Need a Bank Recommendation.....

[ericsami]

here is my practical suggesstion.

you need to have an account with a big bank. we really only have three truely national banks in this country. BAnkofamerica,chase,wellsfargo.
chase to me is out of question. they charge too much for everything. one time they tried to charge me 35 bucks for a money order (if you can believe that.)

wells and bankofamerica are both "fine" but i would go with Bankofamerica because they virtually have a location in every city in america.

but i recommend you only put 500 bucks in that account and forget about it.
just have this account in case you are in another city and you need to do something bank related.

let's say you want to buy a car and you want to get a cashiers check and you just happen to be in LA. then you can use the bank of americva account.

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but for the real day to day use.
no quesiton what so ever. just chooose credit union in Austin.
RBCFU is fine.
amplify is fine
A+ is fine.
Austin teleco is fine.

In my opinion choose the credit union that happens to have location close to your residence. and it also happens to have a place close to your work.

remember most austin credit unions will let you use anyother austin based credit union ATM for free as long as you have direct deposit setup.

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Synopsis:day to day-->any credit union close to your place
account with big bank of out of town banking needs.

[WoodyTX]

I'm with Regions Bank, and I'll explain a bit... (Long story follows)

I was with Wells Fargo for the ATM accessibility, especially because they had a branch in my old hometown. I received a corporate check from an investment, deposited it, saw that it had cleared on the paying bank, and began paying off some debt. Wells Fargo held the funds for the maximum legally available time, and bounced all of my checks. They aren't legally responsible to pay them, but I got NSF fees from the creditors and the bank, despite the check having already cleared a week before.

I went in to speak to a banker, and he went to look into it. When he returned, he literally said, "Let me tell you how it's going to be. We'll release the funds today (they were to be release tomorrow), but we won't refund the NSF fees."

I waited for another large check to deposit, held off on writing checks, moved some funds into the account, and went back to him a couple months later. I told him, "Let me tell you how it's going to be. You're going to hand me $23,501.23 (exact amount unknown, but that's close) in cash, and I'm going to close all of my accounts with your bank, and never darken your door again." He blinked a couple of times, and I told him that his lack of customer service was why I was leaving his bank. And that I had eaten a big breakfast, and could wait all day for the money, if need be.

Cash in hand, I went to Regions, where I had banked before. Walking in the door, I was greeted by a banker and two tellers, and asked what they could do for me today. That level of service has continued for over eight years. Yes, I occasionally pay more for an ATM fee, but I've learned to use a credit card for nearly everything, and keep my cash in pocket.

[Moonlady]

Originally Posted by WoodyTX

I'm with Regions Bank, and I'll explain a bit... (Long story follows)

I was with Wells Fargo for the ATM accessibility, especially because they had a branch in my old hometown. I received a corporate check from an investment, deposited it, saw that it had cleared on the paying bank, and began paying off some debt. Wells Fargo held the funds for the maximum legally available time, and bounced all of my checks. They aren't legally responsible to pay them, but I got NSF fees from the creditors and the bank, despite the check having already cleared a week before.

I went in to speak to a banker, and he went to look into it. When he returned, he literally said, "Let me tell you how it's going to be. We'll release the funds today (they were to be release tomorrow), but we won't refund the NSF fees."

I waited for another large check to deposit, held off on writing checks, moved some funds into the account, and went back to him a couple months later. I told him, "Let me tell you how it's going to be. You're going to hand me $23,501.23 (exact amount unknown, but that's close) in cash, and I'm going to close all of my accounts with your bank, and never darken your door again." He blinked a couple of times, and I told him that his lack of customer service was why I was leaving his bank. And that I had eaten a big breakfast, and could wait all day for the money, if need be.

Cash in hand, I went to Regions, where I had banked before. Walking in the door, I was greeted by a banker and two tellers, and asked what they could do for me today. That level of service has continued for over eight years. Yes, I occasionally pay more for an ATM fee, but I've learned to use a credit card for nearly everything, and keep my cash in pocket.

I love that! I hate big banks. To me you are never treated as a customer should be. They do everything they can to take your money and act like they are doing you a favor. Credit Unions are so much friendlier.

To the OP - have you ever thought about setting up an account with someone like Fidelity? I have my invenstments with them, but they offer a checking account and credit card, and they also allow me to transfer funds electronically between them and my credit union.