# I Hate My Bank SO Much **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 19, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546 "2011-07-19T04:30:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/41 "2011-07-19T15:56:29Z")
When I see threads like these I like to mention that I love banking with Charles Schwab. In two years I have never been hit with any kind of hidden fee, never had funds go mysteriously unavailable, never had my account frozen, etc. Checks are free. Also, they don’t charge any ATM fees - and they pay the competitors’ fees. ---
**Author:** ![Uber\_the\_Goober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/58956e/32.png) [@Uber\_the\_Goober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uber_the_Goober)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/42 "2011-07-19T16:02:57Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Bnaks are not there for us. When it comes time to take money out of our accounts, it takes a second. When it comes time to giving us money, however, they hem and haw and it takes days and days. Banks rule us and we have to bend over and ask nicely. Yeah! So what the fuck is up with \*that \*shit? Huh?! \*\*Randy Seltzer \*\*I’m looking at you for answers 🙂 I for one hate the whole lot of them. Mother Fuckers. They fuck over mothers all the time, so I can say that truthfully. And apparently they are also parapalegic fuckers. Because jamie can attest to that. They would fuck babies too if they could I’m sure. They are basically human fuckers. They fuck over all their customers at every financially advantageous opportunity. I truly wish there was a better way. But there aint. And it blows. (quite obviously I am engaging in some fancy wordplay…don’t get all offended now. nobody is suggesting that any parapalegic babies get fucked. that’s just too far.) So I just follow the old tip my dad gave me - “Never have less than $100 in the bank. That’s your zero, your absolute bottom. Banks screw up all the time.” However, as my bills increase over the years, that amount needs adjusting. To like $1000…and eventually $10,000…ugh. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/43 "2011-07-19T16:39:55Z")
> [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > Many years ago, I worked in a bank. So sometimes I’m surprised at how many people are ignorant about how bank accounts work. > > When you deposit a check in your account, the amount is added to your balance, and starts earning interest immediately. But at the same time, a “hold” is placed on your account in the exact amount of the check. Every bank does this. If it’s a business or government check, the hold will range from two to five days, depending on your bank’s policy. if it’s a personal check, seven days is a pretty standard hold period. The days of the hold are counted only during business days. During this period, that money is frozen in place. Like I said, it’s still earning interest. It’s still your money. It’s just not going anywhere until the hold expires. Note that the hold expiring has absolutely nothing to do with the timetable for the check being cleared by the bank upon which it is drawn. > > So the time between a check clearing the bank and the funds from that check becoming available for you to withdraw is normally about 5 business days. Under normal circumstances, if you call the bank and ask your balance, they’ll tell you two numbers: your total balance (the sum of the money in the account) and the “available balance” which is the total balance minus the sum of all current holds. > > In the OP’s situation, a check (presumably a business check) was deposited to a basically empty account on a Saturday. So there will be no available funds until probably Thursday. If the OP is an adult, then no matter what the idiot on the phone told him, the OP should have known no money was available. Yes, whoever told him his “current balance” instead of his “available balance” screwed up, but the OP really has himself to blame. Any other bank recommended here will have basically identical policies. Not all of us have worked in a bank. In fact, I just found out this was true, from your post, right now. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/44 "2011-07-19T16:40:43Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > (Based on a tip in an old Hardy Boys book I read 40 years ago, I also keep a $20.00 hidden in the car in case my wallet disappears on a road trip and I need just enough gas to get home.) I remember that book! It was _The Spring Break Mystery_. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/45 "2011-07-19T16:43:09Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Not all of us have worked in a bank. In fact, I just found out this was true, from your post, right now. I blame the schools. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/46 "2011-07-19T16:44:40Z")
> [@Trom](#): > > When I see threads like these I like to mention that I love banking with Charles Schwab. In two years I have never been hit with any kind of hidden fee, never had funds go mysteriously unavailable, never had my account frozen, etc. Checks are free. Also, they don’t charge any ATM fees - and they pay the competitors’ fees. Ditto- Webster bank. They transfer money from savings to cover any overdrafts with no fees, the pay other banks’ ATM fees, checks are free etc. Love them. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/47 "2011-07-19T17:05:48Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > The old man was a BofA customer, and his account was routinely frozen every time we went to Vegas, which we did a lot. Hell, two impulsive people living in Los Angeles = frequent Vegas trips, and they never seemed to figure out that people go to Vegas, and when they do, they tend to spend a lot of money. And I mean every single time this happened, so we started placing bets on when we’d no longer have access to plastic money. Did the old man ever think to call the bank ahead of time and tell them he’d be making out of state purchases? I live in California, but have an office in Nevada (Vegas, actually) that I travel two about twice a month. Eons ago, I called BofA and told them this scenario, they marked my account, and I’ve literally never once had a problem. And yes, when I’m in Vegas, I’m bored, so I spend oodles of money on stupid shit like shoes and spas and fancy restaurants with my friends. Further, I travel all over the US and the world (just for fun, not business)- so long as I call the bank and warn them where I’m going, all is well. I just got back from Fiji and had no issues because I called BofA the week before I was leaving, told them my travel dates and where I was going. Not one single issue. Same thing last time I went to Peru- though my friend’s card got frozen (he didn’t call his bank ahead of time). As far as holds: BofA will immediately release $100 of whatever check, then the rest posts by the next morning- I think it posts at midnight, but I never check. Instate, out of state, whether I deposit it at home in California or by my office in NV. If I, for whatever reason, can’t wait until the next day for the funds, I just go to a teller, have them cash the check, then deposit whatever difference I want in my account after I get the cash I need. (FWIW: When I called BofA about this Fiji trip, the agent made a comment that I’m heads and tails more prepared than most folks- as most people don’t call at all, then call screaming from a foreign country. Also, BofA has a number you can call collect from another country, just in case anything DOES happen with your card). ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/48 "2011-07-19T17:13:34Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > Did the old man ever think to call the bank ahead of time and tell them he’d be making out of state purchases? Yes, but it was a ridiculous precaution we should have never had to take. We originally thought it was just a highly irritating fluke, so we let it go, then began to see a pattern. Bastards. Funny is the first time he decided to nip that silliness in the bud, the phone banker seemed like it was bizarre that he would have to call to say “Please let me use my money.” He had to explain to her that the account had been frozen several times during trips to Vegas, and so he neeeded her to do her teller magic so that we can [del]throw our money into a fire pit[/del] gamble in peace. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/49 "2011-07-19T17:16:04Z")
There is an “alternative bank” movement afoot, or at least here in the People’s Republic of Minnesota. They have ads out on the buses that read “Your bank is a bad bank. A naughty, naughty bank.” I am thinking about moving my vast holdings therein. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/50 "2011-07-19T17:16:22Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > and so he neeeded her to do her teller magic so that we can [del]throw our money into a fire pit[/del] gamble in peace. :D:p I guess I don’t see an issue with the whole process, since I do know of several people who have had their card stolen and used across state lines/ in foreign countries. Like I said, in my case, I just had to call once and warn them that I go to Nevada a lot, so it’s not like I have to call them every two weeks or anything (THAT would make me want to shank a bitch). ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/51 "2011-07-19T17:26:43Z")
I completely agree about getting a credit card. You should always have more than one form of payment on you. If that isn’t practical, take a 20 dollar bill and stick it in your glove compartment – maybe hide it in the pages of the owner’s manual or something. Eventually you’ll forget it’s there, until the next time you find yourself in a situation like the one described in the OP. Then you’ll be glad you did it. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/52 "2011-07-19T17:35:50Z")
Not that the OP isn’t justified for hating his bank, but: > [@Wheelz](#): > > I completely agree about getting a credit card. You should always have more than one form of payment on you. If that isn’t practical, take a 20 dollar bill and stick it in your glove compartment – maybe hide it in the pages of the owner’s manual or something. Eventually you’ll forget it’s there, until the next time you find yourself in a situation like the one described in the OP. Then you’ll be glad you did it. Yeah. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![mischievous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mischievous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mischievous)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/53 "2011-07-19T17:44:53Z")
> [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > Yeah, I don’t think you understand how your own account works. I don’t think you’re listening to other people in the thread. Or you’re bizarrely stuck on the particular rules your particular bank had when you were working there. With my account, all payroll checks and the first $500 dollars of personal checks are immediately released to “available balance”. I’ve deposited personal checks on a $20 balance, and immediately withdrawn $200. And I think Citibank counts as a real bank. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/54 "2011-07-19T17:45:28Z")
For someone who has talked about his investment portfolio before, it seems unfathomable to me he had no other means to get $20 for gas. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/55 "2011-07-19T17:57:17Z")
Like **Diosa** , I always call my credit card issuer/bank before travelling, especially before travelling to foreign countries. I know people who’ve gotten stuck, and even though it’s generally resolved quickly, it’s a hassle avoided. ---
**Author:** ![DragonAsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/56 "2011-07-19T18:06:01Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > For someone who has talked about his investment portfolio before, it seems unfathomable to me he had no other means to get $20 for gas. QFT. I can’t fathom how any reasonably functioning adult could have ZERO money. Bank account zero, no credit cards, no cash in your wallet, no checks? Really? Like I said: someone needs to learn some basic adult money management skills. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/57 "2011-07-19T18:07:15Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Like **Diosa** , I always call my credit card issuer/bank before travelling, especially before travelling to foreign countries. I know people who’ve gotten stuck, and even though it’s generally resolved quickly, it’s a hassle avoided. I remember in Peru when my friend had to make a $4 a minute phone call to his Credit Union back in the States to get it fixed. After waiting on hold for 25 minutes, he was less than pleased. But hey, that’s what he gets for not planning ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/58 "2011-07-19T18:14:21Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > I can indeed do exactly that. Talk to your bank. > > Or maybe it’s just a Canadian thing in which case 🆒 Go Canada!\* > > - I was going to say Go us but the potential for misunderstanding was too great. I might be able to arrange that for my TD Canada Trust account (never had the need to try), but I do end up with a hold on part of the amount if I deposit a cheque larger than a given amount. It’s been a long time since I’ve needed to (since that doesn’t apply to direct deposits), but in my case I think the limit was $400; anything higher got held for a few days. I keep at least $1000 in my chequing account anyway to avoid paying monthly fees, so I only knew about holds because it told me when I checked my balance online. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/59 "2011-07-19T18:31:28Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Like **Diosa** , I always call my credit card issuer/bank before travelling, especially before travelling to foreign countries. I know people who’ve gotten stuck, and even though it’s generally resolved quickly, it’s a hassle avoided. This doesn’t always work. More than once, my sister has made the phone call, gone traveling, and still had her card flagged because of “suspicious activity in a foreign country.” And I know for sure she made the call in at least one case because I was in the room when she made it. And gotten the subsequent phone call from the bank wanting to confirm the charges. Charges in Germany, eh? No shit. No you can’t talk to her, she’s in GERMANY, asshole. Exactly where she told you 5 days ago she would be, and apparently the person who took that call was enjoying having his thumbs up his butt so much, he didn’t bother to pull his hands out of his pants long enough to actually type that up in the computer anywhere. I’m not sure what she would have been able to do to get it cleared up if she hadn’t changed her contact number to somebody still in the States. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546/60 "2011-07-19T18:39:12Z")
American banks often behave strangely; I’ve a few very funny and exasperating stories. (Start a Mundane Pointless thread “Funny Things At American Banks” and I’ll tell them.) In the case of OP, it really is unfortunate that no one at the bank end had the gumption to apply common sense for a long-standing customer. > [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > If the OP is an adult, then no matter what the idiot on the phone told him, the OP should have known no money was available. What a peculiar and asinine way to present your “knowledge.” Had a fight with the girlfriend, hunh? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-my-bank-so-much/589546.md?page=4)