Good Bank or Credit Union in the Southwest?

[Lance22]

I'm looking for a good bank or credit union if they meet my needs.

I mostly need it for cashflow, most of my savings will be going into my investment app and into the stockmarket.

Once I get my debt paid down I will have 2K in savings, 1K buffer in my checking account and then my monthly cashflow 1-2K in my checking account and that's about it.

I'm looking for a bank that has outstanding app based service. AND plenty of easy to use locations My current credit union does and I been able to live 2+ years without going to a branch (mainly because they are 5+ states away lol)
Oklahoma, West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, are my main home states With my plan of summering in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and maybe the Dakota's.

I'm more focused on my home states in the southwest having plenty of locations. I might even continue to keep my credit union as my main bank but having a 2nd bank that I can visit to deposit coins, cash certificates, and do other banking needs would be nice to have.

I typically never use coins outside of the laundrymat, however I'm addicted to picking up coins on the ground as it's a fun hobby of mine! I find so many pennies these days!!! Plus those coin exchange take a big percentage cut so I would NEVER EVER EVER use them!

If anything I'd just have them as a backup bank with a 2nd emergency fund of 1-2K just to keep it active and ensure I can use them for those once-a-year banking trips. Right now I was thinking Chase bank would be the front runner so far, but figured I'd ask to see what others thought.

 

[jacqueg]

The credit union you already belong to may belong to a network of other credit unions where you can do in-person banking just as if you were visiting your own home branch. Mine does. Call yours up and ask.

 

[Morgana]

I haven't been physically present in my credit union building in > 9 years and there has been nothing I couldn't handle long-distance. Of course, do any internet banking over a secure connection. Definitely ask whether your current credit union can meet your needs before you look elsewhere.

 

[maki2]

WellsFargo is pretty widespread in the Southwest. As to how good they are I would not know. I just stick to using my credit union. When I need cash I typically get it when buying groceries at places like Walmart and Safeway as there is no extra fee for cash back. My credit union does refund one surcharge a month at a cash back machine. Which is good because sometimes there is no associated credit union in the smaller towns in Arizona. But only in small towns like Quartzsite or Tusayan do I have problems with getting cash back for no charge when buying groceries.

Some worries are not as big of an issue as anticipated. But it is good to have a backup way to pay for purchases via a second debit card or credit card. I have two free checking/savings accounts at my credit union and can instantly (using their online banking app) move funds between them. That came in very handy when a debit card got cancelled due to a store I shopped at having an issue with their transactions security breach. So yes get a second account if you can, but watch out for those account fees and try for a free account. Be sure to set it up so you can do a very quick online transfer of funds from one account to the other.

Cash machines can break down and run out of funds in them. There have been times I have found the street side cash machines in Quartzsite shut down for lack of funds and the dollar stores quit giving cash back (for a fee)’due to the high demand in December and January. That is when you head out of town to buy groceries in Blythe or Parker and get cash back at the big grocery stores. Albertsons in Blythe was doing up to $300.00 no fee cash back when buying groceries on a debit card (with manager approval) a few years ago when I needed a larger amount. But policies can change over time so I do not know what the policy is this year.

 

[NctryBen]

The community bank in Quartzsite is now a credit union. But I’ve always been able to use their ATM for cash with no service charge. I can take a picture of a check and deposit it for free. My state bank would have charged $5 per check. I switched to a credit union when my bank changed hands. Am I ever glad I did!

 

[maki2]

The community bank in Quartzsite is now a credit union. But I’ve always been able to use their ATM for cash with no service charge. I can take a picture of a check and deposit it for free. My state bank would have charged $5 per check. I switched to a credit union when my bank changed hands. Am I ever glad I did!

I did not know that the Quartzsite bank changed hands and became a credit union. Thanks for posting that. I will have to see if my credit Union is in the same affiliation.

I joined my credit union in 1978. Sometimes when I talk to representatives that are surprised by my longevity as a customer. But of course as it was founded in 1935 there are others who have been members even longer. Parents also signed their children up with their own savings accounts when the children were just babies!.

 

[Happy Camper]

If you want to use your change, use coinstar, with one major caveat. Only use it if that machine has an option for a gift card somewhere you spend money.

If you do change for cash it's around 11-12% charge for the service.

If you get a gift card it puts 100% on the card. I used to do that for Amazon gift cards and reduced my "cash" outlay when buying from there, as it would come from my credit on my account they I got from the change gift cards.

Was a complete win. But know this. Every coin star machine doesn't have the same set of gift cards available. I think you can check online, but I might be wrong.

P.s. never use Wells Fargo. They can be ok in some ways, but they are rotten behind the scenes. The routinely get caught and slapped with fines and worse for being bad to their customers. Not worth it in any sense. A quick search will show you some of the issues.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Wells Fargo has turned into a really lousy company. I have personally had trouble with them and I'm STILL having trouble with them even after closing my accounts THREE years ago!

They have had lousy business practices for years.

Just say NO to Wells Fargo!


https://www.investopedia.com/wells-fargo-timeline-7498799
https://lawyerinc.com/biggest-wells-fargo-lawsuits/

 

[eDJ_]

Just an aside here..........my credit unions & "Triple A membership" offer Travelers Checks with no fees. So $100 dollars gets me 5 $20 dollar Travelers Checks. They aren't as common as they used to be but people still use them. I also have one credit card with a very low limit that I use just for purchasing on the internet.

Travelers Checks for the Globetrotter

 

[LargeMarge]

Wells Fargo [bankers] have [lice]....

.
Agreed [absent-mindedly scratches in remembrance].
We owned a restaurant business for ten years.
As early as 1980, we were depositing as much as ten grand (us$10,000) cash and checks daily into a WFBankers zero-interest checking account.
.
One Thursday without warning, WFBankers tried to charge our wait-staff for bringing in coins... I recall it was a fedbuck for every ten fedbux in coins.
Next day, we switched everything to a local-owned credit-union.
.
And suddenly, no more cooties!

 

[Happy Camper]

At one point in time the best thing about wells Fargo was that my girlfriend worked there. When we broke up, she wasn't the worst thing about wells Fargo. That's how bad they are.