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Banking — Brooklynian

Banking

innocent x
innocent x
edited November -1 in Prospect Heights
Anyone happy with their bank that has locations in the Heights/Slope? I gotta leave HSBC. They suck.

Comments

  • alafairnadia
    alafairnadia

    Subject: Re: Banking

    Innocent X wrote: Anyone happy with their bank that has locations in the Heights/Slope? I gotta leave HSBC. They suck.
    I bank with chase - their location is across from blockbuster on flatbush. they're pretty handy.
  • innocent x
    innocent x
    Yeah, I'm thinking Chase.

    My gripes with HSBC:

    1. Lack of locations. 9th street and Atlantic Center too far.
    2. On internet banking: no pending transactions show.
    3. They just re-instituted charging customers for non-HSBC withdrawals without notifying me at all. "To encourage you to use Pay Pass or debit card."
    4. I wanted to talk to my branch for which I was told I couldn't have the branch phone number.

    I'm sure I'll get a different set of screws from Chase --- they're all the same basically --- but I'm ready to try something new.
  • lincolnannex
    lincolnannex
    I can't stand Chase. You get an account and you get junk mail 4-5 times a week from them. WaMu is the way to go. Free checking, over-draft forgiveness. They are only a few blocks down on Flatbush near Duane Reade. Not as many locations in the city, but I think it's still better.
  • innocent x
    innocent x
    That WaMu is closest to me actually of all banks. How's their internet banking?

    Overdraft forgiveness on as many overdrafts as you do? Or just one or two a year?
  • lincolnannex
    lincolnannex
    Overdraft is only once a year. The internet banking is really nice - they just updated the interface. There's online billpay and easy account transfers. The site always seems to be up to date with your transactions too.
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    I agree that HSBC not having a branch nearby, but their internet banking is the best. You can get a linked high-interest (over 5%) savings account that you can transfer back and forth with you other account(s) online, and this is reflected in your balances instantaneously. And they have a ton of branches in most locations, including in most foreign countries, so you can easily take out money without fees when you travel. I'm sure an HSBC branch will open nearer by soon.
  • lanciano
    lanciano
    I must say, every time I turn around there's another freaking Bank of America in Brooklyn.

    If I was going to get a new bank in the area, that would be it. I think they charge hefty fees to use other ATMs but there are so many BoAs around, I'd think you would not have to use them too often.

    I been with Citibank forever but I don't feel like uprooting even though they are not at all convenient for my apt. I have to walk at least 25 minutes to get to the nearest branch. Fortunato, I work in the Fin District where I have the choice of 2 citis a couple blocks away. Luckily though, since there are no branches near my apt, they refund a portion of the atm fees, which is pretty cool.
  • phil-n-ted
    phil-n-ted
    Actually, you can see your pending payments on HSBC's website. Click on 'Modify a Payment,' and they all pop up.

    I'm only so-so happy with their services. Even though they're all over the world and especially England, you're still stuck paying a transaction fee that's a percentage of your withdrawal. This completely negates any savings you'd otherwise have by avoiding currency conversion fees at Sam Cook or wherever. And, they've always charged in the US for using non-HSBC cash machines.
  • innocent x
    innocent x
    Not that kind of payment. I mean if I use my debit card on Saturday, Sunday and Monday I can't see any of those transactions until they all post on Tuesday. There's no "pending" transactions which in this day and age seems ridiculous.
  • kella_v
    kella_v
    Wamu's the best; if you go with them you can choose to opt-out of "overdraft protection," which means that if you attempt to buy something with a debit card and come up short, the bank will tell you you have "insufficient funds" rather than permit the transaction to go through and charge you an overdraft fee.

    Also, they offer free checking with no strings attached and Fed-Exed a seconf batch of checks to me for free after the first one misspelled my name.
  • lydiabrunch
    lydiabrunch
    Innocent X wrote:

    I'm sure I'll get a different set of screws from Chase --- they're all the same basically --- but I'm ready to try something new.
    I loathe Chase.

    They gave my ex-husband my account information not once but TWICE. I should note that our former joint accounts had been completely closed - it's not like they got switched over to one of us or the other - so there was no reason for us to remain linked in their system at all.

    Luckily we're on good terms, but Christ on a crutch can you imagine if we weren't....
  • restassured
    restassured
    Seconding Washington Mutual. They're the most personable and generally most helpful bank I've used.
  • emmaviz
    emmaviz
    I'm a fan of WaMu. They don't charge you to hold your money, which is a problem that I have with every other bank. They do one shady thing that I've noticed, which is that they count all debits at the start of the day and all deposits at the end to increase your chance of overdraft, but once you know that, you can avoid it.
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    I vowed never to do business with WaMu. When Mrs. C and I bought our apartment, the seller's mortgage was with WaMu. They (the bank, not the seller) took so long getting us the documents we needed that they screwed up our mortgage (went beyond the 60 day lock we had on our rate), which cost us a lot of money. I HATE HATE HATE them! :x :x :x
  • ajack
    ajack
    I banked with Chase for a year, but they weren't for me. Unless you make lots of money, I would avoid them.
  • sevenoneeighty
    sevenoneeighty
    ajack wrote: I banked with Chase for a year, but they weren't for me. Unless you make lots of money, I would avoid them.
    Plus they are so hard to find.
    You just never see a CHASE bank branch anywhere in New York these days.

    [sarcasm]

    ( I think my neighbors co-op just turned in to a CHASE bank branch, I'm watching the contractors install the storefront and logo now).
  • dw438
    dw438
    I've been lucky with Citibank just about all my life. Never had a real problem with banking. Don't pay any fees for regular banking, and have nice overdraft protection. And for a company that pioneered the touch-screen ATM in NY, they've certainly made improvements in them over the years.
    Citi is wherever I am in the US and in Europe, plus in the US they have fee-free ATM's in many 7-Eleven stores.
    And Citibank's internet banking has no equal, IMHO.
    Citi's credit cards do suck. Interest rates too high, sketchy customer service.
  • restless native
    restless native
    Whatever you do just avoid Sovereign at all costs. Can't say enough bad things about their "give as many excuses possible as to why they can't do something 'at this branch' just to get the customer out of their face" customer service. The pits. :evil:
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