# What is the best US bank? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405 "2011-02-06T16:43:22Z")\ **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:** [February 6, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/1 "2011-02-06T16:43:22Z")
I have been shopping around for a new bank to move my checking account to as I don’t really feel that my current bank is doing anything to keep my business and I’ve had a few run ins with their “customer support” which leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. I am looking for just basic checking, ATM, etc. But, I also travel and want to ensure I can access my account if I end up in UK or Europe or Australia. I have made a poll of the 5 banks which are closest to me as I like to be able to drop in if necessary without having to travel all over town. So, what do y’all think? Who is the best? Good experiences, bad experiences, hate 'em all, whatever? ---
**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:** [February 6, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/2 "2011-02-06T16:47:57Z")
These are all equally terrible choices. WaMu used to be the shit, but then they were bought out by [del]Satan[/del] Chase, and bye-bye went free checking and decent customer service. Hello to being nickeled and dimed for everything, and shitty service reps whose disdain for you is just barely beneath the surface. Wachovia was another good bank, but after the merger with Wells Fargo… well, the less said about WFB the better. Among those choices BofA is starting to look good. Edit: I’ve never banked with USB, so they might be okay. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/3 "2011-02-06T17:13:10Z")
Banks are too big to give you decent customer service; as MOL pointed out, any banks that are small enough to be good will eventually get consolidated into the big ones. Go to a credit union for your day-to-day banking, and have some major credit cards for use overseas. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/4 "2011-02-06T17:29:54Z")
If by “access my account” you mean “get money at an ATM,” my vote would be “none of the above.” Instead, look into a credit union (as **Erdosain** suggests) that’s a member of the [CO-OP](http://www.co-opfs.org/public/locators/atmlocator/index.cfm) system: when my daughter backpacked through a good part of Europe and some of Asia, I kept her funded by making deposits to her CU account and she had no particular trouble getting money out. (A sidenote to **MeanOldLady** ’s post: WaMu wasn’t sold, it was seized by the FDIC on a Friday night and handed over to Chase like a Christmas present. Toward the end of WaMu’s struggles, Chase was my preference from the list of potential acquirers; the way the takeover was handled caused me to bail at the first opportunity.) ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/5 "2011-02-06T17:35:17Z")
I’m quite happy with USAA, and you don’t have to be in the military or related to a vet or active service member to use the banking features. [See here](https://www.usaa.com/inet/pages/why_choose_usaa_eligibility_main?wa_ref=wcu_main_is_usaa_for_you) - scroll down to “other individuals.” ---
**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:** [February 6, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/6 "2011-02-06T17:44:19Z")
Yeah, maybe I should have said “taken over.” The point is Chase runs the show now, and they suck goat balls. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Doctor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/7 "2011-02-06T17:56:51Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Yeah, maybe I should have said “taken over.” The point is Chase runs the show now, and they suck goat balls. Yup, that is exactly my experience. I was a perfectly happy WaMu customer and now Chase seems to be going out of their way to alienate all former WaMu customers. I guess they don’t want our money. My Dad suggested a Credit Union as well, I am just not sure what to look for in a Credit Union. Don’t have any experience with them. **OttoDaFe** , thanks for the link to CO-OP. I am checking this out. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/8 "2011-02-06T18:16:52Z")
USAA. And for the love of god, don’t go with BoA, they’re AWFUL. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/9 "2011-02-06T18:31:34Z")
You should have set up the poll for the worst choice [my vote: my most recent ex-bank, Chase]. Then you’d know which is least evil, anyway. Credit Unions are much less bad but I’ve recently opened an account with RBC (only useful if you’re in the South) and I like them: they’re very straightforward about the ways in which they’re ruthless, and nice about it to boot. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/10 "2011-02-06T18:34:24Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > USAA. And for the love of god, don’t go with BoA, they’re AWFUL. I use USAA and they’re amazing. If you have a deposit you have to mail it in, unless you have a loan through them then you can scan the check in or take a picture with it on your smartphone. Their customer service is amazing, I’ve never had to be on hold with them. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Doctor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/11 "2011-02-06T18:37:02Z")
Heck, I guess the poll should have been “are banks evil?” with 2 choices: “Yes” and “Hell, Yes!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Doctor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Doctor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/12 "2011-02-06T18:38:02Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I use USAA and they’re amazing. If you have a deposit you have to mail it in, unless you have a loan through them then you can scan the check in or take a picture with it on your smartphone. > > Their customer service is amazing, I’ve never had to be on hold with them. You have to mail in a deposit? Seems kind of odd. What about ATM services and fees? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/13 "2011-02-06T18:38:20Z")
It depends on your needs. Many people love credit unions because they say they give excellent customer service. I don’t want to know anything about my bank’s customer service as a general rule because I don’t want to talk to them or go into one of their branches. I just want easy ways to put money in and take it back out again whenever I want. I like Bank of America because they are huge and have ATM’s all over. Their online banking system is very good which is the most important thing to me. They have given me good service when I needed it though. I refinanced a mortgage with them basically over the phone and they sent someone to meet me at my convenience to do the signing right near my house. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/14 "2011-02-06T18:42:45Z")
Am I the only one without a problem with Chase? I’m going to be the first to admit that I am not the best at managing my money, but they’ve been good about refunding my over draft fees (and linked my checking and savings to avoid issues like that), and have been good about refunding me if I file a dispute against a vendor. I’ve also had excellent customer service at the Chase branches I’ve been to…there’s one branch where they know me (the one I opened up my account at) and before you could deposit money in an ATM they would frequently have me come over to one of the banker’s desks to do the transaction, rather than wait in line. They also have a good rewards program- it’s very, very small, but I do get about $75 from them a year as a “reward” for using my debit card…they also deposited $20 in my account when I used my chase card to buy a metro card. Plus I have free checking because my checking and savings are linked and I have an automatic deposit from checking to savings at the end of the month. ETA: I’ve also never been on hold with them on the phone. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Doctor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/15 "2011-02-06T18:56:17Z")
> [@CatherineZeta](#): > > Am I the only one without a problem with Chase? I’m going to be the first to admit that I am not the best at managing my money, but they’ve been good about refunding my over draft fees (and linked my checking and savings to avoid issues like that), and have been good about refunding me if I file a dispute against a vendor. I’ve also had excellent customer service at the Chase branches I’ve been to…there’s one branch where they know me (the one I opened up my account at) and before you could deposit money in an ATM they would frequently have me come over to one of the banker’s desks to do the transaction, rather than wait in line. They also have a good rewards program- it’s very, very small, but I do get about $75 from them a year as a “reward” for using my debit card…they also deposited $20 in my account when I used my chase card to buy a metro card. Plus I have free checking because my checking and savings are linked and I have an automatic deposit from checking to savings at the end of the month. > > ETA: I’ve also never been on hold with them on the phone. I was getting odd emails from them saying I did not have enough money in my account which did not make sense as I had plenty. I both emailed and talked to Customer Service about this and their answers did not make any sense whatsoever. I finally gave up after they told me everything was fine as their explanation of why I was getting the email (twice) was non-sequitor. And then there is the matter of accounts as a former WaMu customer. Their latest change is to create some new type of account which has worse fees and services than their normal checking accounts. WTF? Why not just convert the accounts to a basic checking account? It makes no sense whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/16 "2011-02-06T18:59:06Z")
> [@Doctor](#): > > You have to mail in a deposit? Seems kind of odd. What about ATM services and fees? The reason you have to mail in a deposit (or scan) is because they do most the things online and through the phone. It’s a military/vet bank, so they’re used to people being scattered. I don’t pay anything for checking or saving. You have to pay ATM fees but because they don’t have any ATMs you can use, every month they reimburse you all the fees you pay. Which works for me because I have having to look for a specific ATM. I think there’s an upper limit, although I don’t know what it is. I just looked in my account this month and they give me $15. I also have auto insurance (and life and renters) and this year they sent me a check for $60 dollars because I’m a policy holder. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/17 "2011-02-06T19:01:20Z")
That’s bizarre…so are you saying WaMu customers don’t have the same options as a regular Chase customer for free checking? I can understand the emails being annoying though…Chase texts me whenever I’m under $50…which is actually good I guess…but at least once they’ve texted me erroneously…they apologized though. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/18 "2011-02-06T19:02:25Z")
I have an account with USAA and an account with a regional bank that bought out my local bank years ago (BB&T.) I’ve never had problems with either. In the past I’ve had serious problems with Citi and a few other national banks, either for banking services or with credit card accounts. I think the national banks honestly suck and I’d stay away from them. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/19 "2011-02-06T19:17:47Z")
Chase is horrible (and I worked for them at one time). Realistically I never hear anything good about the banks the size of the ones on your list. Absolutely everyone hates [del]Shittybank[/del]Citibank. I really like my bank -TD Bank, formerly Commerce Bank, but it isn’t one of your options. WThey probably don’t operate everywhere. Then again, neither does Well Fargo. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405/20 "2011-02-06T19:24:36Z")
They are all terrible. Try opening a Euro account at any of them - it can’t be done. Yet at my bank in the Czech Republic, it is easy to open a Japanese Yen account… as well as many other currencies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-us-bank/570405.md?page=2)