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WATCH VIDEO TESTIMONIALS FROM KIM, STEPHANIE, REWINMOTION, MARK, PHOTOTRISTAN AND BRIAN (PARTS ONE AND TWO)
“I think the banks are evil incarnate, and I avoid corporations at all costs, so I found this bank that helps you locate smaller, community banks that help your neighborhood, not suck the money out of it (and you). It sounds silly, but I even feel like the bank tellers have my back”
Daniel N.
“Moved my money last week to a local credit union… BoA has been charging me fees on my “free” accounts for the past year… no fees on my free credit union account at OnPoint 
”
Dawn E.
“For my part, I’m in the process of moving my banking business from Wells Fargo, one of the “Big Four” banks (and one that, if it were forced to recognize the true market value of all the mortgage paper it’s presently carrying on–and off–its balance sheet, would likely be bankrupt today), to FirstBank, a longtime, stable Colorado banking institution (headquartered in Lakewood, in the west Denver metro area). With my money deposited there, I know that it will be used to benefit Coloradans, not fat-a**ed chair-warming Wall Street banksters coming back from their six-martini lunches to think up new ways to fleece the American public and “justify” their multi-million dollar bonuses (paid for with taxpayer money).”
Erbo
“…I did it! I feel good about taking control of my own small influence over the banking industry. Washington won’t effectively regulate Wall Street (in spite of reforms that the current administration is now, finally, trying to legislate). So it’s up to people to individually exercise their authority. I enjoyed driving immediately afterward to my credit union, making my deposit to cover the rent check, and doing it without even having to fill out a form. They’re beginning to recognize me. Not many longhaired men visit their credit union, I’m guessing.”
Terry
“Today I experienced one of the tangible benefits of having moved my 86 year-old Mom’s money. While making arrangements to move her to assisted living, we decided to move Mom’s cash from Chase to the Meijers Credit Union. Mom worked for Meijers for years and we thought we’d get better service there. Two months later we’ve absolutely validated the decision.
[...]Yesterday, I heard via my step-sister that they had gone shopping and the store’s system wouldn’t accept her PIN. I’m assuming the CU changed the PIN and probably notified her but that she had forgotten the new number. So, I went online looking for a way to reset the PIN but (no surprise) they don’t let you do it online. I thought it was unlikely they’d respond, but I sent them a quick email explaining the problem.
Unbelievably, I got an email response this morning offering to reset the PIN and asking for the number. I responded immediately and, within ten minutes got a response saying that it was done!! Now, THAT is customer service!…”
SharpPoints
“My new credit union insures my money just as well as the big bank, but it also offers a ridiculously high interest rate on my checking account, refunds on ATM fees so I can use any ATM I want (even those $3 fees at the back of the convenience stores), really great customer service, and — best of all — free cookies on Fridays.
They can afford to do all of this because, as a credit union, their top priority is me, the member. Not CEO and shareholder profits, not bloated advertising budgets. And best of all, by moving my money to a local community bank, I’ve taken money away from the poorly-managed, impersonal big bank and given it to a bank that will actually use it to help me and people in my community.
I made a real difference, and while my tiny accounts are nothing to a company like Chase, they matter a lot to my local bank and my community. (And did I mention the free cookies?)”
Aja
“I believe in this movement because I know what it’s like to feel very helpless about the big banks. I’ve heard many people say ‘it won’t make any difference. These banks are all the same.’
For the past few months I have spent quite a bit of time on the telephone arguing over egregious fees from credit cards and banks. Some of my friends have asked me – ‘why don’t you just pay the fee, it’s only $35. Is it really worth all the stress?’ My response to this is ‘because that is exactly what they want me to do’. For years I have let these so called little fees slide, but $35 here, and $25 there.. it adds up. Not to mention the ATM fees, and high interest rates. These large banks are counting on my getting tired, giving up and just paying up. Banks are getting away with usury because we are letting them.”
lornagrl
“After taking two months to make sure my paycheck automatic credit was transferred to my new USAA account, and the same for my mortgage and student loan payments, I closed my Wachovia account. It was a great feeling. I’d join my local credit union, but my insurance was already with USAA, they have some great features …and they did not need to be bailed out. I’m encouraging all my friends to move their money!!!”
Walt W.
“Yep, did it. Moved all the money to the local credit union……”
Nancy C.
“Moving my money from BofA to local Philly bank today, and couldn’t be happier to be done with those bastards!”
Jason L.
“got rid of BoA and went to local co-op. It’s like getting rid of toxic waste in a responsible way.”
Edwin H.
“I finally did it. i waited for many months. The wait is over for me. As soon as I got my job last week, I opened an account with Austin Telco and have my paycheck directly deposited there. No more Chase for me. They don’t deserve holding on to my money any longer.”
Tom L.
“I’ve been talking about moving my cash for so long now – way before this movement started. I finally did it today. My wife pointed out that it took over a year from the time i said i would to actually doing it.”
Abdul R.
“I moved my money today! Closed my Chase checking and savings accounts and joined the First Entertainment Credit Union. Bye Bye big bailout bank. Hello local credit union!”
Amanda E.
“I moved my money! I now get to use my ATM at any machine and they reimburse the fee! They offer almost 4% return on checking accounts!”
Stella K.J.
“When I closed my Bank of America account, they were so indifferent that they didn’t even ask me why I was doing so. When I call my new bank, they actually answer the phone and are very friendly. Good riddance, BofA!!”
Calvin P.
“Don’t know why we didn’t move to credit union before this. Seemed too time consuming at the time to move everything. NOT ANYMORE!”
Jacqueline F.
“Arianna Huffington, As a consertative blue collar worker I’m pretty much the opposite of you in almost every way….and I almost never agree with anything that you have to say…but on this one issue you are 100% correct. I moved all my savings to a local credit union and a couple of regional banks. Better interest rates, better service, and if they make bad decisions they just go out of business ( I don’t have to bail them out).
One last comment: The CEO of my primary regional bank? He does an excellent job and makes about $200,000 per year…..not $20 million per year….$200,000 per year.”
CollectiveNotIndividual
“I am bits and bytes of financial history on a computer screen. My character is absent from the data. Humanity is not part of the equation. If my mechanic, dentist and doctor had merged like the banks, odds are my tooth would still ache, that spot on my arm would have turned into skin cancer, my girl friend’s car would still be stuck in snow.”
Robert S.W.
“Just went and closed out my largest savings account with Wells Fargo, they didn’t even care to ask why I was leaving. Guess my little measly accounts don’t mean much. I have to wait til the rest of my debits clear and then I can close the balance out. While it has been a bit of a pain in the rear establishing a new bank, it’ll be worth it in the long run.”
Ursula H.
“One month ago. Goodbye Chase, Hello Redwood Credit Union.
It was easy and the inconvenience was minimal. If capitalism that actually benefits the folks at the bottom as much as the people at the top is to succeed, it will be through community oriented institutions and not the consolidated top down model that inevitably captures and pulls money to the upper echelon.
Move your money. Keep it local.”
Jay B.
“Back in the summer I had it with Bank of America and decided to join a local credit union and I have never looked back. Yes it was a pain to move all my online billing, my automatic payments etc. But I have had a pleasant experience with the credit union, I can talk to someone when I call their customer service and they believe in customer loyalty. The more business I do with them, the better the benefits, how it should be.”
Ms C.
“I moved my money to Westerly CCU in Rhode Island. They are a community credit union and they gave my associate, a local health care provider a business loan; she would probably have not gotten money from a big bank. WCCU helps Main street so that’s where my money goes – not to big corporate bonuses after they ripped us off.”
Kathy K.
“It seems like a populist movement to me which is right up my alley, but the daunting task of changing all of my direct deposits and withdrawals stopped me. Finally last week I decided to go with a credit union, so the transition is in process. For anyone who is interested in voting with his or her feet, I suggest you consider it.”
Katie F.H.
“Moved our money and are looking forward to a much better experience with a local, community bank. Let’s keep the ‘move’ment going!”
Jacki M.
“Maybe, just maybe, if enough of us flee the big banks, they will get the message when they end up with a drastic decline in customers. After all, it is our money on deposit in their banks which keeps them afloat and enables them to make loans to other people and other businesses.”
Loretta R.
“Right now, I have savings with one of the large banks. It’s a matter of inertia and business. I need the large bank for business and convenience but I don’t need it for my savings. When the CDs come up for renewal, they will move to a local bank here in Olympia. It’s the right move at the right time. I’ve been wondering what I as an individual can do to force change on a resistant economic system. One power I have is in my personal decisions; I control my investments and will no longer allow them to support brigands whose only motive is profit, profit and more profit.”
Rez Dog
“I moved my money to my local bank – and the Bank manager wrote me a hand-written note welcoming me as a client. Amazing!”
Brain M.
“My husband and I have had our accounts with Palos Bank & Trust for 10 years now and we love it! It is our community bank in Palos Heights, Illinois. We know the people who work there and they know us. In fact the mayor of our city also works at the bank. He and we and other members of the bank belong to various Rotary clubs in the area. For 3 years now, we have even used this bank for our Rotary District conference. I wouldn’t transfer to one of those big banks for all the money in the world! (No pun intended.) With them you are only an account number. With community banks, you are a real person. I would strongly encourage all citizens to transfer your monies to the local bank in your area. We have to support one another and this is a great way to do it.”
Kathy K.
“We had all our investments, credit card and mortgage with Wells Fargo, with a strong credit history and no problems. In February 2009 we tried to refinance to take advantage of better rates and they refused to talk to us, telling us after being pressed that they were unable to unbundle are mortgage. We talked to Whitefish Credit Union in Whitefish, Montana, and they were happy to have us as customers. We refinanced, paid off the small balance on our WF credit, and closed all our accounts. Wells Fargo seemed to have no interest in keeping us as customers and we were happy to leave them behind.”
MossyOak
“I moved my money from Bank of America to a credit union, and I thought it would be hard and I would have to write checks again, etc. But they have the same free online bill pay that BofA does. You research the credit unions online to make sure they have the services you used from BofA.”
Brenda L.
“Moved from Wells Fargo (Wachovia) to IBC. I feel good about doing what I could do. Nobody, no free market business should be too big to fail. Let’s help them go on a diet.”
R.M.
“I am leaving [my big bank] next week after almost 20 yrs! I was having online banking problems and made 4 calls to the help desk. I checked my acct online and saw that they charged me $1.50 for excessive phone help. I called and asked them if it was right, they said yes and wouldnt refund it. I explained that I had been with them for 20 years and would leave to go to a credit union. They didnt care. I make decent cash that they will never see again because of a $1.50 charge. See ya”
Tony D.
“Moved my money today…farewell PNC!”
Jacqueline C.
“I moved my money and I’m glad I did and I plan on spreading the word everywhere I go. One day soon I hope big banks will wake and find themselves wondering what hit them – in the wallet.”
Paula P.
“I moved my money from Wells Fargo to my local credit union, and I dont care if its run by D’s or R’s. [...] The key word is “rational” – using reason and intellect to overcome being controlled by emotional fear.”
Brian J.
“You don’t have to pick a side [...] to appreciate the Move Your Money Project.”
Kim S.
“B of A since 84. Told’m to stuff it and moved to a local credit union. Same conveniences, but now I can make an appointment with the CEO!”
Michael P.
“Just left Wells Fargo after 20+ years to join First Tech Credit Union here in Oregon. So glad to send a message by voting with my dollars.”
Diana B.
“It would be nice if this were an issue that everyone, right and left, could come together on!”
Annie S.
“I applaud the efforts of the people of this nation. This effort is a ‘human’ one…not a left, right, religious or non-religious. Real Change starts when the American people rise up and say…Enough is Enough. Move Your Money from these GREEDY banks Today!”
Quint R.
“My nice “personal banker” made the mistake of asking me why I was closing my account. So I told him:
* One of my local banks refunds my ATM fees at other banks.
* My other local bank pays 0.75% interest–on an ordinary checking account.
* Bank of America breaks the law.
* Bank of America closed two out of the three branches in my town.
* Oh, and it’s too big, and presents a systemic risk to the U.S. economy.”
James K.
“sat down and talked directly to the actual ‘President of my bank’ today.. THEE DUDE! and it was empowering. I just closed my Wells Fargo account(s) and opened @ Shoreline Bank.”
Andrew D.
“I have already moved from boa to a local bank. as a matter of fact, the local bank officers know me and my wife by name, and they pride themsleves on that. i have had it with paying boa’s execs with my fees, and allowing them to use my money to pay outrageous bonuses. God bless the USA, and the right to move to a local small bank. if big banks want our business, show respect to the customer, keeping us waiting on hold for 7+ minutes is not good service. my local bank ANSWERS the phone, Amazing!!”
MrJa2009
“I recently moved to a local credit union after I’d received a letter from credit card company stating they were raising my rate on existing balance. The credit union transferred my balance to their visa card, to a lower rate than the old one, AND there was no fee for transferring.”
David S.
“We moved to a local bank yesterday – they were thrilled, welcomed us, we are now getting a higher rate and they gave us a small flatscreen TV!”
John G.
“Two days ater a hurricane blew the roof off my house in 1999, I was at my local TIB/The Island Bank branch in Key West, Florida, withdrawing some money. The branch manager was standing by the teller line, extending emergency loans, on the spot, up to $5K, to any of it’s customers in need. I have long since moved away from the Keys, but I will never forget the kindness extended by TIB and it’s management when I most needed it.”
Charles M.
“I have had my checking and savings at a Credit Union for many years, but my credit card was at a big bank. I’m not sure why I never made the switch before. I pay off my balance every month so the card’s interest rate never mattered to me. The big bank offered “points” on my purchases, I guess I thought that was a big bank feature. It turns out that my credit union offers a no annual fee card that pays points and has a current interest rate of 8.5%! Now the greedy speculators do not get to make a penny off of me!”
Lance M.
“The unchangeable 29.99% (I called to ask 3 times and was 3 times denied) interest rate on my Bank of America Visa wasn’t working for me anymore, so I transfered my balance to a Coastal Federal Credit Union Visa, where my interest rate will be somewhere between 7 and 15%, MAX.”
Kerianne C.
“My wife and I are taking our money from Wells Fargo, and putting it in Mission Bank. And I’m also directing the staff of the non-profit I run, Black Rock Solar, to switch all our accounts from Wells Fargo to New Resource Bank here in SF, which specializes in renewable energy and sustainable communities. Enough of Well’s excuses, we’re leaving…”
Tomprice
“After I learned about the deceptive loan practices by Wells Fargo which exacerbated the mortgage crisis, I made the decision to sever my 13 year relationship with Wells Fargo and move my 5 accounts to Mechanics Bank in Oakland. My move was motivated by principle, but now I am so grateful for all the practical and personal benefits of this new banking relationship with a local bank. My favorite [perks] include: 1. Free checking, 2. No fee ATMS, 3. Personal Banker who knows your name and can find commonsense solutions to problems.”
Yelda B.
“I can’t remember the last time something has come along that truly and equally succeeds in motivating people to drop their red and blue team colors…in favor of pitchforks, torches and a hill. Thank you, Mary Shelley!”
Ron H.
“This screen capture of moveyourmoney.info is being posted around my neighborhood to spread the word!”
Horst S.
“I just fired Bank of America and switched to a small local bank with only six branches here in Montgomery Co. and I couldn’t be more satisfied.”
Tanner K.
“I have begun moving my money from National City (soon to be PNC) to NuUnion Credit Union (soon to be Lake Trust CU). I figured if my bank was being bought out, why not switch to a CU that was merging with another CU to benefit its member-owners?”
Nick O.
“So happy — just signed a new mortgage with a local bank! Goodbye, Bank of America!”
Ellen W.R.
“I’m with a local bank. They always know my name. I got my student loans through them, too. Now and then, they’ll waive a fee just to thank me for being a customer. I’m proud to let them take care of my money.”
orkid682
“This is a very good way of voting with our dollars and using the marketplace to get what we want instead of hoping our corrupt politicians will take care of it for us… We, the consumer, have the power.”
thinbev
“I have been banking locally with CapFed (KS bank) since 1994 and I totally agree with this video!! Left, Right, Middle, who cares…this is bigger than that!”
greglemke
We took the pledge to move our money, and even though it will somewhat of a hassle due to direct deposits and debits, we are committed to sending a message to the TBTF banks!
We had the enormous pleasure of going to our local community bank this morning to open our new account. WOW, what incredible friendly, informative, caring service we received at Butte Community Bank!!!
And what stunned us even more … checking is free, online bill pay is free, checks are free … and our checking account will pay INTEREST! What a novel concept … caring for the customer!!
I am encouraging everybody I know to jump on this bandwagon and take back some control of your lives!
We may no longer have a voice in Washington, but we can decide who we do business with. And it feels great.
I live in Canada and after receiving a notice from one of the major banks that they were increasing my Line of Credit by 1% I transferred my trading account and my Line of Credit to a local credit Union who gladly gave me the lower rate that I had prior to the increase and they were more than pleased to obtain my business. The service was friendly and I urge anyone else up here above the 49th parallel who received such a notice as I did to “MOVE YOUR MONEY”. Now when I call, I will be speaking to a real person instead of some robot and no more hanging on the phone listening to their piped in music. No more unecessary fees. No more being ingnored when you bring up a concern. Had enough. As the TV Ad states, “Who’s in your pocket”.
I broke up with Bank of America after 20 years as a protest and could not be happier.
I transferred my entire family’s checking, savings, credit cards and mutual funds to a credit union.
I make deposits over my iPhone, get reimbursed for using other banks ATMS and because there is no minimum balance required for the checking accounts, I keep my money working for us by investing it. The customer is service is stunning. Often doing the right thing involves a sacrifice but in this situation we have won on every account (pun intended)
Myself and my family have been spreading the word now for over 5 years to anyone who wants to listen. We have been with our local Credit Union for 17 years and very happy. As the actions of moving your money to a Credit Union will send a BIG message, so you must move your money to a Credit Union. As a wise cousin of mine told me this would really make a difference. My cousin would know best as she was in the banking industry for over 35 years. She lost her job and if that was not bad enough she had to train her replacements for over a year. I am sure you can guess were the jobs are going and whom are taking them.
So, join in ALL and put your money in your local Credit Union. SEND THE MESSAGE!!!
I think another campaign needed is to save Americans’ JOBS – No more HB1 or L1 visa’s, how come no one is talks about work visa’s when Americans need JOBS!!!!!!!!WHY WHY WHY
Bank of America can kiss me goodbye. I’ve never missed a payment on my credit card with B of A, and they reward me by cutting my credit line 3 times in the past 6 months because they now consider me a “risky” customer. Chase did the same thing with the 3 accounts we had with them, we closed all 3 as a result. All of our business (personal checking, savings, business checking, and credit cards) is headed from B of A to Bank of Oklahoma, where we have had our mortgage for the past 6 years. Never have had any problem with them and they have always treated us as valued customers. Why didn’t we think to do this sooner? Thanks for the shove, you guys are onto something here.
I’m off to my local bank tomorrow to do what I should have done ages ago. bye bye bank of america.
A common argument against moving your money to a small bank is the convenience factor of big bank ATMs on every corner. When I researched several of my hometown small banks, all charged NO fees for using other banks’ ATMs and in fact refunded the fees charged by the big banks. How about that for convenience!
I’m not supporting big banks and their billions of dollars in executive compensation. They are destroying our country. I’m moving my money to a small community bank.
I closed all three Compass bank accounts today and told them why!!! felt great. Moved them and my money market to small credit union where we had our family account. I will be getting 3 1/2 times more on my money market!!
One small step… please join us
Thanks for leading the fight! A while back, I had my money in Washington Mutual bank which was recently taken over by Chase bank. Yikes! I’ve dealt with Chase before when I used to live in New York, it was a downright painful experience. It is clear that they don’t care about you. Once my little bank got bought out, I pulled my money out and went to Unitus Credit Union. What a difference!! I will NEVER go back to a big bank, EVER! The girls at the bank counter all recognize me, I don’t even need to fill out a deposit slip when I go to the counter…and I don’t even go in there that often! Not only this, but the girl that signed me up for my accounts sends me an email now and again just to check in with me to see how things are going. As far as I’m concerned, I hope to see all of those big banking crooks swinging from the gallows real soon for the damage that they’ve caused to this nation and the world. Peace and love to the good guys, keep up the fight and spread the word.
I’ve been with US Bank for almost 20 years. No major complaints really. But I’ll be moving my savings and checkings account to a local credit union here in Oregon. Either OnPoint, or Albina Community Bank. And I’d like to refinance my mortgage and somehow get another lender on it (it’s B of A right now). Let’s hit them where it hurts!
I have switched to Columbia Bank in NJ from B of A. Their on-line services are actually better AND they do not invest in sub-primes! Also, they make loans to small businesses.
AND their revenues increased the last 2 years.
We moved our money from Chase to a local bank. They gave us a toaster!!
They also have cookies and coffee in the lobby and know our names after just a few visits. I guess the good ole days are still here–just not in mega corp land.
We moved our money to a Bay Area credit union a few months after WaMu was absorbed by Chase and haven’t looked back! I almost fell out of my seat at work when the VP of Security at the CU called about a security issue and proceeded to give me his direct line for future reference. It’s wonderful to feel loved by one’s bank…
I was tired of feeling frustrated over the injustice of the whole banking mess and just felt too guilty having my money on B of A, so I have moved my checking and savings accounts to a credit union and am in the process of changing to the Credit Union Visa as well. I get the same services and no longer feel like I’m enabling the bad guys.
I have been doing business with credit unions for years & could not be more satisfied. They actually WANT your business and try in every way to make their customers happy. If the big banks want to thumb their noses at us after we bailed them out, I say that we do the same to them by removing their lifeblood, OUR money. We certainly aren’t going to be enough to put them out of business, but we CAN send a loud and clear message.
This is a fantastic idea. I’ve been credit union-only for around 15 years. You don’t need Citi or BofA to survive. Keep tweeting the link!
For seven years we have banked with Community Bank & Trust of Florida in Ocala. Best banking experience one can have! Move your money out of the “major” banks as soon as possible.
I would rather be robbed by a Community banker than a Wall Street banker. At least the robbed money stays within the community.
Finally the time has come to show wall St. and the Super banks the power of the American people.We are not doormats and I’ve moved my money out of bank of America who I Banked with for 17 yrs.faithfully.I am a small business owner and they raised my interest rates to 30 percent because of a mistake they made.Not one CEO of any of these banks was removed or censured or anything after they caused the second Great depression and that is criminal.They are criminal and they are Americans screwing The life out of it’s citizens,one dollar at a time.may they all fail,I mean really would it be worse now if they had?
After reading/hearing about the campaign, and the goal to bring capital to lesser-served communities, I wondered about putting money into women-run banks. There are few, but I compiled a list from Treasury Department Data and other research. FYI
http://womenmakenews.com/blogs/editor/move-your-money-women
Went in to Wells Fargo yesterday and took out all my money. Moved it to a neighborhood bank. Feels good.
Another reason to dump Wells Fargo. However, even an insult can be appreciated, I guess.
When I went to do my online banking yesterday, I noticed on the Wells Fargo website that they are proud to announce that “Wells Fargo Pledges $100,000 to Aid Disaster Relief Efforts in Haiti”. A link brings you to their press release where they tout their $1.2 Trillion in assets, as well as their 280,000 employees (can’t they even step up with a $1/employee donation?). This is from the bank (too big to fail) that reported 3rd quarter 2009 record earnings of $3.2 Billion, up 98% from last year. On Dec. 31, 2009, Wells Fargo & Co. announced that it has paid stock bonuses worth $25 million to its top four executives.
On January 15, 2010, the San-Diego Union-Tribune reported in its Public Eye column, that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have pledged $1 Million to Doctors Without Borders (I was able to scrape up $35.00), which is sending emergency medical operations to the nation of Haiti. I think that Wells Fargo’s donation works out to something like .000083% of their total assets.
Be sure you know your local bank. Selco Bank in Oregon took almost 15,000 from a friends account after they asked some questions about her loans. The bank said it sounded like they may be in trouble and therefor may of declare bankruptcy. They drained all their accounts. They had no money for food or any of their bills.
So a client with a very urgent project had intended to buy some required hardware themselves but at the last minute asked if we could do it for them and handed us a check. To avoid the delay of having to wait for the check to clear our bank we went to their bank, (Wells Fargo), to cash it instead.
They confirmed sufficient funds in our client’s account, called our client to verify that they really had written the check to our company, but even with photo ID, business license, Secretary of State website showing me as an officer of the corporation, they refused to honor the check.
Now the client will be paying hundreds extra for expedited shipping now because Wells Fargo would literally not perform their duty as a bank.
Not to mention the branch manager was actually laughing at us, as if we were idiots to be expecting them to cash one of their own checks written by one of their own customers on an account in good standing.
Just amazing…
And yes, we have moved all business and personal accounts to local banks within the last month and are very happy to have cashier’s checks done for free instead of $10, along with free notary services, safety-deposit boxes for half the price and truly free checking without any hidden fees etc etc.
Not to mention the pleasure of being able to deal with real human beings who can make decisions and not be hamstrung by “corporate policy” – should have made the move years ago!
In the DC area, had been contemplating a switch for a while so the Move your Money campaign motivated me to get up and stop procrastinating about it. I will be opening an account at the Bank of Georgetown after the MLK holiday and will be writing a final check to myself from my BofA to the new BofG account. My credit cards are still with BofA and Wells but will be looking into the Library of Congress FCU and the card they offer. BofA’s rate is still decent but Wells just jacked mine up to 15 something even though I have been with them for 10 years since I got my first credit card in college and have excellent payment history. I am a little leery of what this may do to my credit score but as I am not in the market for a mortgage or buying a car at this point, this will probably be the best time to switch over and take the short term ding in my credit score for closing a long-standing account.
I moved to a local credit union here in San Francisco, CA. Couldn’t be happier…for all you SF residents, SF Firefighter’s Credit Union is awesome- reimbursed fees for ALL atms, deposits accepted at a large number of ATMs within SF. Well what are you waiting for, move your money already!
my $ to a credit union today from my current super-bank that aquired my original bank during the bailouts. did it out of principal + now get returns on my $ and better service too… hooray!
moved my $ to a credit union today from my current super-bank that aquired my original bank during the bailouts. did it out of principal + now get returns on my $ and better service too… hooray!
I changed to Tech CU (In the San Francisco Bay Area). I was worried that they may not have many ATMs but they have exchange agreements and have MORE free ATMs than Bank of America.
Tony
I didn’t know this was a movement until I saw coverage on The Colbert Report. I withdrew all my money from Bank of America last year, and closed all my accounts with them, as well as American Express. They truly screwed me over when an automatic payment got processed (on THEIR end) 2 days late, and they sky rocketed my interest rates. I called and pleaded with them for months, while still paying the outrageous fees, to reduce the rate and refund some of my money. **They were taking over 500$ a month in just interest alone!** It took me not paying them a single penny for 3 months before they would even negotiate with me. I kept refusing as it was never even my fault, and asked 5 months before for help. 4 months after defaulting, they finally made a deal to keep it fixed at 0% interest until I paid it off, no strings attached, no late fees or due dates.
It took ruining my credit and 9 months total of a lot of people’s time, money, energy, and stress. And for what? It could have just been as simple as a refunded 35$ late fee, and returning my interest back to the fixed 8% it was always supposed to be (and not 29%!) and I’d still be making my payments, have my accounts with them, and have my once excellent credit rating back.
I’m still miffed that 3000$ of that is still fees and interest that should never have been tacked on in the first place. Now they wont make a single penny off me, and I will pay them back when I damn well please. They still call me like 5 times a day and harass me about when I’m sending my next payment. I guess they like seeing it in their system as being scheduled. Too bad. I’m not going to appease them, as they did nothing to help me. I’ll make my payments in silence and autosend all their calls to voicemail. At least some employee is getting paid for pointless job with benefits on the other end.
My local credit union, on the other hand, has been spectacular in their service. I’m glad I switched. (Sandia Laboratories Federal Credit Union)
Hey folks in southern CA go to http://www.fmb.com, Farmers & Merchants Bank is the way to go! First, one of the ONLY solvent banks in California, great LIVE customer service, extra secure website. I moved my almost 2 years ago from WAMU just after they began to show signs of problems. They have 21 branches from Torrance to San Clemente and although there’s no branch in my immediate area, there’s always a branch within 15min from Whittier CA, where I live. Old fashioned banking where the customer is King. Check it out!
Just shut down my chase account. Corporatism is what is ruining this country. From our banks to our food supply the voices of the people are being ignored in favor of the big corporation. The problem with this is the big corporations only motive is to make money, morals and ethics are not part of the equation.
We need to start making a decision every day to keep our money in good places and spend our money with small businesses that are doing the right things.
Our politicians are being paid off by big company lobbyists which we can not directly compete against. How we can compete is by moving our money away from them. It takes every one of us to spread this message and get our neighbors to pay attention and do something about it.
The power is in our hands, we just need to use it.
Our family had cash at Wells Fargo drawing almost no income and losing value monthly, a home loan at BoA that was paying them to much income. Use the cash to pay off the loan and kill two rats at once. The tax deduction is no use once you are laid off and unlikely to return to work.
TAKE THAT! TBTF leaches!
Bank Of America cancelled my three credit cards… After I paid Off 17,000.00 in one month. The treated me like a criminial asking where I got the money. I have banked there 20 years and have all my loans and checking with them. HORRIBLE PEOPLE.
Today I moved my meager saving from US Bank to a local Credit Union. Of course they hit me with tons of fees, but I feel cleaner already.
Thank God I’m free!
I moved my money from Wells Fargo to Broadway Federal in Los Angeles, and it feels great. Broadway Federal is family owned, around since the 40s, didn’t engage in sub-prime lending, and their staff is friendly and accommodating. After I opened my account, I got a thank you card in the mail from them. Move your money!
I love this, but I do have one correction. I have heard spokespeople claim that it’s not as convenient to bank at a credit union. MAYBE YOU DIDN’T FIND THE RIGHT ONE!!! I’ve been with Digital Credit Union (www.dcu.org), and there isn’t anything they don’t have:
1. Their credit/debit cards are good all over the world
2. I can walk into any local credit union in any US city and do my banking — their computers are all linked
3. They have full online banking
4. I can even use any ATM, and they reimburse $5/month of fees that the sharks charge me.
I also do a lot of international travel for work. My co-worker who has a Bank of America account gets charged $5 per international withdrawal. I pay ZERO.
So which one is more convenient?
What a great idea! The big banks may abuse their power but to get to the real issue, what kind of approaches can be taken to shift the political winds of congress away from wasteful self-interest back to doing what is right for the country first; even if it means any particular congressman’s constituents may be adversely impacted?
Today, closed a credit card account with Citibank and opened a credit union account. Goodbye Chase! So easy to do and such a great feeling. I feel empowered. I’m an American living abroad, and even I could do it.
Add me to the growing list of soon-to-be-former B of A account holders! A $39.00 late fee on my credit card because the payment was due on a SUNDAY and I transferred the pmnt from my BofA checking account to the card on SATURDAY (a day early but doesn’t count…then why the heck do they make the pmnt due on a day they aren’t open? Yeah, we know the answer to that one, don’t we?) and most recently, the sudden appearance of $8.95 monthly maintenance fees on my two checking accounts (that’s $17.90 each month!) that I had opened specifically because I had been told by the BofA branch manager that they would be FREE accounts…I realize my balances aren’t enough to make or break BofA but hopefully together, we can have an impact!
I have already made the move to a local credit union. Wow how nice it is to get the same or better services as well as great customer service. I will never bank with a big name bank again.
I just moved my money out of Bank America and into a local Credit Union. Feels Great!
I went from making .6 percent interest on a CD to making 3.01% interest on my checking accout. So long B of A!
I just got a call from an ACTUAL banker at my new community bank, just to see if I had any questions and to let me know I can sign up for online banking and that she’d already sent out my cards and new checks. The same person who opened my account. An actual, real person who remembered me and my fiance, and said to call her directly if I had any problems with my account. I’m just shocked. I’ve never had a bank treat me like a real human being before in my entire life… SCREW CHASE!
I moved my money over 12 years ago to my county credit union and have never been sorry. They know me, I know them and they are responsive… even when I got into a jam while out of the country I called accounts manager Denise and she was able to help me out!
I have avoided big banks for many years. I dropped my REI credit card when they went to BofA for servicing a decade or so ago – they switched to a smaller servicer and I went back.
Anyway, I noticed that a mortgage I had was in the hands of Wells Fargo – big banks gobbling up little banks and all. I took money from an equity line of credit with a small bank and paid the mortgage off – I now pay the same monthly payment but to the smaller bank at a lower interest rate. Even though I gave Wells a big chunk of money it is the last they will see of me and they have one less performing loan to prop up their statistics.
Closed my chase account.. Bank Manager gets Candid
So I closed my account with Chase yesterday. It was easy and it felt good. The banker lady then asked me why I was leaving, because she has noticed more accounts being closed of late and didn’t know why it was happening.
I then gave her a lesson on commercial banking and the lack of separation from their investment banks. I gave her the moveyourmoney.info web url to learn more.
She was saying she was interested in move some money to and wanted to learn more.
She then told me she has not like how things have been since Chase took over Washington Mutual.
Moving my money to a local credit union now. Next up my Wells Fargo accounts!
David
Positive News Post
I have one more thing to add- I called up the main office for my new bank. And guess what? An actual live person answered and helped me with my situation. No machines to talk to or punch numbers into.
I moved my money about 10 years ago when BIG banks would not give a good car loan but my local Credit Union gave me a 11% interest loan with no history of credit. America, you are running late to the party, Hurry!