Today I finally moved my bank account to a small local bank. The woman who opened my account said their policy is not to let people draw on a new account until after nine business days, “but if you need a little something before then, just come in and talk to me.”
That’s the kind of bank I like!
She wanted to know why I was leaving my other bank. “Because they’re thieves,” I said pleasantly. “Because they were part of the mortgage fraud and I don’t want them to have my money.”
After the third buyout of the original bank I chose when I moved to Chicago and the third change in account terms (always to my detriment), I went in to my local community bank to open an account.
“Are you a small bank?”, I asked.
“Oh, we’re not so small,” the bank officer responded.
“You don’t understand,” I said. “I WANT a small bank. I want a place where the banker knows my name.”
And that’s what I got. I’ll stay with this bank as long as it stays small.
Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com
I had to try for a loan in the middle of the meltdown to buy my “ex” out of my upstate property (he sued me to try to force me to sell). I tried my bank through work which I’d been using for several years (our law office has a special arrangement where we get free checking so my money was with them direct deposit) – no go, tried about five other of the “big guys” no go (I remember being near Downingtown air port hikiing at the time, looking up at a private jet taking off right over my head and, shouting “CAN I PLEASE HAVE A VERY SMALL LOAN?” which we all thought was funny) – finally, a small local upstate bank came through at the last minute and saved me – fair terms, quick closing. I moved my savings into a Credit Union fast, and only use the FREE checking at the “through work” bank now (I tried to get checking at the credit union, but they charge, so that was a no go). I wish EVERYONE would move their money!
When I lived in L.A. in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, I used a credit union, after a brief fling with Bank of America.
Then I moved to Seattle, where I used a small local bank that I could walk to from home. It was gobbled up by a larger one, which in turn was gobbled up by an even larger one, and I wound up with WaMu.
Then I moved to San Jose, where I tried to join a credit union, but their hours and locations were limited and their staffs were small in number and clearly entry-level, inexperienced people, so I’m with Bank of America.
Plus ca la change . . .
I’ve bounced around for years from small bank to small bank mostly leaving when they were purchased or when I moved too far from any of their offices to be practical. The last move was to credit union and I just love it and at least the one I’m with doesn’t have a ton of extra fees or what not.