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Chase Banking To Charge a Monthly Fee if you have less than $500 in your account!
- Thread starter HappyDude20
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Majority, perhaps - but not exclusively. There is a large Canadian mob here, plus sizeable number of Brits, Aussies, and Kiwis as well.....
Yanks can't spot a Canuck easily, but the accent is obvious to anyone who's spent time in the great white north, eh?
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I'm researching new banks now and so far Charles Schwab Seems very appealing. No ATM fees worldwide, with them paying any fees any particular ATM does charge; Schwab reimburses it. Plus it seems I get interest with my checking accounts, at .25%. And so far haven't located any monthly or annual fees. My only concern with them is how I would go about depositing a check to them, considering my nearest Schwab branch is 15 miles away.
Again, any insight at all would be very much appreciated as I'm currently researching array of banks.
I also have tabs open for Ally, ING, Citi (considering I have a credit card with them) and perhaps Capital One.
It seems a Citi debit card earns miles when credit is hit at checkout, though at the behest of a $25 yearly fee..not bad, but don't know if it's worth it. And I don't know (yet) about ATM fees, considering I'll be living in china and japan for he next six months.
...guess my research continues.
Again, any insight at all would be very much appreciated as I'm currently researching array of banks.
I also have tabs open for Ally, ING, Citi (considering I have a credit card with them) and perhaps Capital One.
It seems a Citi debit card earns miles when credit is hit at checkout, though at the behest of a $25 yearly fee..not bad, but don't know if it's worth it. And I don't know (yet) about ATM fees, considering I'll be living in china and japan for he next six months.
...guess my research continues.
I belong to a credit union that doesn't have a ton of locations and convenience is key since I don't use automobiles for personal transport. Apparently a thing exists called the co-op network which includes free access to atm's in 7-11 for deposits and withdrawals for member credit unions. If you live near a 7-11 you can see what credit unions in your area use this service - http://www.co-opfs.org/public/locators/culocator/index.cfm
Thank you so much. I had no idea (or maybe I did) that there were so many small credit unions in my area; but then again it dos explain he array of banks on each side of the street almost everywhere. I'm going to begin researching my local banks now.
As a sort of status update on my research, id like to share that Charles Schwab is still winning my vote, considering Citi charges a monthly fee and doesn't do anything about ATM fees. Here inn the states inane easily find a 7/11 but in china I know theyre almost non existent...I know there'sma heap of them in japan, but am not sure if Citi would be inside of them...plus the monthly fees turn me off.
My thought are leading me to think in the long term. For the next month I'll need a debit card, then for six months in Asia, and then when I return in August, I'll most likely be living either in L.A. Or San Francisco, depending which school accepts me. Citi seems like a pain, though I would like to earn miles.
Well if you signed up for a no-fee account and now they are charging you, I'd say that would be a change of contract and you should be able to close it.
stop waiting and go in there and demand to know what the fee is. if you clearly signed up for a no-fee account (I hope you read the fine print) then make them refund it or take them to court.
yeah, I'm in college too.. I know what you mean.
I know there are a lot of different countries represented on here. I was referring specifically to this thread.
Someone earlier suggested HSBC bank. They are a global outfit, with I believe a good Asian presence. They have multiple branches in Vancouver, so they may have branches near where you settle down after travelling.
Alternatively, it used to be that if you had an Amex Card you could get a cash advance in traveller's cheques at any of their travel offices, found in most cities. If you set up a monthly transfer from, well just about any bank or CU that has online bill payments, you could pick a bank based on the services it provides where you wanted to live and bank, and not worry about it's Asian presence - just set up scheduled transfers to the Amex account to keep some money in it.
I wouldn't do any online banking while travelling. Not in Asia, not in Europe or North America either. If I'm not home, I don't sign into my bank. I am in fact in a location that my WiFi signal is safe, though the machine I do my banking on is (coincidentally) wired into the internet.
Alternatively, it used to be that if you had an Amex Card you could get a cash advance in traveller's cheques at any of their travel offices, found in most cities. If you set up a monthly transfer from, well just about any bank or CU that has online bill payments, you could pick a bank based on the services it provides where you wanted to live and bank, and not worry about it's Asian presence - just set up scheduled transfers to the Amex account to keep some money in it.
I wouldn't do any online banking while travelling. Not in Asia, not in Europe or North America either. If I'm not home, I don't sign into my bank. I am in fact in a location that my WiFi signal is safe, though the machine I do my banking on is (coincidentally) wired into the internet.
I do remember seeing HSBC banks last time I was in China and have seen few here in southern California.
Last time I was in China was when Chase was WaMu and remember only whipping out my WaMu card at an ATM in Shanghai about once a week to have some pocket cash with me. There was a $2 ATM fee, which I guess at the time I didn't mind, but do now being more frugal. I don't remember if WaMu charged anything each time I used it in China at an ATM out there. I do remember however the time hotel in stayed at in Beijing allowed fee-less use of my WaMu card to get RmB cash, but this time around I'll be finding an apartment and won't have that luxury.
Aside from liking Charles Schwab, I just spoke with a rep. from Ally and told me their interest apr for checking accounts is 1.08%, variable of course. Problem is there don't have any brick and mortar locations but they said they are available on their site online 24/7. Ally also said that they cover any ATM fees accessed, but only in the states and that for foreign transactions in other countries a 1% fee is charged from the total transaction.
I have to admit I'm a bit befuddled as to why you're suggesting I stray away from online banking? So far it seems like a better alternative from Chase.
Oh! An
I guess it depends on your internet connection. I had assumed you would be travelling about, not in an apartment....
WiFi security is too easily hacked. Every year or so they announce a new standard of security, that is unbreakable. Few months later it's hacked. I don't know the current status... but if it's not yet hacked, past experience is that it will be soon.
If you are using public access computers, well too many opportunities for key-loggers. If you are at home, or at a hotel, and using a wired connection then I would feel safer. But do recall that in China they are actively and openly monitoring all internet traffic. Though, obviously your banking info is not #1 on their list of interesting-things-to-look-at if your balance is small enough that you want to save the $2 ATM fees
It's not that I think that your online banking info will be hacked, it's just that if it is, can you imagine getting it sorted out, while keeping your living funds flowing, if the account is in the US and your accessing it in China.
But I'm really really conservative with where I will do my online banking. And I'm not a Luddite... I use my cc all the time to pay for things online, or pay bills online, or transfer money online. It's not the online-ness that worries me... it's the connection from my computer to the bank that worries me. If you are confident that that bit is secure, then bank away I say!
PS HSBC = Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp, iirc, though they changed their name when Hong Kong changed status, I think, and I think they have their HQ in Hong Kong or London. But they are big and global.
I guess it depends on your internet connection. I had assumed you would be travelling about, not in an apartment....
WiFi security is too easily hacked. Every year or so they announce a new standard of security, that is unbreakable. Few months later it's hacked. I don't know the current status... but if it's not yet hacked, past experience is that it will be soon.
If you are using public access computers, well too many opportunities for key-loggers. If you are at home, or at a hotel, and using a wired connection then I would feel safer. But do recall that in China they are actively and openly monitoring all internet traffic. Though, obviously your banking info is not #1 on their list of interesting-things-to-look-at if your balance is small enough that you want to save the $2 ATM fees
It's not that I think that your online banking info will be hacked, it's just that if it is, can you imagine getting it sorted out, while keeping your living funds flowing, if the account is in the US and your accessing it in China.
But I'm really really conservative with where I will do my online banking. And I'm not a Luddite... I use my cc all the time to pay for things online, or pay bills online, or transfer money online. It's not the online-ness that worries me... it's the connection from my computer to the bank that worries me. If you are confident that that bit is secure, then bank away I say!
The only threat you mention that is actually real is keyloggers. Yes, on a public access computer, they are definitely a problem. I probably wouldn't be wanting to put my bank info on any of their computers.
However, if you are on trusted hardware (yours, a friends, your college, etc) you should be just fine. All banks use SSL encryption to keep your data safe online (if your bank doesn't, find a new bank ASAP!). Additionally, as long as your wifi is using WPA2 security (WEP is the one that is easily cracked), you are completely safe on that too.
I guess it depends on your internet connection. I had assumed you would be travelling about, not in an apartment....
WiFi security is too easily hacked. Every year or so they announce a new standard of security, that is unbreakable. Few months later it's hacked. I don't know the current status... but if it's not yet hacked, past experience is that it will be soon.
If you are using public access computers, well too many opportunities for key-loggers. If you are at home, or at a hotel, and using a wired connection then I would feel safer. But do recall that in China they are actively and openly monitoring all internet traffic. Though, obviously your banking info is not #1 on their list of interesting-things-to-look-at if your balance is small enough that you want to save the $2 ATM fees
It's not that I think that your online banking info will be hacked, it's just that if it is, can you imagine getting it sorted out, while keeping your living funds flowing, if the account is in the US and your accessing it in China.
But I'm really really conservative with where I will do my online banking. And I'm not a Luddite... I use my cc all the time to pay for things online, or pay bills online, or transfer money online. It's not the online-ness that worries me... it's the connection from my computer to the bank that worries me. If you are confident that that bit is secure, then bank away I say!
PS HSBC = Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp, iirc, though they changed their name when Hong Kong changed status, I think, and I think they have their HQ in Hong Kong or London. But they are big and global.
I'm confident my home and work in china will consist of a secured internet connection.
Though I'm deciding on a debit card for the next six months abroad, I'm also thinking about wanting the least amount of headache when inreturn back to California to continue with university, of which so far i think it's gonna be either Charles Swchwab or a local credit union, of which I still need to research, but i have work now.
Cracked last summer. Link. Though I found pages on how to crack WPA2 by searching "wpa2 hacked". Probably not going to affect the OP, but - if they're unlucky the headache is huge.
I'm confident my home and work in china will consist of a secured internet connection.
Though I'm deciding on a debit card for the next six months abroad, I'm also thinking about wanting the least amount of headache when inreturn back to California to continue with university, of which so far i think it's gonna be either Charles Swchwab or a local credit union, of which I still need to research, but i have work now.
Good Luck.... and have a great time!