Better Bank recommendations?

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by brandonbrinegar

chase or wells fargo are both great opions

Was that supposed to be a joke?

[trs810]

BECU is really great, especially their member's advantage checking/savings. In order to qualify for a member's advantage account you need to set up direct deposit and E-Statements, or some other combination, but that's what I do. The member's advantage is great because you earn 6% interest on your first $500 in your checking, AND in your savings, so if you have $500 in each, you are getting around $1.30 deposited into your account each month. Anything additional than $500 you get the regular savings rate.

The drawback to BECU is most of their neighborhood financial institutions are non cash handling. Their ATMs are great and you can deposit cash and the funds are immediate or you can deposit checks and i think the first $1000 is available to you immediately. But if you have any other transactions which you can't conduct at the ATM or inside one of the non-cash handling branches you can do shared branching at other credit unions. Or you could even go to one of their few cash handling branches, the only one I know of is in Tukwila.

But! I recently found out about this 24 hour call center which allows you to conduct transfers/inquires etc between different credit unions. So although most of my money is with BECU. I pay my rent with WSECU so I call that 1-866-692-8669 and I'm able to transfer between the two institutions without even leaving my house, its great!

otherwise I have accounts with WSECU, ING Direct, & Wells Fargo (only because I briefly worked there & have a credit card with them).
I have had accounts at several banks but only for the free promotional $100 and then closed the accounts a couple months later.

[brandonbrinegar]

Originally Posted by Xanathos

Was that supposed to be a joke?

why? i dont know much about personal banking...who do you bank with? is there much of a diff between megabanks and local? i really dont know.

[calibound1]

I have a BOA checking and money market savings account but want to go to BECU. is there any reason to keep the BOA account in addition to the BECU acct or should i move everything to BECU?

[calibound1]

Just opened a BECU account. Anyone have an opinion on my question above. If I am traveling out of state, how easy is it to access a BECU compatible ATM?

Thanks.

[Garfunkle524]

Originally Posted by calibound1

I have a BOA checking and money market savings account but want to go to BECU. is there any reason to keep the BOA account in addition to the BECU acct or should i move everything to BECU?

Originally Posted by calibound1

Just opened a BECU account. Anyone have an opinion on my question above. If I am traveling out of state, how easy is it to access a BECU compatible ATM?

Thanks.

I also just went to BECU member advantage accounts (that 6% is going to be really nice). I'm starting the process of completely moving everything to BECU and I see little reason not to.

Free ATMs from BECU are any ATM with the COOP icon on them. Most 7-Elevens nationwide have them. Here's the COOP ATM locator: CO-OP Financial Services (http://www.co-opfs.org/public/locators/atmlocator/ - broken link)

They're all over the place.

[calibound1]

Thanks, Garfunkle. I opened the same acct as you with the money market add on. Look forward to that 6% interest.

[BigRay5264]

if BECU would get with the program and offer mobile deposit with their app, I'd be much happier

[Ancalagon]

Between BECU and USAA I don't see us ever going back to a big bank.

Now to just use up all the points on our Chase and Capitol 1 CCs (there is no balance, haven't been used in months) so we can cut them up and be completely free of Wall Street!