community bank

johnguidry

I want to switch my banking from TD Bank to a more local community bank. Any suggestions? Any convenient suggestions? Ideas? Rants? Etc.? Thanks,

John

idlewild

I'd say outside of Maspeth Federal, which is in Maspeth, Queens, you may want to speak with the folks at M&T Bank on the corner of Flatbush Ave. & 8th Ave. Unless Astoria Federal is still around. They might have branches on 7th Ave by Carroll and 9th Street and 5th Ave.

minet

I really dislike M and T bank. I felt they made everything 9 times more difficult and would change the story on what was acceptable and what was not.

downstat

Not necessarily our community, but USAA allows civilians to get a free checking account now. Free ATMs (up to $15), free checking, free bill pay, free checks, cash back on using your card as a credit card, etc etc.

I left citibank once they added the poor-persons charge of $7.50/month for checking (that was the last straw) and have been MUCH happier.

bezierboy

Astoria Federal is okay but not great. They still do no minimum balance, no monthly fee checking but they love to add fees for any "excessive" debit card usage. This is defined as using your debit card for more than 4 times/month, or using anyone else's ATM at all (you get charged at the ATM and then another $1.50 from your account), or using "cash back" at the supermarket. I get around this by using my debit card as a VISA every time, except at ATMs. Of course if I kept over $1000 average a month in the account this wouldn't happen.

Check where they have branches and note that they have NONE in Manhattan.

pitu

Anyone bank with Amalgamated? None of the local banks are going to have branches on every corner like Citi, Bank of America or Chase, but they have one at Union Sq, Sunset Pk, and Bay Ridge near Century 21.

Rev Billy sez "we use & recommend Amalgamated Bank - a bank established by labor unions that has never invested in dirty coal, etc."

Park Slope Food Coop members can now join this credit union: http://www.pafcu.org/info/locations.php

I was just looking into it myself..

whynot_31

The place I used to work used amalgamated at Union Sq.

As the guy who made the deposits, I found the lines to be shorter than the other banks in the area.

But I'd be hesitant to use a small bank for my personal accounts, because I do most of my banking electronically. Do the small banks have good ebanking services?