Budget Woeee

[sincere]

Does anyone know anything about Washington Mutual, aka WaMu?

Does anyone know anything about banks they would / wouldn't recommend? I'd really appreciate the advice. Carrying around $5000 in checks all the time isn't helping me budget.

Comments

[sphere.livejournal.com]

I've only been with WaMu for a few months, but I haven't had any problems with them. Of course, the one I go to is new, so that might just be new store!good service, but I don't know. I haven't had anything to complain about.

The bank I wouldn't recommend is Bank of America. They try to get things done with the least amount of effort involved, which leads to mistakes, which leads to lost money. I've had a lot of trouble with them.

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

Duly noted. ♥ Thanks for the recommendation! Bank of America I hear teeeerrible things about, so~. :D

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

WaMu is vaguely spotty and I've heard some awful things about them re: overdrafts and checks (a friend had problems where deposits were only processed up to 11PM but withdrawals were processed up to midnight, which was pure stupid.) We're with Wells-Fargo, which is ... well, frankly it's good as long as you don't have any actual money issues or problems with your account ever, but God help you if you run into any kind of financial trouble, because they'll skin you alive. Also be aware that they process withdrawals not chronologically, which is sane and normal, but from largest to smallest amount on a given date.
But they have this nifty direct deposit advance feature which is kind of handy.

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

*terrified!*

Banks are scary. XD I don't have a WaMu in my area anyway. Thanks for your vote. ♥

[arana-suteshi.livejournal.com]

Wells Fargo has been good to me. Bank of America was a terrible. WaMu...I've heard good and bad, but my friend who works there says you're better off somewhere else.

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tips! I've heard much the same from some of the other people, so it sounds like good advice. ♥

[sinistersundown.livejournal.com]

You're alive. T__T

The only good bank I ever had was a credit union. Right now I have a local one that seems okay.

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

I can't go for a credit union, since I don't plan to stay local for very long, and aren't those supposed to be local only?

[yashahime.livejournal.com]

I personally would recommend Commerce, if there's one around--WaMu isn't much worse than most.

I HEARTILY endorse the OMG NOES! about Bank of America, though. They are the fucktards who wound up screwing my credit over so bad that for a while I could not get a checking account in the state of Delaware.

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of them before! But Bank of America now sounds TERRIFYING. XD

[yashahime.livejournal.com]

When I lived out in Long Beach, they were right by the post office, an easy and free ride by downtown mini-bus, and a six-block walk if I wasn't feeling lazy.

They told me that in order to open a checking account, I would have to also open a credit card account.

They gave me a limit of $2,000.

They still haven't gotten a dime out of me on it. But while I have a certain culpability there, they ALSO claim to let you deposit in any bank in any state, but that is a lie, a dirty lie, and I had to do special "out of state" deposits when I moved back to Delaware...from Aberdeen, MD, no less, that being the closest branch office. And they charged me FEES for every "out of state deposit." Other banks didn't like seeing my account overdrawn repeatedly.

Plus their customer service sucks.

[innueneko.livejournal.com]

I've been using WaMu for a while, probably like 1-2 years and they've been pretty nice, not really any problems. I've heard a lot of bad stuff about Wells Fargo though. :P

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I've heard both. XD The WaMu commercials are VERY convincing, I don't know if you've seen any of them where you live or what. ♥

[sorairo-laina.livejournal.com]

Chevy Chase Bank is wonderful. My family's used it for years and years.

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I haven't looked into that one yet. Will do. ♥

[apapazukamori.livejournal.com]

Eep, I'm having a great experience with Bank of America. The "keep the change" thing is really, really handy. I would steer clear of Citibank in any way, shape or form. Haate them.

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

Heard VERY bad things about Citibank, so you got it. XD

[sorceressakemi.livejournal.com]

I've been with WaMu for quite some time (several years, at least), and have not had any problems with them. The place I usually go has friendly people. Their website is a bit slow sometimes, though.

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

I lovelovelove their commercials, if you've seen them. XD

[paradoxhorizon.livejournal.com]

I do my banking through Wells Fargo and so far have had no problems, but then I'm very uncomplicated financially so far.
My mother does banking through Bank of America and Wells Fargo. She's had more complicated banking things than me (including identity theft and changing various details about accounts) and as far as I know has had very little trouble with either, or at least the sort of minor trouble that can be cleared up with a quick phone call.

[luvbishie.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't go with Bank of America either. I switched to M&T (not sure if you've got one of those where you are), but they have free checking with direct deposit, or totally free checking is that you have to have a transaction every 90 days or it's an $8 service charge. And that's all I know about banks.