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MOVE YOUR MONEY DAY! Do yourself a huge

Posted: Nov 5, 2011

I've been talking about it, and today I did it. I took my money out of the big national bank I'd been with for over 20 years, Greed-of-America. The bank that had hidden fees up the wazoo. The bank that charged me overdraft fees, even when I never overdrew my account. The bank that continually raised its minimum balance to a point where I was getting more money siphoned out of my account, even though I couldn't afford to put any more in, which is why I fell below the minimum! The bank that, when I used online banking, had all sorts of sinister, trick pop-ups that would automatically sign you up for services you didn't request, and that they further charged you for, without your knowledge.

I got tired of my money being used to fund the Greed Machine on Wall Street, and instead put it in a small credit union that invests the money back into my own community, where it belongs. I came out ahead almost instantly, as they don't charge ATM fees. No debit card fees, either. No minimum balance. Real people on the line if you call them. (They laughed when I asked if they had call centers in India! "No way", the person on the phone said.)

More free ATMS than my Greed-of-America bank ever had and no fees! If I need cash, I can now WALK down to the one little bank in my town and use their ATM (free!), rather than drive 15 miles to the nearest Greed-of-America ATM.

I've only been a customer of the credit union for 1 day, and I'm already happier, and feel a lot more secure. Best decision I've made in a long, long time!

;

Wish I could, but BTDT last month. - Am planning to

[ In Reply To ..]
join my husband as a credit union account holder, that is if I can ever find a job and start receiving a paycheck again. I'll be 63 next month, still 3 years out from full retirement (assuming the Supercommittee doesn't raise that benchmark to 80) so the prospects are not looking that good at the moment. Originally, I had planned to work until 70, but now I'm a 99er x 2. Maxed out on UI benefits in September 17th after submitting more than 700 unanswered resumes....same day OWS had its first rally!

Afer 40 years of MTing, can no longer deal with ever diminishing New Delhi line rates, half pay for speech wreck, NJA, MTSO sell-outs and takeovers, outsourced outsourcing, shrinking benefits, etc. Can't make a living wage in that cesspool. Advanced bilateral CTS, DDD with crushed disc spaces at multiple thoracic and lumbar levels, labile hypertension, stress, anxiety, chronic clinical depression (all job/jobless-related) and diabetes get you laughed right out of the disability office, so thank God for county health care, which will probably no longer be available to me once I'm eligible for Medicare. By then, it will probably be GOP-privatized and its corporate version will reject me for too many pre-existing conditions!

Yep. Happy to see OWS rise up just in the nick of time. Oddly enough, their futures and my own seem inextricably intertwined.

I think all of our futures are intertwined that way. - I hope yours gets better soon! Good luck!

[ In Reply To ..]
Pro-Occupy

Thanks so much for your kind words. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]

I have three B of A accounts and accounts at two - credit unions.

[ In Reply To ..]
In all fairness, I have never experienced any of what you say you have at B of A, other than the ATM fees, which I also have with the credit unions. I do like the credit unions better, but that is only because there is not one single Bank of America branch in my state and there is only one ATM the next state over. I have also had B of A lose my paycheck and it was a bit of a hassle to get it back and get my money, but I have never had a pop-up sign me up for anything. I have never been charged an overdraft fee, of course, I have never overdrafted my account, either. I have not found any hidden fees, either. Our checking and savings accounts have always been free. I am sure that others (including this poster) have had these problems, but I never have. My biggest problem is access to my bank, right now. I would probably change banks, but my husband's pay is direct deposited to B of A and we are afraid that if we change it, he will not get paid, as we have seen this happen to coworkers.

The cost of doing business. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
When was the last time your bank pitched in to help your pay your rent/mortgage, utilities, food, credit card, and medical household operating expenses so you could keep more of your paycheck? By the way, customer outrage as reflected in the OWS move your money efforts has succeeded in getting BOA and Well Fargo to back off (at least temporarily) from charging monthly ATM fees and new POS charges.

Why should my bank pitch in to help me pay my - mortgage, utilities, food, credit

[ In Reply To ..]
cards and medical expenses? Those are my responsibilities. This is really a big problem where people think that anyone has the obligation to help them pay their bills. These are MY expenses, not the banks. It is absolutely ridiculous to expect that they pay any of them. I probably should be thankful that they loaned me the money to buy my house in the first place, don't you think?

Not the person who you're responding to - JS

[ In Reply To ..]
but when I read their post, I took it as they were trying to turn the tables around to show how ridiculous the bank hidden fees are. Basically, for them to expect us to pay them each month to line their pockets, it would be like us expecting the banks to kick some money our way to line our pockets (or pay bills if you're in debt). You're right... for anyone to expect a bank to pay their bills would be ridiculous... just as ridiculous as when you turn the situation around and the banks expect us to give them money.

As I said above, I do not pay any hidden fees to - B of A, so what exactly are

[ In Reply To ..]
we talking about? I don't pay B of A for any of my accounts.

I do - JS

[ In Reply To ..]
I opened a savings account for my son (age 5 at the time) for him to put any Christmas or birthday or allowance money into. It isn't much since he is a child, but what's there is his. Over the past several months, after it just sitting there for about 2 years with a few very small deposits, they have decided to start charging a $5/month "maintenance fee." It's more than likely because they changed the terms and are zapping him for having a small balance. Nonetheless, they are charging him, so I am taking the money out and putting it somewhere else.

It's ridiculous to expect a 7-year-old child (he's 7 now) to help line their pockets.

FYI, if you have the information, read the fine print when it comes to your accounts. More than likely, there are fees if your account drops below a certain balance, you use ATMs other than BOAs, bounce a check, use a teller instead of a machine, refuse to go paperless, use more than a certain number of checks per month, etc. It's worth checking out.

Of course there are fees if you bounce a check or - use another bank's ATM.

[ In Reply To ..]
Those are there in credit unions, as well. At any rate, if you are unhappy with whatever bank you are at, feel free to change, but why argue with me for having a different experience? I was simply stating that I have never been charged anything at B of A that does not generate a fee at both of the credit unions I bank with. If you don't want to pay overdraft fees, don't spend money you don't have.

Not eveyone is trying to argue with you - JS

[ In Reply To ..]
I didn't tell you what to do with your money. I really don't care what you do with your money. And, I actually thought I was being helpful by suggesting that you read any information you have regarding your BOA account. There are more than likely hidden fees in there that you just have not been affected by yet.

I opened up the BOA account for my son to teach him about saving money, thinking that by the time he hits age 18, he would have a little pocket money to spend from all the checks he received over the years as gifts. And, when he does get a check from a relative on his birthday, we take his book down to the bank and make a deposit. I opened up this account specifically because there were no fees and explained that there would be a small balance in it. Sorry if I think it's crappy that BOA now needs to take my son's gift money for themselves.

Again, if it doesn't work for you, fine. - If it didn't work for me, I would.

[ In Reply To ..]
I doubt that if I have not been charged these fees in the 15+ years that I have had the account, that they are going to affect me any time soon. Had they actually moved forward with their plans to charge the $5 fee, I would have closed my accounts. As far as being helpful, aren't you the one who go so irritated about unsolicited advice? I thought it was one of your pet peeves.

Let's review - JS

[ In Reply To ..]
I originally responded to the post where it was obvious that the person being responded to was being misunderstood. No one was suggesting that banks are obligated somehow to pay our bills. BTW, I was more than polite when I did so.

You then responded ASKING what exactly those fees are. I told you of my personal experience and directed you to check your banking information (again nicely) in order to find out any fees for your specific type of account(s). Of course, this was perceived by you as an argument. And, as a matter of fact, your suggestion that perhaps I overdraft my account because I spend money I don't have wasn't appreciated either. I then tried to explain that I wasn't trying to argue with you which was met with this post and your poor attempt to try to make me look hypocritical. Petty. If you don't want someone to answer your question (in this case... get ready for the copy and paste... "As I said above, I do not pay any hidden fees to - B of A, so what exactly are we talking about?") then don't ask or pretend that these issues don't exist because you haven't experienced them. BOA fees aren't something drummed up to give people something to gripe about. Hopefully it's clear now after this step-by-step breakdown.

Just ignore it, JS. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Your posts are always polite and informative and are a joy to read because they're NOT written in the tone that the other poster read. Some people just want to tear down others. Maybe it makes them feel superior to do so.

Unfortunately, there are some bitter people on this board.

I did not pretend that they don't exist. - I was simply stating that not

[ In Reply To ..]
everybody has bad experiences with banks. You did feel the need to point out that you feel I am wrong and that I probably do pay hidden fees, which I do not. This was not appreciated. An overdraft fee is not a "hidden fee." I think it is safe to say that every adult realizes that if you overdraft your account, there will be a fee. I did not say that you personally overdraft your account and I am sorry if you took it that way, I was just stating (in a general you)that if one does not want to pay overdraft fees, they are easy enough to avoid. Why is it that I am not allowed to voice my experience if it differs from yours?

JS never said anything about unsolicited advice. - I did....

[ In Reply To ..]
under an entirely different thread and within the context of false assumptions and having been told in no uncertain terms to which advice I should follow. Stating facts about SOP in bank policies isn't the same at all, and forgive me for saying, but you are the one who seems to be getting a bit edgy.

Thanks for the input, but in her post, entitled, - "I wasn't pointing wiggly little fingers

[ In Reply To ..]
she said, "And just as a side note and because unsolicited advice is one of my pet peeves (it reminds me of my former MIL)," unless you post under the moniker "JS," as well.

Sorry. I didn't realize you were trying to resurrect - an argument from last month

[ In Reply To ..]
from a totally unrelated thread. Next time, I'll have to remember to search the archives before daring to oppose Your Highness. I didn't know you'd still be feeling so touchy after 2 days (or 2 weeks, as the case may be). My bad!

I wasn't. Just saying that if one hates unsolicited - advice, she should feel free not

[ In Reply To ..]
to dole it out. You should probably be sure you are correct before trying to call someone out for being wrong, though. See? Unsolicited advice is NOT one of my pet peeves.

Don't bother...ignore them - JS

[ In Reply To ..]
http://general.mtstars.com/281390.html

Down lower, take note of the "When someone has to resort to copy/paste imitation posts" response. It pretty much sums up my reason for saying don't bother.

They have had since 10/29 or so to get over the fact that someone dared to engage them in their own tone. They are still the victim of my (and all liberals') mean spiritedness and "venom." It's perfectly clear that their failed attempt to make me look hypocritical is extremely petty and, quite frankly, ridiculous. They asked a question regarding the topic of the original post. I answered it. And now this post is being driven completely off point. Just ignore it.

It the hypocritical shoe fits...I think we ALL know that - I was not asking for your advice.

[ In Reply To ..]
nm.

No advice was offered, dear. Answering a question is not - a criminal offense.

[ In Reply To ..]
Get over yourselves. JS posts are right on.

By the way, customer outrage causing them to not charge, which I - don't think is really connected to OWS, no

[ In Reply To ..]
no matter how badly you all would like to take credit for it, is proof positive that the free market does work, not the opposite.

Or maybe it's proof grassroots efforts that reflect customer outrage - were effective in

[ In Reply To ..]
getting those banks to dial back that free market policy which undoubtedly would have gone into effect had consumers just sat back on their duffs and let them pass yet another standard operating business expenses off on their low account balance customers. Face it. OWS got this one right.

The one good thing I can say about BOA is .. - me

[ In Reply To ..]
All their customer service reps are actual American workers. I called Chase yesterday--who I also have an account with--and was greeted by an East Indian fella.

But I am looking to move my money to a credit union. It's time to do it.

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