Practically every bank I know has cut back on its services -- no more returned checks, no more reconciliation assistance, no stop-payment orders, no money orders, even a limit on the number of withdrawals and deposits per month -- unless you're willing to pay a fee for each service, or keep some astronomical balance in your account(s).
Somebody somewhere is going to open a bank that is less concerned with making money than with serving its customers. And he's going to corner the market.
IMO, the concepts of making money AND serving customers are not incompatible. Just the opposite. One makes more money.
I live in a small town with (gasp) local banks. But I also use ING (an internet bank, no brick and mortar), quite impressive the interest I am receiving. Try 4.5% for completely liquid savings account ($250 min) and 3% for checking.
Somebody somewhere is going to open a bank that is less concerned with making money than with serving its customers. And he's going to corner the market.
Where, oh where is George Bailey when you need him..
precisely why I no longer bank at M&T
they were obligating me to have a copy of my wifes drivers lic when cashing a check made out to both of us that had been double signed, while another M&T branch down the road did not - the first branch claimed it was part of the patriot act
they were unyielding
They lose
It's called a credit union, and they are eating the various banks' lunch in terms of people switching.
***Practically every bank I know has cut back on its services -- no more returned checks,...***
My own bank has stopped sending the checks back, BUT you can actually get the checks with your bank statement for $60 A YEAR. Thanks for nothing, bank.
About the only thing they do in banks today is to try to sell investments to the unwary account holder. Even on a routine visit to the teller to make a small deposit, the tellers can see your holdings and will refer you to a STOCKBROKER sitting in one of their offices masquerading as an assistant manager. I've discovered that I can put as much faith in the assistant manager/stockbroker as I can in some place that sends me an offer in the mail. Which is none.
"keep some astronomical balance in your account(s)."
In the case of my Bank of America account, that balance is five thousand dollars, which earns interest and saves me banking fees. As to whether five thousand dollars is 'astronomical' I guess it depends on what universe one lives in.
They are called credit unions. If you believe what you have written, find one to join, and vote with your feet.