Random questions about our upcoming move... (Portland, Bangor: car insurance, credit, home equity)

[lovemaine]

Hope you nice forum members can answer a few questions:

Banks: We currently use Bank of America, but don't necessarily want to stay with them. Can anyone recommend a Maine bank with great customer service? We noticed several Camden National Banks and Bangor Savings. Is one better than the other?

Car insurance: Right now we have Nationwide. If anyone has shopped around for car insurance lately, I'd appreciate any info. you have when comparing rates.

Phone service: Who provides it for mid-coast Maine? Is there more than one option?

That's all I can think of (for now!). Thanks so much!

[Acadianlion]

These are all very personal questions, and your answers from people here will vary a great deal and mean very little to you once you re located.

Banks: We currently use Bank of America, but don't necessarily want to stay with them. Can anyone recommend a Maine bank with great customer service? We noticed several Camden National Banks and Bangor Savings. Is one better than the other?

Bangor Savings Bank is one of the largest if not THE largest bank in Maine. It is a MAINE bank, unlike Bank of America, and therefore its orientation and service elements are based in Maine from the Maine economy and the people it knows. It is a very conservative bank, which means when bht big banks, like Bank of America, need to be bailed out by the federal government, Bangor Savings just keeps on doing what they know they should do.

Camden National Bank is an old, well established conservative Maine bank. They have recently grown substantially by acquisition of Union Trust in Ellsworth, another old and very well established bank.



Car insurance: Right now we have Nationwide. If anyone has shopped around for car insurance lately, I'd appreciate any info. you have when comparing rates.

The cars you drive, your driving records, the age and sex of the youthful operators in your household and the distance and purpose for each car's use will determine what kind of rates you can get for car insurance. Car insurance is one place where there is considerable competition for customers in Maine. You will find two or three small appearing insurance agencies in every town. Most of these "small appearing" agencies are actually owned by larger insurance agencies. Most of these will have many insurance companies that they represent. SOME OF THEM, but not ALL of them will be able to give you a wide selection of companies quotes for your business. Finding one insurance agency that will actually provide any sort of "service" to you will be hard. There are a few but most are pretty well satisfied with their own little pile and don't move very fast of with much dedication to find new customers.

I was an independent insurance agent in Maine for many years, and found that the competition outside of the greater Portland area was pretty lax, both in the knowledge and service areas.

Your experience may vary.

Phone service: Who provides it for mid-coast Maine? Is there more than one option?

If you can have high speed internet service where you will be living, you will have several choices. IF you do NOT have, then you will have only one and that is Fairpoint Communications. There is a thread about the lousy service that Fairpoint has provided on this forum elsewhere.

Basically, if you have high speed Internet...Roadrunner cable from Time Warner...you have several choices for telephone, incuding Time Warner's own Internet telephone service. If you have high speed Internet you will find the cost of telephone service can be MUCH less than with the local "land line" company.

That's all I can think of (for now!). Thanks so much! [/quote]

[lovemaine]

Thanks, Acadianlion. You're very helpful! (Just to clarify, I wasn't asking anyone to post exactly what they pay for car insurance. I just wanted to see if there is a big discrepancy between different insurance providers if anyone has shopped around for rates lately...)

[Acadianlion]

Originally Posted by lovemaine

Thanks, Acadianlion. You're very helpful! (Just to clarify, I wasn't asking anyone to post exactly what they pay for car insurance. I just wanted to see if there is a big discrepancy between different insurance providers if anyone has shopped around for rates lately...)

YOu may find a considerable difference between insurance carriers issuing policies in Maine. Auto insurance rates are filed with the state insurance commissioner but are unregulated. What is a good driving record elsewhere should receive good rates in Maine, but sometimes that is not the case.

You will need to shop around a lot, but by all means find the Nationwide agent in Maine and start there.

[BacktoNE]

I can easily cast a vote for Bangor Savings. We were with them until we left Maine and when we return will probably go back to them. We always rec'd excellent customer service and never once had a complaint.

Car insurance -- your best bet is to find an agent who represents many companies and get some quotes, then go to Progressive.com and see what they can do for you. We have the highest possible coverage (desperately needed out here) and it is still less than the best mid-range coverage we had back in Maine.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by lovemaine

Hope you nice forum members can answer a few questions:

Banks: We currently use Bank of America, but don't necessarily want to stay with them. Can anyone recommend a Maine bank with great customer service? We noticed several Camden National Banks and Bangor Savings. Is one better than the other?

We still have the Credit Union account based in Virginia, so far nobody in Maine has hesitated to accept the checks.

Being used to moving around, one of the first things I did was to open a local account. I went to Penobscot county CU, made a large deposit and they said to come back in a week. As it would take a week for them to have my account fully open and checks ready. I went back the next week, and they could not find my account. After showing my receipt, they said they needed another signature card from me. So I tried a week later, ... And a week later, ... Finally after 8 weeks, they still were not able to figure out how to open a new checking account. I withdrew my money and they wanted to charge me a fee. I screamed, I made a huge fuss, and I chased every other customer out of their tiny little building. Until they finally gave me my money free of charges.

I recommend that you avoid Penobscot CU.

We have an account at Key Bank, it is inside the Hannaford grocery stores. It works fine.

... Right now we have Nationwide. If anyone has shopped around for car insurance lately, I'd appreciate any info. you have when comparing rates.

We use the Geco.

Good luck



[edit- mind you, I am not saying that Penobscot CU is entirely incompetent. Nor would I wish to cast any negative images of them at all. I am only reporting the truthful facts of my dealings with them. I am certain that given enough time and training, their folks are fully capable of performing extremely simple tasks, with direct supervision and prodding.]

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by lovemaine

Thanks, Acadianlion. You're very helpful! (Just to clarify, I wasn't asking anyone to post exactly what they pay for car insurance. I just wanted to see if there is a big discrepancy between different insurance providers if anyone has shopped around for rates lately...)

yes we found a significant difference between Progressive and Allstate. We were with Allstate in NC but have switched to Progressive. MUCH better deal...

[msina]

Originally Posted by starwalker

yes we found a significant difference between Progressive and Allstate. We were with Allstate in NC but have switched to Progressive. MUCH better deal...

We use Progressive also, best price for the coverage for us here.

[Newdaawn]

We belong to University Credit Union and are very happy with them for our every day banking. Have used them since our older credit union (Bansco) merged with them several years ago. We get free checking too.

Our home equity is with Merrill-Merchants who we have done business with many times and have always been happy with their personalized service. Hopes this helps some.

[futurecruiser]

Banks: Since Bank of America is around in Maine, I would hold on to them until you get here. Then open up a new aco**** once you get settled with whatever local bank you want, wait the week (holding time for most banks for most new accounts), THEN close Bank of America.

Insurance: Find a agency that can compare prices for you, and also shop around on progressive, etc, online.
You need to get insurance in Maine lined up before you can register your cars which you must do within 30 days.


Good luck and Welcome to Maine!