Anybody else miss LOCAL banks?

[Papa Deuce]

I just saw where Wachovia just bought another bank for 25B. I had an AWESOME local bank that was bought out by Citizen's Bank. I hated Citizen's so I switched.

The bank WAS local and then was bought by Fleet, which was then bought by Bank of America.

I miss going into my local bank and people knowing who I was and not having to pull out an ID for every single little thing, or not being able to get them to bend a rule because they had known me for 20 years.

And now WALMART is going into banking? Enough is enough, already.

 

[grinningghost]

I do. I especially miss the customer service reps who spoke ENGLISH.

 

[Michie]

I bank at a local bank. When you call a real person answers You don't need an appointment to speak with a loan officer or whatever. would not switch to a big bank for anything!

 

[sajetto]

I sure miss them. Small local banks are more inclined to give the best deal for your buisness. Before mine went bust I got some insider info from a teller I had gotten to know really well. She set me up with a 6 month CD at 6% interest with no limit to what you could invest. I'll never see a deal like that again. All the big banks have sunk what was left of the locals

 

[Kycha]

Yes. DH and I have banked with the same bank for the last 10 years. One of the last local banks in the area. Blue Ball National Bank(that is the actual name of our bank, not kidding) merged with Community Banks about a year ago. We knew there would be changes with this merger, so it was just a matter of time that we would be forced to change banks. And that is just what I did on Friday. Blue Ball made some changes and didn't inform us so we are getting out now. Customer service just does not seem a priority with banks these days.

 

[grinningghost]

We recently sold our house, and I had alot of conversations with the bank - HSBC - concerning our current mortgage. Honest - it took 3 different phone calls to finally get someone I halfway understood. And they weren't understanding me very well either.

That's one thing I never dealt with when the bank was local.

 

[Dan Murphy]

We have had our checking account and safety deposit box at same bank (same building/location) for as long as we have been married and living here, 35 years. Currently is is Chase, just changed from Bank One. To me though, it is just a name, as I have not been in it for probably 15 years, only use direct deposit, ATM and online banking.

I recall a funny from a few years ago. I was going to Disney, wanted a hundred singles for tipping purposes. I went to the drive in and had to ask the person how to right the check to get a hundred singles. She said, "write it to 'cash' and tell me you want singles". I had forgot how to write a check to 'cash', LOL.

 

[Free4Life11]

I just saw where Wachovia just bought another bank for 25B. I had an AWESOME local bank that was bought out by Citizen's Bank. I hated Citizen's so I switched.

The bank WAS local and then was bought by Fleet, which was then bought by Bank of America.

I loved Citizen's! Absolutely no hassle. Fleet was completely awful and I closed my account 4 days after I opened it and started at Citizens. I don't think there was a worse bank than Fleet.

Personally I don't mind the big banks. I like the advanced online banking features and the abundance of ATM's. I rarely see a teller these days.

 

[Stephieann]

I live in a small town... we have 3 local banks here... no large banks for 30 miles

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

I use a Credit Union. I was a bank hopper up until I could join my credit union. I had and hated BofA for their hidden fees, Wells Fargo for the same reason. I forget the other banks I have had and hated. I'll never leave my credit union. There are enough ATMs around that I can deposit into and withdraw from for free that as long as I am living in this country I can keep them.

 

[barkley]

we love our local bank. if you need to do some banking outside established hours you give them a call and they tell you to knock on the door so they can let you in. all the advantages of a major institution-atms, on-line services, automated calling-but you can call the direct number and everyone knows you by first name.

we get a kick out the fact that years ago billy bob thornton was doing a movie and looking for a bank that looked like it was an old, small bank that inept robbers would consider an easy hit. ours was chosen!

 

[golfgal]

We use a national bank but since we are in a smaller town, we know most of the people that work there so we have the advantage of having an ATM or branch pretty much every where we go and having personal service.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

What's funny is Wachovia use to be our small local bank. It's nickname is Walk All Over You.

 

[Nancyg56]

I don't use a big bank. I have used the local credit union for 25 years for our household accounts, and our mortgage and savings accounts are with our little bank in town. My son uses another local bank for all of his banking services. He was asked for references when he applied for a loan. The loan officer checked his reference, and he was awarded his first loan based on his employers word that "He would stop eating before he would renege on a promise to pay a debt. We like that everybody knows us, and treats us like our accounts matter to them.

 

[clh2]

I can't remember the last time I saw the inside of my bank. Like another person said...with ATM's, direct deposit etc... it doesn't matter who owns it anymore.

Maybe my banking needs are simpler???

 

[crz4mm2]

We still have a local bank. It is one of the ONLY ones. It is SO wonderful to call our banker and know he knows who we are. THe tellers know us. Everyone knows us. Wonderful.

 

[malibuconlee]

We use a small bank in Iowa with a few branches. DH's mom has worked there forever. It's easier with all the moving we do to not have to switch banks each time.

They don't charge for checking. We do pay $5 a month for online billpay, but we save probably half that or more a month by not having to use our own stamps to mail out bills.

We do have to pay to use ATM's, but if we remember to we can bypass that by getting cash back when we check out at the store.

We go into our bank a couple of times a year when we're back visiting family. We still know most of the faces that are working there.

Oh, and they still count my change jar for free.

 

[Charade]

The local bank I opened my first passbook savings account is long been absorbed by mergers over the years.

I use Commerce Bank. I'm pretty happy. I recently "lost" (well, my dgf did) my ATM card. I called and had it canceled and went to the bank the next day and got a replacement on the spot. They are open 7 days a week. I only use them for direct deposit, ATM and electronic bill pay because it's all free. I use ING for my savings with interest.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Well I have used the same credit union in Maryland since 1983 for direct deposit.

Our other bank here locally is a small institution with great customer service. I know all of the tellers names and they know us. Whenever we have to go to a different branch I feel icky because I don't know anybody. Silly,huh?

 

[Nancyg56]

I can't remember the last time I saw the inside of my bank. Like another person said...with ATM's, direct deposit etc... it doesn't matter who owns it anymore.

Maybe my banking needs are simpler???

I don't know. I usually just use the drive thru, but for my DH, it is part of his routine. He is an old dinosaur who does not trust DD, will not use an ATM card, and stops in to make our mtg payment. Then he checks the reciept to make sure that there is no mistake. COmputers are just one more thing he needs to check on. Anyway, I think we are part of an old little town entality. He takes my DGD on his Saturday excursion to the bank, over to the post office, and then to breakfast at the little restaurant across the street. We are pretty simple people with simple banking needs, but I think we like the personal contact.
I think. He is on a mission right now. He has a bunch of his coworkers trying to woo a teller from a local bank over to the little bank they use. He does not understand why she is entrenched in her spot, and I am afraid to think about the "incentives" that they are providing.....picture 50 guys trying to give one poor gal all of their banking.