Central Maine banks (Bangor, Old Town, Lincoln: mortgage, credit, loans)

[Medicman14]

Hello all,
I'm sure a search would have produced some results ; which however, times have changed the banking world.
My question is which bank is most popular in Maine, especially the Bangor area and northward? Credit Unions and community banks are preferred.

Thanks in advance.

Medicman 14

[midcoastlawns]

I have used Bangor savings for years and dont have complaint one about them. My mortgage is through them also. Free atm everywhere. Plenty of locations.

[Submariner]

Most popular? No idea.

When I first got to Maine, I tried to open an account with Penobscot County C.U. in Old Town, I deposited some cash and filled out their paperwork to have a simple share/checking account. They were not able to finish opening my account that day, so they recommended that I return in a few days. I went back in a week later to see if Penobscot County C.U. had finished their end of opening that account for me. But Penobscot County C.U. had lost my paperwork, fortunately I had my receipt.

So I filled out the forms a second time and went away. This happened a third time, a fourth time, and a fifth time. It was during my sixth time into the Penobscot County C.U. office that I finally decided that I had enough of their bumbling. Eight weeks has passed and I figured that was plenty of time to do what any other institution can do in 2 minutes. I demanded that they give me back my deposit. The Penobscot County C.U. branch manager decided that to refund my cash they would have to charge me a holding fee for having held my money for the 8 weeks. I was somewhat rabid.

The manager was going on about how she would have liked to help me, and how she should have been able to figure it out, and if only she could have blah blah. After her second time through her Would'a, should'a, could'a routine; I began dialing 911 to report Grand Larceny, suddenly a clerk figured out how to refund me my cash. With my finger on the dial button of my cellphone, the Penobscot County C.U. clerk handed me back my cash.

I have dealt with many incompetent people in my life. IMHO Penobscot County C.U. beats them all in terms of incompetency.



We use Peoples United Bank.

[Zymer]

I use People's too.

I demanded that they give me back my deposit. The Penobscot County C.U. branch manager decided that to refund my cash they would have to charge me a holding fee for having held my money for the 8 weeks. I was somewhat rabid.

The manager was going on about how she would have liked to help me, and how she should have been able to figure it out, and if only she could have blah blah. After her second time through her Would'a, should'a, could'a routine; I began dialing 911 to report Grand Larceny, suddenly a clerk figured out how to refund me my cash. With my finger on the dial button of my cellphone, the Penobscot County C.U. clerk handed me back my cash.

LOL! I would have done the same thing (and did something similar once, at a different bank). Good on ya.

[Medicman14]

Originally Posted by Submariner

Most popular? No idea.

When I first got to Maine, I tried to open an account with Penobscot County C.U. in Old Town, I deposited some cash and filled out their paperwork to have a simple share/checking account. They were not able to finish opening my account that day, so they recommended that I return in a few days. I went back in a week later to see if Penobscot County C.U. had finished their end of opening that account for me. But Penobscot County C.U. had lost my paperwork, fortunately I had my receipt.

So I filled out the forms a second time and went away. This happened a third time, a fourth time, and a fifth time. It was during my sixth time into the Penobscot County C.U. office that I finally decided that I had enough of their bumbling. Eight weeks has passed and I figured that was plenty of time to do what any other institution can do in 2 minutes. I demanded that they give me back my deposit. The Penobscot County C.U. branch manager decided that to refund my cash they would have to charge me a holding fee for having held my money for the 8 weeks. I was somewhat rabid.

The manager was going on about how she would have liked to help me, and how she should have been able to figure it out, and if only she could have blah blah. After her second time through her Would'a, should'a, could'a routine; I began dialing 911 to report Grand Larceny, suddenly a clerk figured out how to refund me my cash. With my finger on the dial button of my cellphone, the Penobscot County C.U. clerk handed me back my cash.

I have dealt with many incompetent people in my life. IMHO Penobscot County C.U. beats them all in terms of incompetency.



We use Peoples United Bank.

Thank you for saving many folks, including me, the frustration you must have felt... A holding fee would have made my head spin.


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[Submariner]

We have not had any big problems with People's United Bank.

Once when I was in there, their connection to the main computer was down, the clerks were frozen in motion for 10-minutes until the manager told them to shift to paper. They apologized for the inconvenience as they could not access account totals, but they went ahead doing business anyway and kept records so that when they regained access to the computer they could sync the transactions.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

A big benefit of Maine credit unions is that there are no ATM fees - anywhere in the USA. I use Lincoln, Maine FCU.

[Coaster]

We've been very happy with Bangor Savings. Lots of branches, no ATM fees, helpful employees. I like the fact that it isn't a national or even regional bank, and as such doesn't seem to have attracted the hacker attacks that recently put TD Bank in the news. I also like the fact that it keeps many of its mortgages rather than selling them on the mortgage market.

[Acadianlion]

I do no banking with Maine banks. I have been a 39 year member of USAA and use USAA Bank for all my banking needs, other than commercial loans, of which I have none now. I used Machias Savings Bank for around twenty years, watching that institution decline for the last ten until they became borderline insolvent and their service worse. My understanding is there is a Federal banking inspector living with them in Machias now. Maine banks are all relatively small which can be a disadvantage in terms of services offered and the cost of those services. Bangor Savings is very consistent in northern Maine so if you MUST do business with a Maine bank, I guess that's the one I'd chose. The recession has changed almost everything, including banking, and the customer as usual, is on the end of the stinky stick.

[Mainer61]

What area of Central Maine are you talking about? Stay away from TD, and some branches of Peoples United are terrible.