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We will need need a new bank as ours are local and do not have branches in NC. While I can easily find the list of banks, I was wondering if anyone has has a bank they would recommend? We have a credit card through Bank of America but I have read so much bad press that I am concerned with making them our primary bank for security reasons. Would prefer a mid-size bank with a location in either Cary or Chapel Hill.
I can't say we are thrilled with First Citizens. The website is pretty bad (I do virtually all my banking online and have for years), and whenever we go out of state, we get charged to use an ATM.
After 4 years of trying to make it work, we'll be keeping the safe deposit box but switching to an online bank (USAA, Ally or Capital One. Probably Capital One as they don't charge on international ATM transactions.)
I can't say we are thrilled with First Citizens. The I website is pretty bad (I do virtually all my banking online and have for years), and whenever we go out of state, we get charged to use an ATM.
After 4 years of trying to make it work, we'll be keeping the safe deposit box but switching to an online bank (USAA, Ally or Capital One. Probably Capital One as they don't charge on international ATM transactions.)
I agree with First Citizens being pretty bad... I use Wells Fargo and pleased with the service.
Bank of America has a really bad rep for some reason. I have been with them since I moved down here 9 years ago and I have NEVER had a problem. The best thing about them is they are everywhere so if you need to move again you don't need to switch banks again
Longtime BoA customer here. I switched to them 15+ years ago because I needed a bank I could access around the country before online banking really gathered steam.
BoA now has tiers with some pretty nice benefits, and the really nice thing is it's tied to your brokerage account balance at Merrill so gone are the days of having to park money in a .00001% checking or savings account . Plus they gave me $1,000 to switch brokers and now I get free trades along with these benefits! I was unaware of this program until a few months ago.
The basic BoA online experience has been good for us, plus as a nice benefit they are the largest US bank by retail customers which means a greater chance of people you owe money have them which makes it super easy to transfer back and forth. We get unlimited non-BoA ATM transactions as well just like those online only banks give. I did try USAA for that reason but just couldn't get behind them. BoA's mobile app and interface has really picked up steam with mobile check deposit now available which works really well. I would assume most banks have similar ebill pay.
In a recent customer service survey, "big" banks are now outranking medium and regional sized banks, putting to rest the myth that smaller banks = better customer service. I don't know why BoA has had this perceived rep of being bad, I haven't ever had an issue (knock on wood).
Coastal Federal Credit Union .... check out the Go Green checking and Money Market accounts. Great rates
and very good on-line banking web site.
I have heard good things about Coastal and did consider them when we moved here; however, we do not qualify unless we pay $18 to a specific non-profit organization. Which annoys me. It's the same kind of forced fee enrollment that keeps me from joining AARP (as well as that organizations political agenda that I often do not agree with).
We've been here a year and haven't switched banks. YMMV, but we have no need for a local bank.
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. Plus they gave me $1,000 to switch brokers and now I get free trades along with these benefits! I was unaware of this program until a few months ago.
