# So, is anyone going in on 'Bank Transfer Day'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 5, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920 "2011-11-05T02:06:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doctor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Doctor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/1 "2011-11-05T02:06:11Z")
[Bank Transfer Day](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_Transfer_Day) I just ran across this today. I didn’t realize this was occurring, but oddly enough, today I just completed transferring all my funds out of Wells Fargo to USAA and closing my Wells Fargo account. And it was totally due to Wells Fargo deciding to change the rules on my accounts which would have socked me with a $15 monthly fee. So I guess I am inadvertently part of ‘Bank Transfer Day’. Anyone else fed up with their big bank and making the switch? I don’t want to be the only one! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/2 "2011-11-05T02:13:27Z")
We have accounts with Bank of America Military. The benefits outweigh the annoyances so we’re sticking with them until the situation is reversed. ETA: I did have an account with my job’s credit union but they require a certain number of transactions per month or the account gets hit with a service charge. Didn’t know that and my $50 opening deposit was down to $5 after five years. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/3 "2011-11-05T02:17:12Z")
How do I participate if I’m already part of a credit union? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Doctor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/4 "2011-11-05T02:18:41Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > How do I participate if I’m already part of a credit union? I guess you were just way ahead of us dummies still stuck in the big banks. You should should pity us! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/5 "2011-11-06T07:13:03Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > How do I participate if I’m already part of a credit union? Go open a bank account, and then close it out. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/6 "2011-11-06T10:31:37Z")
I’m in the process of switching to my local community bank (the only credit union I could find that I could join is one I had years ago, and they sucked). I’d meant to do it years ago, but the whole Bank Transfer Day thing got me off my butt to look and discover that my local bank has all the services I’d ever use and MUCH better rates. (When I joined my Megabank, ~ 20 years ago, they weren’t a Megabank - but that was several mergers ago.) OK, so the local bank doesn’t have mobile banking. But I never use that, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/7 "2011-11-06T10:31:56Z")
I would like to but I’m on a limited income that makes it kind of difficult. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/8 "2011-11-06T10:53:07Z")
I barely remember the last time I had an account in a bank of any kind - I think it was 1996-ish with First Union, which has since been absorbed by someone else. The only reason we opened it was that my husband was moving out of state ahead of us by 6 months and it was the easiest way for him to deposit his pay and for me to have access to pay our bills. Once we were living together again, that account went away. Other than that, we’ve had the same account at the same credit union since we were married - actually before, because it was his to begin with. We have since joined a local credit union, but the original one, though 800 miles away, is where we do our primary “banking.” At the time, it was quite appropriate that our bank’s initials were FU… ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/9 "2011-11-06T10:56:59Z")
The minute the banks started to go bad, back in the W era, I switched to a regional credit union. Never looked back. BTW-- my CU just opened a nifty new branch, larger & more convenient. I do believe that they’re doing well. ---
**Author:** ![BeaMyra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BeaMyra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeaMyra)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/10 "2011-11-06T11:33:15Z")
The thing you’re all forgetting is the big banks don’t want your money anyway. So what if you transfer. That makes the big banks happy has it costs them money to deal with the little stuff. They’re not losing anything by you going to another bank. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/11 "2011-11-06T11:44:33Z")
> [@BeaMyra](#): > > The thing you’re all forgetting is the big banks don’t want your money anyway. So what if you transfer. That makes the big banks happy has it costs them money to deal with the little stuff. > > They’re not losing anything by you going to another bank. I’m wlling to be persuaded, but right now, I don’t believe you. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/12 "2011-11-06T11:52:28Z")
I transferred all my business to a CU years ago over similar issues- too many fees, poor communication, etc. I wish I had an account to move. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/13 "2011-11-06T12:02:39Z")
> [@BeaMyra](#): > > They’re not losing anything by you going to another bank. Then why do these large banks do so much advertizing trying to get customers?? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/14 "2011-11-06T12:38:31Z")
> [@BeaMyra](#): > > The thing you’re all forgetting is the big banks don’t want your money anyway. So what if you transfer. That makes the big banks happy has it costs them money to deal with the little stuff. > > They’re not losing anything by you going to another bank. They keep saying that, but is there some law keeping them from dropping all of the unprofitable customers? Seems to me they would have done so long ago if they were actually losing money. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/15 "2011-11-06T14:53:36Z")
Way ahead of the game. I started up my credit union Visa card again, and stopped using my BofA Visa, which is the bank that Alaska Airlines uses for their card. I won’t get any more miles, but I don’t give a shit. Interestingly, after my monthly BofA Visa bill plummeted from about $3-$4K/month to nearly zero, I started getting a large volume of junk mail from Alaska Airlines offering me large amounts of airline miles if I used my credit card more. Fuck them, too. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/16 "2011-11-06T15:12:08Z")
Wells Fargo was about to start putting a $12/month charge on my account and the last time I was in the US I went in to close the account and make arrangements for my $75K in CDs to be paid directly to me as they matured. The guy damned near fell over himself finding ways to avoid the fees. In case you are interested I will mention that the original notice specified explicitly that no amount of deposits in other WF accounts would case the fee to be waived. So yes, they do want my $75K and will do a lot (by their standards, at least) to keep it. Incidentally, this account started with a local bank in Florida and wound up with WF after many bank mergers and buyouts. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/17 "2011-11-06T15:22:09Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Wells Fargo was about to start putting a $12/month charge on my account and the last time I was in the US I went in to close the account and make arrangements for my $75K in CDs to be paid directly to me as they matured. The guy damned near fell over himself finding ways to avoid the fees. In case you are interested I will mention that the original notice specified explicitly that no amount of deposits in other WF accounts would case the fee to be waived. So yes, they do want my $75K and will do a lot (by their standards, at least) to keep it. > > Incidentally, this account started with a local bank in Florida and wound up with WF after many bank mergers and buyouts. I’m in the same spot with our household “we are the 99%, but we aren’t the 95%” income. Wells gives me a ton of stuff I couldn’t get from a credit union (like free trading on the market). I don’t pay fees for anything. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/18 "2011-11-06T15:39:06Z")
I have a BoA account because I was a C&S customer back in the middle of the 20th century and that bank was bought by another that was bought by another… that was bought by BoA. I am closing my account this Friday after more than 40 years as a customer. I doubt if they will notice, but I feel good about it. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/19 "2011-11-06T23:38:47Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > I’m in the same spot with our household “we are the 99%, but we aren’t the 95%” income. Wells gives me a ton of stuff I couldn’t get from a credit union (like free trading on the market). I don’t pay fees for anything. Same here. I have been with Wells Fargo since 1989. I never pay fees for anything. The only exception was a few times when I wasn’t paying attention and overdrew my account. They paid the check/charge, but also charged me a fee for it. Fine. I screwed up. I would rather they pay the check and charge me a fee than bounce my payment. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920/20 "2011-11-07T00:38:55Z")
We celebrated Bank Transfer Day with accounts at 3 different credit unions. Of course, we did that 10 to 20 years ago, so I’m not sure it counts. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-anyone-going-in-on-bank-transfer-day/601920.md?page=2)