# Online banks - recommend me one! (please?) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 7, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-banks-recommend-me-one-please/371845 "2006-09-07T23:13:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-banks-recommend-me-one-please/371845/1 "2006-09-07T23:13:14Z")
I’d like to get into online banking. I, however, know nothing about it. You should all educate me about it, and recommend me banks. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-banks-recommend-me-one-please/371845/2 "2006-09-08T00:33:35Z")
I’ve been using ING Direct for my “immediate” savings fund - in other words, the money that I’m going to need for car insurance in 6 months or car tax or whatever, and that theoretically I’m going to start putting money into for instant-access savings. I like it. You need a real brick-and-mortar bank account to link it to, but it’s no fee. You can get your money in and out in 48 hours. It gets like 4% interest or something. Very easy to use and does what I need it to do. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-banks-recommend-me-one-please/371845/3 "2006-09-08T14:51:56Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] I’ve been using ING Direct for my “immediate” savings fund - in other words, the money that I’m going to need for car insurance in 6 months or car tax or whatever, and that theoretically I’m going to start putting money into for instant-access savings. I like it. You need a real brick-and-mortar bank account to link it to, but it’s no fee. You can get your money in and out in 48 hours. It gets like 4% interest or something. Very easy to use and does what I need it to do. [/QUOTE] Ditto what Zsofia said. I’ve been quite pleased with them. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-banks-recommend-me-one-please/371845/4 "2006-09-08T15:10:32Z")
I had been using ING for a while as they had pretty good interest rates, but about a year ago I switched to HSBC as they have the highest (that I can find) without any minimum balance or account fees. I believe they’re paying 5.05% right now on their savings accounts. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-banks-recommend-me-one-please/371845/5 "2006-09-08T16:02:16Z")
I use GMAC for my savings account. They have competetive interest rates (currently 5%) and are one of the more user friendly online banks. The big ones have already been mentioned: GMAC, ING, HSBC. For a more complete list, check out the [Fat Wallet forums](http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/). Specifically, this [thread](http://www.fatwallet.com/t/52/437553/) which maintains a list of banks, interest rates, and minimum balances required to open an account. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-banks-recommend-me-one-please/371845/6 "2006-09-08T16:15:36Z")
Your regular bank probably offers online banking. You should check with them about it (assuming you like your bank). ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-banks-recommend-me-one-please/371845/7 "2006-09-08T16:23:40Z")
[QUOTE=Lips\_Obsession] I had been using ING for a while as they had pretty good interest rates, but about a year ago I switched to HSBC as they have the highest (that I can find) without any minimum balance or account fees. I believe they’re paying 5.05% right now on their savings accounts. [/QUOTE] [Emigrant Direct](https://www.emigrantdirect.com/EmigrantDirectWeb/index.jsp)’s APY is 5.15% right now. No fees, no minimums. We’ve been very happy with our account there.