Good Banks for Business & Personal Accounts That Don't Screw You With Fees

Which banks are great and treated you well?

  • Bank of America

    Votes: 8 29.6%
  • BB&T

    Votes: 3 11.1%
  • Capital One

    Votes: 2 7.4%
  • Citibank

    Votes: 4 14.8%
  • Regions

    Votes: 2 7.4%
  • Suntrust

    Votes: 2 7.4%
  • Wells Fargo

    Votes: 5 18.5%
  • Other

    Votes: 11 40.7%

  • Total voters
    27

Rexibit

Automation, I has it.
Oct 21, 2008
2,890
111
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GA, USA
www.matthewwatts.net
Basically, I need to change banks. Mine got taken over last year, and since then they have been doing some crazy stuff to my local community (pressing local businesses for loans that aren't even due, laying off workers for no reason with little compensation, etc.). Today was my last draw with them.

I looked through and found another thread talking about banks people use for their business accounts and what not, http://www.wickedfire.com/shooting-shit/10046-best-bank-business-accounts.html , but it's from 2007 and a lot has changed in the banking and affiliate world since then.

I'm not incorporated yet, but have purchased a UPS box and will be after the first of the year. I am looking for a bank that meets the following criteria for businesses, but would also be a good one to have a personal account with, and what better way to find such a bank than the people who them for basically the same needs?

Criteria:

  • Works well with businesses
  • Will go out of their way to recover your money if it's stolen
  • Isn't shady about hidden fees
  • Has decent interest rates
  • Doesn't kill you on overdraft fees (never happened to me before, but you never know)

It'd be a bonus if they had interest on checking with no minimum balance. I keep a fair amount in there at all times anyway, but I'd hate to lose my interest earnings if it did drop below the required amount.

I'm really interested in hearing your experiences and suggestions. I put up a poll with some of the common banks with a lot of locations, but I'm sure there are online banks and what not too.

I do know that I probably won't be going with Wells Fargo, since they have been in the news recently screwing over Wachovia customers with hidden fees.
 


One that I'd add is Chase.

Pretty decent experience (business account). Pretty straightforward regarding the items your looking for.

Also - I haven't shopped around for interest rates recently, but most of these guys will be offering minimal rates as long as the Fed keeps up the current interest rate policy.
 
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Ah, I meant to put them on there. It seems I can't edit the poll.

I haven't seen a Chase branch near me, but I'm sure they have a way to scan in deposits or something. I've seen some iPhone apps or other devices that can do that for some banks.

Lol, sorry. I keep forgetting to change it after efeezy PM'd me.
 
TD Bank is pretty straight forward

PNC is sweet too, but there's most likely going to be hidden fees in there...like my "free" savings account that if I don't add / remove anything in a 90 day period charges me a fee?

Chase is very convenient if you have them in your area since they're such a big bank...

I've never used the rest though.
 
Chase Bank, get a commercial account. You will be issued "banking credits" for your balance. Commercial bank accounts cannot incur interest by law unless they're a savings account. Instead you receive credits which can offset wire transfers and banking fees (each transaction incurs a small fee).

I vote Chase due to a superior interface (including JP Morgan's suite of banking products).
 
TD Bank is pretty straight forward

PNC is sweet too, but there's most likely going to be hidden fees in there...like my "free" savings account that if I don't add / remove anything in a 90 day period charges me a fee?

Chase is very convenient if you have them in your area since they're such a big bank...

I've never used the rest though.
They were required by law to edit that policy with the the new bank regulations. I got a letter in the mail about it.
 
They are all chiseling little cocksuckers, but I think JPMChase is probably the healthiest, and as long as you play strictly by their rules you will have a decent experience with them.

Nice web interface, and tons of automation which is why they get my business. Like another poster said too, the "Credits" they give on commercial accounts can offset the fees if you maintain a decent balance, or keep a CD with them, etc. Keeping your personals with them brings benefits as well when you have a biz account.
 
Chase Bank, get a commercial account. You will be issued "banking credits" for your balance. Commercial bank accounts cannot incur interest by law unless they're a savings account. Instead you receive credits which can offset wire transfers and banking fees (each transaction incurs a small fee).

I vote Chase due to a superior interface (including JP Morgan's suite of banking products).

I have been looking them over and it seems good. Can you also get points on travel and what not if you just use a Credit/Debit card? I'll probably send them an E-mail later asking that, I was just thinking about it as writing this.

I don't like to play with money I don't have/expect to have, so I currently don't have a credit card by itself.

Case doesn't have a branch in the city I'll be moving to in a few months, but they do have an ATM. Which, it really is a non-issue since I can deposit checks via their iPhone app.


What do you like about them? I remember you mentioning them in an earlier thread where you were helping your family member (cousin I think) get into AM.

I was looking over their fees last night and it seems reasonable. Their site is hard to get location information from, but it appears their nearest location is in Atlanta. Though, I'm sure they have an iPhone app to direct deposit checks in, so it's probably not a big issue.

==

I'm also looking at Bank of America. They do have a physical location and it seems I can bundle business and personal to get some additional benefits like I can with Chase.

I'm going to be talking with Case (on the phone) and BoA (in person) for more info, and probably HSBC too. I want to get a feel for their customer service.
 
I was using Capital One until I realized they were hitting me up for $15 for every wire I got from my network. Moved over to TD Bank because all domestic wires are free. I will probably move over to Chase once my cash flow warrants it.
 
Basically, I need to change banks. Mine got taken over last year, and since then they have been doing some crazy stuff to my local community (pressing local businesses for loans that aren't even due, laying off workers for no reason with little compensation, etc.). .

thats a good thing

What bank took them over?
 
My biz and personal accts are w/ chase. They have some pretty cool stuff like taking a picture of your check w/ your phone to deposit it. Anything to save a trip to the bank is always a plus
 
BB&T. They are one of the best run and most ethical banking firms out there. They didn't get involved in sub-prime mortgages or pick your payment loans that led up to the 2008 crisis, because they saw both as very unethical banking. Bank with someone who actually cares about the customer.. bank with BB&T bro.
 
1. Chase did not properly encrypt their mobile banking app.
2. Chase constantly changes your cards MC to Visa Visa to MC etc... for no apparent reason which of course cause you to have to reconfigure any automated billing you have.
3. Chase has branches everywhere.
4. Chase has poor accounting practices that they constantly hide by using your account
5. Chase is always updating the site for something. New revamp a few weeks ago.
6. Chase has fees everywhere, but most are based on balance requirements.
7. For the love of all you care for, do not use a non Chase ATM.
8. Chase gladly waives fees if you put money in the account within 24 hours
9. Chase bill pay, automation and transfers are easy.

Just opened a ScotTrade account because they kept bugging about it. Lack of fees was the reason aside from getting back into trading and looking for another account to dump money besides Chase. No service yet, still need to send them the signature approval. Customer service is a plus so far, the local branch called and said thanks for creating an account.

Anybody use ScotTrade?

Other than that, use a local bank or a credit union, but be careful credit unions are not free of you conducting your due diligence before deciding on one. And it goes without saying keep twenty to fifty grand somewhere in cash.