choosing a bank for nationwide travel

[Virgil Jones]

I am starting full time vanning starting in a few months.  I'm interested in knowing which bank people recommend for traveling nationwide full-time.  I know the internet makes it handy, but I also like to have access to a brick and mortar bank to walk into and talk to a live person when necessary.
Thanks, Virgil

 

[mayble]

It's getting hard to find a live person even at a brick & mortar bank anymore.
They are all going to video tellers in my area.

 

[GotSmart]

I have been using USAA Banking for almost 15 years.  They have been good to me.

 

[MrNoodly]

I spend my time in the West, where population can be sparse and it's sometimes hard to find ANY bank. So I'm with Wells Fargo, even though I dislike them for several reasons, because they seem to be everywhere out here, even in the grocery stores.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

None of the big national banks - Chase, Citibank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, etc. - seem to be in all 50 states.  Most seem to be in somewhere between 30 and 40 states. You can go to their websites and use their "Find a Branch" feature to check for yourself.  Wells Fargo, being a Western bank, is in places like AK, MT, WY etc where none of the eastern banks have branches, so that's why I went with Wells Fargo.

 

[frater secessus]

I finally pulled the trigger on getting an online bank account yesterday. I went with Ally though Charles Schwab was a close #2.

They don't have B&M so they can give a bit of interest. No ATM fees and will refund up to $10/mon on fees charged by others. When I signed up savings was 1.0%, money market deposit 0.8%, and normal checking was 0.1%. Better than Chase who wants to charge me money on my checking if I don't keep a gob of cash in it.

 

[Van-Tramp]

I use a simple local Colorado Credit Union and never have any problems finding sister-branches in any state and metro area to walk in an talk to an actual human. When I call them, I get a human directly (no waiting or answering questions from a machine). When I walk in, I am helped immediately (no waiting in line for the single teller).

There is no valid reason to go with a regular bank over a Credit Union these days, unless you like paying the extra fees and CEO bonuses. All the CUs are linked together and you can walk into a completely differently named CU in one state and still deposit into your accounts in your own CU in a different state.

 

[RVTravel]

I didn't think all CU's were linked. Some are.

 

[Van-Tramp]

You are correct, not all are. There area a couple different programs they use "link up", so I can't walk into every CU across the country. However, I have no problems finding more than a few branches I can walk right into in each city.

I just visited my CU's website and they advertise more than 5000 branches in their linked network - nationwide. In comparison, Wells Fargo (most branches in the country if any bank) has 6300. Considering the douchebaggery that Wells Fargo did recently, there is good reason not to bank with them.

 

[frater secessus]

The CU I was a member of for 30 years (!) got sold a bunch of times in succession and went downhill each time. Started charging me to hold my savings so I closed the account. Homie don't play that.

 

[Gunny]

Like GetSmart wrote, USAA has made it easy do banking on the road. When you call for assistance you speak to an actual person and I have always gotten clear, concise resolutions to any issue.

Rob

 

[FastEddie313]

Why do you use banks at all? Really?
Can you not totally avoid them?

 

[Gunny]

Why do you use banks at all? Really?
Can you not totally avoid them?

The direct deposit that is required for some accounts, not having to have a lot of cash on me or in my control. I suppose they could be avoided, but there are many  conveniences using mine.

Rob

 

[Trebor English]

I use CapitalOne. They have lots of ATM machines where you don't pay to get your money. It is 7-11s and more. Smartphone tells you where the nearest one is.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I use a small local bank, think they only have branches in Mass and Rhode Island. However I can do everything online, even deposit checks and they refund ATM fees no matter where I withdraw it. I have accounts with Schwab and Capital one too. But again I do everything online. Haven't been inside a bank in I don't know how long. At least 5 years.

If I had to get a new account I think i'd go with a credit union and/or a national bank with the most branches in the areas I think i'd most travel. Bank of America, TD, Wells Fargo, etc.

 

[Florida boondocker]

I HATE CHASE

i'll trust my money with anyone but Chase Bank

 

[akrvbob]

I travel quite a bit with a friend who is a member of a CU. We spend most of our time in very rural areas and she has a BUNCH of trouble finding a CU that is a member of the affiliation.

Her experience made me very glad I have an account with both Wells Fargo and Bank of America. I wouldn't consider a credit union.

After the BS Wells Fargo did, they are trying hard to win back customers. They always had great customer service (the best I've ever seen), and now it's even better.

 

[TMG51]

I say credit unions are the way to go. There are networks of shared branches across the country, whereas any corporate bank won't have such a spread across all states. True like Bob said in rural areas you might not see a shared CU branch but you also would not see a branch of your corporate bank from the other side of the country. I travel east to west so I need a spread across the whole country.

My actual credit union account is with a CU in the northeast. I'm currently in San Diego, and there are 22 shared branch locations here. But, for example. in Arizona, Lake Havasu is the only shared CU location within about a 100 mile radius.... still way better than driving a few thousand miles back to the east coast. And I've never had my credit union pull any BS or superfluous fees on me. I'm getting ready to cancel all my other bank accounts and just do business with them.

 

[VanKitten]

If you pick a federal credit union...they are part of a nationwide network called "shared branch"

I can go to any federal credit union and do my banking right there.    I have never been to any part of this country where a federal credit union has been more than 5 miles from me. (The desert SW may be an exception....I have never spent time there...yet)

Online, my credit union provides a list "near me".  With phone numbers, addresses, and driving directions

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

If you pick a federal credit union...they are part of a nationwide network called "shared branch"

I can go to any federal credit union and do my banking right there. 

Not all Federal Credit Unions are part of this.  Mine isn't.  Ulster Federal Credit Union in Kingston NY.  I went to their web site and there is no mention of "shared branches", only a discussion of the more than 30,000 ATMs nationwide and all the ATM networks they are part of.

Then I went to "sharedbranching.org" and input Kingston's zip code into the find a location.  Got back zero location's found for that zip code.  (Btw, Mid-Hudson Federal Credit Union has a branch in Kingston also, so I guess they don't belong either.)

I'm with the original poster.  I don't want to use ATMs (I'm a neo-luddite) I want to walk into a branch location.  Hence my new account with Wells Fargo.