Best Personal Banks In Area

[LadmoFan]

Originally Posted by Returning2USA

No, seriously.

Only advantages.

Agreed. We've always banked at a credit union as the fees are cheaper. Typically it's easier to get loans too.

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by jdg1724

Is there a disadvantage to credit unions?

There can be. They don't operate under the same rules as banks.

I've had a bellyful of credit unions. I prefer banks, so I wish someone had actually answered the question you asked.

When we move to Phoenix, we'll keep our Bank of America accounts. Online banking, of course. B of A has always treated us right and even gone the extra mile, possibly because we keep large balances. I can't remember the last time I had to pay a fee for anything, including cashier's checks. B of A has extended hours at this Goodyear branch:

https://locators.bankofamerica.com/s...ad=100#desktop

[Ponderosa]

Most banks I see in Goodyear and in the whole area for that matter are open to 6 and on Saturday tp 4 as well. We've been with BofA for decades - no complaints and don't pay any fees (one can avoid fees with either big loans or big deposits). If you are moving to the Estrella community there is a Chase bank that is right in Estrella. There's a US Bank by the Fry's Grocery center on Sarival, and a Wells Fargo by the shopping and restaurants north of the freeway. All open till 6.

An advantage to the big banks is they are everywhere. If you move, you don't need to move your banking as you are doing now. Then again, about the only time I go to the bank is for a notary service anyway. It's all online now including deposits. The big banks have better apps than the CU too. I get cash at the grocery store.

[Returning2USA]

Originally Posted by LadmoFan

Agreed. We've always banked at a credit union as the fees are cheaper. Typically it's easier to get loans too.

The interest rates on loans are often better.

Always, I think.

[PhoenixSomeday]

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

There can be. They don't operate under the same rules as banks.

There is definitely a somewhat different set of rules for credit unions as opposed to banks, and the banks really hate some of them. They're actually regulated/supervised by different agencies. My company works directly with both banks and credit unions on a daily basis for software, but being on the backend of things, I can't recall any of the differences at the moment. I just remember there are certain regulations that apply to banks, but not credit unions. And when a credit union gets big enough to have the sort of presence that a bank does, and still isn't subject to certain regulations that banks are, it annoys them.

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

I've had a bellyful of credit unions. I prefer banks, so I wish someone had actually answered the question you asked.

I did try, I just couldn't think of many beyond the small physical presence.

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

When we move to Phoenix, we'll keep our Bank of America accounts. Online banking, of course. B of A has always treated us right and even gone the extra mile, possibly because we keep large balances. I can't remember the last time I had to pay a fee for anything, including cashier's checks. B of A has extended hours at this Goodyear branch:

https://locators.bankofamerica.com/s...ad=100#desktop

Exactly; that's the thing - large balances. Banks are usually great to you if you have a lot of money. But you know what, I'm a person, not a damn dollar sign.

I wasn't aware of waived fees for large balances; maybe I didn't read the fine print or maybe my large bank just doesn't do it.

Originally Posted by Returning2USA

The interest rates on loans are often better.

Always, I think.

Yep; lower fees and interest rates are actually the hallmarks of credit unions.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by PhoenixSomeday

There is definitely a somewhat different set of rules for credit unions as opposed to banks, and the banks really hate some of them. They're actually regulated/supervised by different agencies. My company works directly with both banks and credit unions on a daily basis for software, but being on the backend of things, I can't recall any of the differences at the moment. I just remember there are certain regulations that apply to banks, but not credit unions. And when a credit union gets big enough to have the sort of presence that a bank does, and still isn't subject to certain regulations that banks are, it annoys them.



I did try, I just couldn't think of many beyond the small physical presence.



Exactly; that's the thing - large balances. Banks are usually great to you if you have a lot of money. But you know what, I'm a person, not a damn dollar sign.

I wasn't aware of waived fees for large balances; maybe I didn't read the fine print or maybe my large bank just doesn't do it.



Yep; lower fees and interest rates are actually the hallmarks of credit unions.

You don't need to keep your money in a CU to get a loan from them unless your credit sucks. For 25 bucks, you get a share account and a car loan. It's not a good idea to have your money and your loans in the same place anyway. People should not have loyalties to any bank or CU. Shop around, consider online banks and loan sources. The OP's use of the term personal bank is something of an oxymoron in this day and age.

[LadmoFan]

Originally Posted by PhoenixSomeday

There is definitely a somewhat different set of rules for credit unions as opposed to banks, and the banks really hate some of them. They're actually regulated/supervised by different agencies. My company works directly with both banks and credit unions on a daily basis for software, but being on the backend of things, I can't recall any of the differences at the moment. I just remember there are certain regulations that apply to banks, but not credit unions. And when a credit union gets big enough to have the sort of presence that a bank does, and still isn't subject to certain regulations that banks are, it annoys them.



I did try, I just couldn't think of many beyond the small physical presence.



Exactly; that's the thing - large balances. Banks are usually great to you if you have a lot of money. But you know what, I'm a person, not a damn dollar sign.

I wasn't aware of waived fees for large balances; maybe I didn't read the fine print or maybe my large bank just doesn't do it.



Yep; lower fees and interest rates are actually the hallmarks of credit unions.

Not everyone will have big balances in the bank account. My grandparents did and they were treated like royalty when they visited their bank.

I like credit unions as costs are typically lower, services are on par with banks, and your money is protected as if you were using a bank.

Credit unions tend to treat all customers equally whether you carry a big bank balance or not.

BTW I am not a big fan of the B of A. Long ago the B of A slowly ate away at my small passbook account. In those days, if you did not carry a big enough balance you were charged service fees or something like that. As I was a starving college student, my poor little passbook suffered. I tried to save but it's hard when you are poor.

I've "banked" at a local credit union for many years and have been happy with the service received.

[PhoenixSomeday]

Originally Posted by LadmoFan

Not everyone will have big balances in the bank account. My grandparents did and they were treated like royalty when they visited their bank.

Including waiving extortionist fees, like doesn't typically happen to poor people? $8 for a cashier's check, $15 to print a custom statement, etc?

Originally Posted by LadmoFan

I like credit unions as costs are typically lower, services are on par with banks, and your money is protected as if you were using a bank.

Credit unions tend to treat all customers equally whether you carry a big bank balance or not.

These are definitely the upsides to credit unions. As a whole, personal treatment varies from teller to teller, regardless of bank or credit union. It's more the bank as a whole having the outlook that I'm there to serve them rather than the other way around. Being a walking account number, not a person. Tellers can be very nice, but ultimately there's only so much they can do to mitigate that.

Originally Posted by LadmoFan

BTW I am not a big fan of the B of A. Long ago the B of A slowly ate away at my small passbook account. In those days, if you did not carry a big enough balance you were charged service fees or something like that. As I was a starving college student, my poor little passbook suffered. I tried to save but it's hard when you are poor.

I've "banked" at a local credit union for many years and have been happy with the service received.

That's my biggest problem with the big banks; they've all seemed to have done away with free checking now. You have to have a certain minimum daily average balance throughout the month or have X amount in direct deposits each month, or Y number of PIN transactions. With the money banks bring in each year, I have a hard time believing storing my money for free is breaking their wallet. For the big banks I've personally dealt with, it seems like Bank of the West was the longest holdout, but I was disappointed to find out through the mail one day that even they were doing away with it. So long.

Whereas with credit unions, free checking is very easy to find.

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

It's not a good idea to have your money and your loans in the same place anyway.

It can be helpful for making the loan payment each month though. It often negates the ACH cluster-f

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by jdg1724

good afternoon, we are relocating to Goodyear and the bank that we utilize in Ohio (Huntington) does not extend this far west. The reason we utilize them, or were drawn to them was the banking hours/availability till 6pm and on Saturdays till 3. They were very user friendly for online banking, and we had both a savings and checking with them. Any thoughts/recommendations?

My bank is located in NE Ohio. When I moved to the Tucson area nearly three years ago, I decided to keep my community bank as I really do not use physical banks. In this area, people are used to snowbirds and will accept an "out of state" check without any hesitation. To this day, I do not see a reason to switch. If I have any issues, I can call the president of the bank and get it resolved.

Since I am treasurer of several organizations, I have had contact with a number of banks - Chase, Bank of America, BMO Harris, and Wells Fargo. Their fees are pretty outrageous and their customer service is mediocre.

I have had better luck with US Bank and Washington Federal.

As for the credit unions, they are a mixed bag. Some are "mom and pops" and it is amateur hour. Others are more like a bank.

Personally, if you are happy with Huntington, see if you can use their online banking.

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by PhoenixSomeday

Exactly; that's the thing - large balances. Banks are usually great to you if you have a lot of money. But you know what, I'm a person, not a damn dollar sign.

Everybody is a person. You're a person, I'm a person, even some of my odious relatives are people. Banks, like other businesses, are interested in you for how much of your custom you bring to them.

I wasn't aware of waived fees for large balances; maybe I didn't read the fine print or maybe my large bank just doesn't do it.

Stop me if you've heard me tell this story before.

We were on Kauai, one stop on a Hawaiian circle cruise. I received a phone call from a jobber I deal with who said there was a very desirable lot available but I would have to send the money that day. I said, "Uh, Mark, I'm in Hawaii, our bank is Bank of America and there are no Bank of America branches in Hawaii."

So I got hold of one of the personal bankers at our branch and explained the situation. This was literally 10 minutes before they were to close. He made a cashier's check for the amount and mailed it to the address I dictated to him. Deal done.

I have never gotten more than studied indifference from a credit union, no matter what the account balance. B of A has my business for life.