refreshed card looks cool.

If you don't keep money in checking, where do you keep it, savings, money market?

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I keep enough funds in checking for monthly expenses, transfer from money market when I need more.  Too many stories of hacked debit cards while overseas wiping out checking accounts.  If I get a Fidelity debit card, I'd keep limited funds in the CMA.

[Varsity_Lu]

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@Gunnerboy wrote:

I keep enough funds in checking for monthly expenses, transfer from money market when I need more.  Too many stories of hacked debit cards while overseas wiping out checking accounts.  If I get a Fidelity debit card, I'd keep limited funds in the CMA.

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Yeah, this is one of my concerns as well. I think my Capital One setup is pretty good at this point, but I am going to look into the AmEx checking. I got the mailer for a $250 SUB, and they use the same Allpoint and MoneyPass networks that Cap One uses which are literally everywhere. The 1% APY is probably the deciding factor.  If I'm going to let cash sit in an account, it should probably be that one. I'm thinking possibly AmEx for everyday use and Capital One for traveling abroad.

[Varsity_Lu]

I decided the free $250 was worth trying AmEx Rewards checking. We'll see how it goes.

[scratchpad]

I just received the refreshed Fidelity CMA card and it's trash. The design looks ok and modern compared to the old one, but it is the flimsiest card I've ever held. If I hold it up to my one CMA card I can see that the old card had two layers stuck together and this new one is just one flimsy layer. 

[Gunnerboy]

@scratchpad Thanks for sharing.

[Im-back]

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@Gunnerboy wrote:

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@MichaelMyer wrote:

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@Gunnerboy wrote:

The only debit card I have is BECU where I do my primary bankng. I carried it once overseas, but didn't use it. I prefer carrying cash, over a debit card. Sometimes I'll carry it for domestic. I only keep a small balance in checking, in case it gets hacked.

I'll probably request a Fidelity debit card for one of my brokerage accounts or open a Cash Management Account. Their refreshed card looks cool.

If you don't keep money in checking, where do you keep it, savings, money market?

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I keep enough funds in checking for monthly expenses, transfer from money market when I need more.  Too many stories of hacked debit cards while overseas wiping out checking accounts.  If I get a Fidelity debit card, I'd keep limited funds in the CMA.

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Many years ago I had my bank turn the debit card limit to $0 because I don't want to deal with the hassle of someone skimming my card and draining my checking account. I'm old enough to remember when they were check guarantee cards and then morphed to ATM cards. For foreign travel I usually get currency in at my bank. No exchange fee and good exchange rates. 

I use a Wells Fargo Debit Card. 

[Varsity_Lu]

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@scratchpad wrote:

I just received the refreshed Fidelity CMA card and it's trash. The design looks ok and modern compared to the old one, but it is the flimsiest card I've ever held. If I hold it up to my one CMA card I can see that the old card had two layers stuck together and this new one is just one flimsy layer. 

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My Fidelity card is the same as all my other cards. Could you have gotten a defective card? Weird.

[Gunnerboy]

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@Varsity_Lu wrote:

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@scratchpad wrote:

I just received the refreshed Fidelity CMA card and it's trash. The design looks ok and modern compared to the old one, but it is the flimsiest card I've ever held. If I hold it up to my one CMA card I can see that the old card had two layers stuck together and this new one is just one flimsy layer. 

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My Fidelity card is the same as all my other cards. Could you have gotten a defective card? Weird.

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I wonder how their gold debit card for brokerage account compares to the CMA version.  Probably both have the lame raised/embossed numbers..

[Varsity_Lu]

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@Gunnerboy wrote:

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@Varsity_Lu wrote:

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@scratchpad wrote:

I just received the refreshed Fidelity CMA card and it's trash. The design looks ok and modern compared to the old one, but it is the flimsiest card I've ever held. If I hold it up to my one CMA card I can see that the old card had two layers stuck together and this new one is just one flimsy layer. 

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My Fidelity card is the same as all my other cards. Could you have gotten a defective card? Weird.

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I wonder how their gold debit card for brokerage account compares to the CMA version.  Probably both have the lame raised/embossed numbers..

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Well, you have the Fidelity Rewards Visa, right? Does it have the "lame raised/embossed numbers"? My new CMA card does not.