kicked firstbank to the curb,,, where to go from here?

[derekm]

I am looking for input on where to take my money and keep it. I got a $31 overdraft fee and firstbank will not let me use my savings acct as an overdraft protection source, they wouldnt reimburse a 16 year customer + they've never been that good to me when loan shopping. Where do you bank & why?
Thank you-

[Bueller]

US Bank, which what they have become after several incarnations since I started with Bank Western back in the day.
Why? Because they haven't pissed me off enough in the past to drop them, although it's been close a couple of times.

[salsashark]

I switched from USBank to a credit union 8 years ago and couldn't be happier.

They've always been really easy to deal with. One example, they sat on the loan paper work for my Buell for a month so I got a $50 fine for late registration from the DMV when I plated it. I went back to the credit union and they cut me a check for the money on the spot. Let's see USBank do that.

Anyways, I don't know about your eligibility, but if you have access to one, seriously look into credit unions.

BTW, I'm with Addison Avenue Credit Union (https://addisonavenue.com/). One of the things I like most are free atm usage at all 7-11s. I haven't had to pay for an ATM in years.

[King Nothing]

Two different credit unions. Credit Union of Denver for about 8 years and Members Federal Credit Union (formerly Aurora Federal Credit Union) for about 30 years.

[TinkerinWstuff]

At USBank too. Been there for years. Wife switched from Wells Fargo to USBank when they pissed her off. Convenient King Soopers locations.

I also continue to have a checking account with my childhood bank back in MN. Direct deposit, cash card. Keep half my money between two banks to prevent catastrophe from ID theft or other issues.

[longrider]

Bank of the West for me and I would recommend them. While they are a large bank they maintain the small bank, personal feel within the branches.

[sloridr]

+1 us bank. They have always taken care of my wife and I. We can use any branch and the big one on the corner of wads and bowles the managers come out and greet us by name. To me that means a lot. Great customer service.

[Wrider]

Ent Federal Credit Union in the Springs here is pretty good. I think they're starting to open up branches all over the state too. They've been good about reimbursing overdraft fees when I screw up and get the money back into the bank first thing. Really good on loans. I'd like to see a bank offer a fixed 4.5% interest rate on a car to a 20 year old.

I'll never ever bank with Wells Fargo again.

[derekm]

Im leaning towards a cu. def heard good things aboot US but like the "personal" feeling + having at least a say in what happens to my $$$ vs taking it in the leather cheerio!

[TinkerinWstuff]

whatever ya decide, still a good idea to "spread the wealth"

Have multiple accounts spread with different institutions. eggs one basket....

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b92M0gjPNVs/SoazD0bKCgI/AAAAAAAAADg/3_CaZH_3fRk/s320/egg-money-basket-300x245.gif

[wulf]

So far I've fired firstbank, USbank, TCFbank, and wells fargo. Currently with chase and a credit union back home.

[(( LO LO ))]

Just my .2 cents. I had Firstbank when I was living in Colorado. I was the perfect customer the entire 3+ years I was with them. I had my military pay direct deposited into my military checking account, never overdrawn, etc. They offered my a credit card one day and I opted to get it. Worst mistake EVER! The credit card started out with 7.9% APR, and I had a small balance on it for about a year that I paid on monthly (roughly 10% of my credit limit). Well, one day I was deployed and still making my monthly payments via transfers online from my checking to credit card account. Well, during my deployment, there was a computer glitch and my auto transfer didn't go through before the due date for my credit card bill. I happened to catch that the funds didn't transfer a couple of days later so I manually transferred the funds via internet. Well wouldn't you believe that my next credit card statement shot from 7.9% APR to 29.9% APR just for being a couple of days late on my credit card payment, even though it wasn't MY fault but the networks fault! I tried to work with customer service to rememdy the situation, but they weren't willing to budge and change my APR back and wave the late fee. So now I was stuck with a shytty 29.9% APR credit card. Pissed, I paid of the balance of my credit card, shut down my checking account, and transferred my business to USAA bank, and Chase for local check cashing, savings, etc. So long story short, F*#k Firstbank...

[Dietrich_R1]

That's nothing... I walked over 16K in cash over to Bank 1 to purchase a house. Well, over a month later I got a call from the escrow company...

We have to contact the owner & they can legally cancel the deal & keep your deposit!!!

So once I got home from just a couple days @ my new career... I spent over 2 hours on the phone w/ Bank 1. After talking w/ many people (circle jerk), they told me not to worrry.

My responsed, as I was documenting EVERYTHING!!!....

You're right, because if I loose the house & my deposit Bank 1 will be purchasing my next house! That finally sparked some help!!!!

Let's just say I was given about $800 in Best Buy gift cards from them. Even that I had to follow up from a stupid B1 person!!!!!!


Wells Fargo hasn't F'd it up yet. Even though I am SO TIRED of them asking me to go paperless every time I log into my account or go to the teller. I've asked them over & over to quit asking!!

[DemonRider]

Chase Bank, they reimbursed us when determined that it was the fault of a bad online retailer and another occasion where the wife had her purse stolen! We dropped USBank and Wells Fargo for very poor Customer Service! plus we have Free online backing and free checks for life, but I think that was a short promotion they had three years ago! But I also hear that these days you might be better off with a Credit Union, my mother has never had issues with Bellco, she been with them for as long as I can remember.

[DeeStylez]

I've been with Westerra CU formerly Safeway for 8 years now. I like the fact that there are several partnered CU service centers I can make deposits, withdraw money, and free ATM service. Overall I am satisfied with Westerra and plan to continue banking with them for many more years.

[thaitanic]

navy fed cu for me. they only have 1 location in denver, but great rates on loans and savings. only catch is new members need military affiliation. they exclude coast guard for some reason.

[jbnwc]

I'm amazed no one has mentioned INGDirect so far. INGDirect is the best bank BY FAR that I've ever dealt with, and as an investment professional, I deal with them all.

ING Direct
Pros:
Super easy website
NO FEES - ever (that I've encountered) they've even gone way out of their way to avoid federal fees for me when I screwed up.
Way better rates than virtually any other bank
Awesome customer service
ATM's everywhere
They do everything the way you would want them to. They even translate all the legal jargon into layman's terms for you.

Cons:
no brick n mortar locations in CO

As far as credit unions are concerned - Bellco is one of the better ones, Denver Credit Union is one of the worst. (although neither can hold a candle to ING)

If you are sick of fees and hidden charges, AVOID:
Wells-Fargo
Ally(these guys are the worst hypocrites) - formerly GMAC

[King Nothing]

I'm amazed no one has mentioned INGDirect so far. INGDirect is the best bank BY FAR that I've ever dealt with, and as an investment professional, I deal with them all.

ING Direct
Pros:
Super easy website
NO FEES - ever (that I've encountered) they've even gone way out of their way to avoid federal fees for me when I screwed up.
Way better rates than virtually any other bank
Awesome customer service
ATM's everywhere
They do everything the way you would want them to. They even translate all the legal jargon into layman's terms for you.

Cons:
no brick n mortar locations in CO

As far as credit unions are concerned - Bellco is one of the better ones, Denver Credit Union is one of the worst. (although neither can hold a candle to ING)

If you are sick of fees and hidden charges, AVOID:
Wells-Fargo
Ally(these guys are the worst hypocrites) - formerly GMACOh yeah, we have an ING direct account too. VERY nice.

[Pachuco]

We just switched from Wells Fargo to Elevations CU.
tired of all the fees to do anything and after being with them for over 20 years they still wont do anything for me.
the CU already is way more helpful and easy going.
I should have changed 20 yrs ago. it would have saved me a few headaches.

[CaneZach]

Ent Federal Credit Union in the Springs here is pretty good. I think they're starting to open up branches all over the state too. They've been good about reimbursing overdraft fees when I screw up and get the money back into the bank first thing. Really good on loans. I'd like to see a bank offer a fixed 4.5% interest rate on a car to a 20 year old.

I'll never ever bank with Wells Fargo again.

+1 on Ent.

[Jim_Vess]

We just switched from Wells Fargo to Elevations CU.
tired of all the fees to do anything and after being with them for over 20 years they still wont do anything for me.
the CU already is way more helpful and easy going.
I should have changed 20 yrs ago. it would have saved me a few headaches.

+1

I've been with Elevations CU since 1986 (back when they were U of C Credit Union). They've always been fair and have great rates on loans.

Wells Fargo, Capital One, and FirstBank can kiss my ass.

[Airreed]

Same story as most everyone with Wells Fargo...shitty service and hidden fees.
I'm now with USAA and Pentagon Federal Credit Union, but like others stated you need military affilitation.

[Sean]

I've been with Elevations CU since 1986 (back when they were U of C Credit Union). They've always been fair and have great rates on loans.I just switched from Elevations. They were good to deal with but the locations are a pain in the ass unless you are in Boulder, which I no longer am. I just moved to Chase, we'll see how it goes.

[derekm]

Well it looks like ps & bellco cu's offer the most of what I am looking for. Now how to decide between these two????:dunno:

[TinkerinWstuff]

BOTH

How many times do I say, don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Have your only account hacked by an online retailer, identity theft, bank mistake, what have you, and you find yourself stranded out of town with no access to cash

[derekm]

cool got it figured out & we'll see!

[t_jolt]

another plus one for bellco, they have reimbursed every over draft fee, their fault or not. Also ive been with them for over 20 years now.

Tyrel

[Ricky]

Here's the difference between a bank and a credit union:

@ a bank: you are a customer
@ a CU: you are a MEMBER

@ a bank: they try to profit off you
@ a CU: they try to make back their expenses

@ a bank: no minimum balance required
@ a CU: minimum balance required, which is your "share" of ownership in the credit union

A bank doesn't give a shit about you, but will generally be far more convenient, and will likely charge higher fees and have better online tools than the majority of small-medium sized credit unions.

A credit union is a business you own a share in. What's best for the CU is best for the member. I worked for a CU for a really long time, and discovered the benefits of being a CU member.

That said, I'd never "bank" with a credit union again. My money goes into a bank, and my loans are with credit unions. I bank with Chase (left Wells Fargo after 10 years, about 3 yrs ago) and am very happy with them. I'd rather be with a bank, than a credit union, for sheer convenience sake. Banks tend to have 24 hour service, whereas most credit unions don't, or they farm it out to a 3rd party. Last thing I want is ANOTHER company with my financial data.

Co-op credit unions are great too, but again, you're talking about thousands of credit unions that have direct access to your bank account. Convenience for some, scare factor for others. It is nice to walk into a random co-op CU and make a payment for my loan at PSCU or wherever. I can also access my California credit union account, from most credit unions here.

[Jim_Vess]

I just switched from Elevations. They were good to deal with but the locations are a pain in the ass unless you are in Boulder, which I no longer am. I just moved to Chase, we'll see how it goes.

I'm lucky, I live about 1/2 mile from Elevation's Lafayette branch. I think if I moved out of the Boulder area, I'd probably change banks.

My mortgage is with Chase. They've always been decent to deal with.

[JonnyD]

I just switched from Elevations. They were good to deal with but the locations are a pain in the ass unless you are in Boulder, which I no longer am. I just moved to Chase, we'll see how it goes.

I live in Morrison and just switched to Elevations. Had to go to Boulder to open an accountBut now I can actually go to any Public Service CU in the Denver Metro area and deposit/withdraw/etc from the Elevations CU account. Seems lots of credit unions are being part of a co-op with PSCU.

[Captain Obvious]

I have no issue with Wells Fargo so far, but since I just got out of an abusive relationship with Bank of America, perhaps it is just better and not good. But I don't know any better.

[Sarge]

I used to have Well's Fargo when I lived in Nevada and worked for tips. One day I deposited a few hundred in cash and Well's Fargo turned around and adjusted the deposit minus $100. As soon as I see this I go inside and say "wtf" and some junior cashier actually says to me "Oh, that was YOUR $100 bill?" I was like "Are you f*cking serious? Give me a god damn manager" And within an hour they credited by $100 back.

*edit*
Basically, as soon as I walked in and this girl behind the counter opened her mouth, she let the cat out of the bag. I was expecting a "we'll look into it" but they knew exactly what I was talking about as soon as I asked.

[DevilsTonic]

I won't suggest any one financial institution, but advise you to review all your options and make the best decision for your needs. Some banks offer rewards on debit card purchases and some may have account packages that could save if not make you a bit of money in the long run. Some may have ATM & branches abroad which could be important when travelling. It's all about what makes sense for you and your financial requirements.

[rforsythe]

Since someone brought up the security thing... How many of you have strong passwords on your online bank accounts? How many of those accounts share the same password? How many of those passwords are the same as other things you use (screensavers, work logins, etc)? How often do you change them (i.e. never)?

This is hardly the first thread made on the Internet where people have discussed where they bank, but if I were looking to find legit accounts to hack I'd mine forums for stuff like this, since I can find at least a few guaranteed good usernames for a given banking site that way.

Just some food for thought. :) Share information and help each other make informed consumer decisions, just remember the Internet is a public place with some bad people on it.

[salsashark]

^^ +1,000,000

never save passwords for financial sites
unique usernames for these sites
unique, strong and frequently changed passwords

In this day and age, who doesn't have at least 3 email addresses? Get one and only use it for your financials. Use the others for personal, work, spam, etc...

[rforsythe]

It's not always easy to use unique usernames (and most people just use some version of their real name). Frequent password changes are key though, since that will limit your exposure if someone found it out. I'd bet that a bunch of people probably use the same password on banking sites as they put into forums like this one too, which is a no-no.

[dragos13]

It's not always easy to use unique usernames (and most people just use some version of their real name). Frequent password changes are key though, since that will limit your exposure if someone found it out. I'd bet that a bunch of people probably use the same password on banking sites as they put into forums like this one too, which is a no-no.

I'm guessing thats because someone would have an easier time hacking your forum passwords then a bank site?

I usually have the same password for all forums, different password for most emails, then unique passwords for all bank/financial sites.

[salsashark]

Also, check w/ your financial institutions... I know my CU offers passkey apps, mobile verification and other services to enhance security.

[asp_125]

I have a bunch of money in a bank, and another bunch of money in a C.U. in California. My C.U. account was started when I lived out there. I use my Wells Fargo account for day to day stuff because it's convenient, ATMs everywhere. Still, my C.U. account lets me use their debit card, but it gets charged the ATM service fees.

I have not reviewed all the fees in detail to see which one is better. This thread makes me want to sit down and look at my options.

[salsashark]

^^If your CU is part of a COOP network, go to 7-11. No fee ATMs

https://addisonavenue.com/images/atms/coop.gif

[Sarge]

I know most of you aren't Military, but if you have family that is you might be eligible and I would definitely recommend USAA. They have an office in the Springs, but they work mostly online and over the phone. Technically they're an insurance company, but the rates are awesome. I have full covered on two cars, both less than 5 years old, for barely $100/month right now. I have an 8.9% credit card with a HIGH limit, a 4.2% loan on my truck, 6% loan on the bike, mutual funds, 401(k) etc.

Best part is the ATM service. They actually REFUND fees that ATMs charge you, up to like $16/month. As in, you go to the Casino or the Airport and get charged $4 to take out a $20 and USAA gives you the $4 back at the end of the month. Plus, they have an iPhone/Android app that lets you actually just take pictures of checks to deposit them, even personal hand-written checks. Instant deposit, instant credit, best bank ever. Oh, 100% free too, no monthly fees, etc.

*edit*
Almost forgot, as a result of that new CARD act, they reduced their overdraft fee from $29 (lowest around already) to $0, there's no longer a penalty. And you can link any account, savings, mutual fund, even credit cards. I honestly just turn mine off though. If I don't have money in the account the transaction gets denied then I just use a different card or decide if I really need whatever it is. Never had any issues so far.

[rforsythe]

I'm guessing thats because someone would have an easier time hacking your forum passwords then a bank site?

I usually have the same password for all forums, different password for most emails, then unique passwords for all bank/financial sites.

Forums are often unencrypted over the Internet, so if you type your password into say CSC and someone were sniffing that traffic, it'd be out there in the open. Forums are of course easier to hack in general since they just do not have the same security measures as a banking site, though software like what we use doesn't store your password - just an irreversible hash of it - so it would require significant computational power to determine account passwords, making it an unlikely target.

Leaving yourself logged into forums is also a useful way to prevent password leakage, since the only thing being exchanged is a cookie variable. If you don't check that and type your password each time you log in, you're retransmitting it each time. SSL certificates cost money on a recurring basis (they expire and must be renewed), so most forums like this one are unlikely to go that far.

Lastly, not all forums out there are run by decent people. It would not surprise me to find out that some are storing their users' passwords in cleartext somewhere else when they get entered for nefarious purposes. It would be trivial to set something like that up, it doesn't require any technical feats or expert skills.

[rforsythe]

Also, check w/ your financial institutions... I know my CU offers passkey apps, mobile verification and other services to enhance security.

Big +1. Get a security token if your financial institution provides it. It's a hardware device that fits on a keychain, with a numeric code that changes every 60 seconds. The code cannot be predicted simply by knowing past codes, and the digits get appended to your normal password when you log in. That means that even if someone did get your password itself, they couldn't log into your account because they would not have that additional code to put in, nor could they guess it. PayPal offers it (which will also secure your eBay account using the same token), as do a number of other places. It is a very minor added inconvenience with the benefit of knowing that your account will not get hacked.

[Sarge]

Big +1. Get a security token if your financial institution provides it. It's a hardware device that fits on a keychain, with a numeric code that changes every 60 seconds. The code cannot be predicted simply by knowing past codes, and the digits get appended to your normal password when you log in. That means that even if someone did get your password itself, they couldn't log into your account because they would not have that additional code to put in, nor could they guess it. PayPal offers it (which will also secure your eBay account using the same token), as do a number of other places. It is a very minor added inconvenience with the benefit of knowing that your account will not get hacked.


I'm familiar with these devices. Blizzard even has an App based one, so you don't actually need the dongle, you can just use your phone to generate the key.

I'm just curious though, do you actually know how they work? I've tried researching them and haven't been able to find a good answer. Best I can figure is that there's some sort of encryption or scrambling going on, based on the time of day, and the bank would have to know the same key so that it can match the numbers.

[Ricky]

Since someone brought up the security thing... How many of you have strong passwords on your online bank accounts? How many of those accounts share the same password? How many of those passwords are the same as other things you use (screensavers, work logins, etc)? How often do you change them (i.e. never)?

This is hardly the first thread made on the Internet where people have discussed where they bank, but if I were looking to find legit accounts to hack I'd mine forums for stuff like this, since I can find at least a few guaranteed good usernames for a given banking site that way.

Just some food for thought. :) Share information and help each other make informed consumer decisions, just remember the Internet is a public place with some bad people on it.

It's true. This is where Chase has a pretty good system.

Can't log into a chase online account without authorizing the computer/device. To be able to do that, you need access to the primary email account, or access to the primary phone number on the account, to receive an approval code. Only once that approval code and password are entered, can you access the account info.

Also, Credit unions insured by NCUA are required to have double authentication when logging on. You must answer a random security question when logging on, after correctly entering the password. I don't think this is anywhere near as good as Chase's system.