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RELATED POSTSLooking for a Good Online Banking Solution
I’ve been a Wachovia checking customer (before that First Union) for about 10 years, and I’ve always been content with it. I never had anything great to say, but there were a lot of ATMs available, some decent online features, and in general it met my checking account needs.
Recently, however, I’ve had a number of poor CS-related experiences and am in the process of looking for another bank. I do 100% of my banking online and at ATMs, so I am looking for the bank with the best (and cheapest) online features, as well as a competitive fee policy for ATM use.
If you are an online banker like me and think you have a good provider, post a comment below. I’m considering major banks like Commerce and PNC as well as online-only banks like ING. Any suggestions are welcome!
April 7th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Hi, Mike. Saw your post on the phillychi mailgroup on yahoo.
My best advice to you is don’t go to Commerce if you rely on online banking for 100% of your banking. The user experience is awful. I use it every day and I’m just about so fed up that I’m about to switch banks. I would have switched long ago but all of my auto bill pay stuff is already set up. That is enough to stop me from switching, at least for now.
That’s the best I have for you. Good luck!
Roma
April 8th, 2007 at 9:46 am
hey mike, i also saw your post on the phillychi group.
i just recently opened an account with citizens bank and i have to say i’m pretty happy with their online experience so far. the icing on the cake is that they have the largest atm installed base in the philly area (or so the customer service rep told me). i do see their atm’s everwhere though.
April 8th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
I’ve changed to USAA for all my banking/insurance and number of years ago specifically b/c of their great site. The company are for US service members and their families so I’m not sure if you’ll qualify. It’s a great site. If not, I was with US Bank previous to this and thought their site was pretty good though not as good as USAA’s. Between US Bank and USAA, I was actually with Wachovia and their shit site is why I switched all my banking to USAA.
April 9th, 2007 at 5:41 am
I opened a few accounts as well as CD’s with ING and I just love them. Their rates are awesome-not sure if you can beat their rates, actually… I also love the way they speak in plain English. They know most people don’t know banking mumbo jumbo so they just tell it so we can understand what they are saying-& they have a sense of humor (not typical for a bank). So far (it’s been a year) no complains whatsoever.
April 9th, 2007 at 7:48 am
Hi, Mike, from another fellow PhillyCHI-er.
If you want to go with one of the majors, I’ve been with PNC for well over a decade, and they have clearly dedicated a great deal of high-quality resources to the continual upgrading of their online banking. It’s an attractive, workable interface that I have seen being repeatedly tweaked and improved over time. If you go with a workplace direct deposit plan, your accounts can be free.
If you would like a good interest rate, good UI, and just overall good attitude, I second the recommendation for ING, which is where my under-the-mattress money lives. They just introduced an ATM/Mastercard debit card with the so-called “Electric Orange” account. Electric Orange uses the AllPoint network, which doesn’t have a lot of machines in Philly, but ING will not charge you for using someone else’s machine. So your cash withdrawals are free at Wawas, or any other place where the machine provider also doesn’t charge. And you can’t beat the interest rate (currently 4.00% APY).
P.S. I agree with Roma that the Commerce site is a horror. We’ve actually used it in teaching sessions to conduct “What’s Wrong With This Website” exercises.
April 9th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
usaa all the way, but you might have to be related to someone who is already a member, to sign up with the service.
they are an online bank exclusively, have great phone support hours, and offer multiple methods of making a deposit, including the use of a scanner connected to your pc. and no, i don’t work for usaa
February 19th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I presently bank with Bank of America - they do have a pretty good online banking site but I think they have HORRIBLE customer service. I am looking for another bank with good customer service, good online experience since I do everything online.
I suppose that ING would be a possibility since my checks are direct deposit.