Every morning I follow a series of rituals: Prayer of thanksgiving Clean teeth and hair Take prescribed pills and over-the-counter supplements Fix and eat breakfast over the sink Do everything else in the bathroom Balance the checking accounts I have ten (10) accounts. Sounds excessive, right? I don't generally close accounts once I have opened them. Reasons for closing an account might be (a) the institution was gobbled up by another institution that I don't like, (b) the institution imposes a restriction that I don't like such as a mandatory direct deposit from my paycheck, (c) lack of basic services that I need, (d) disrespectful staff. Here are some of the oddities of my choices.... I use an enormous bank that used to be based in CA, but has since moved to the east coast. I keep it because I have a pretty nice credit card from the bank and it's easy to transfer money from the checking account. I use an enormous bank that is based in NYC and has only ONE branch there. It was where I opened my first bank account in Manhattan when I needed go get < $20 now and then to buy myself lunch or coffee I use a bank on Hawaii. Their logo is a rainbow. How great is that? They do not offer free bill pay. It took me a long while before I could get them to offer me a credit card (they don't like main-landers). I stay with them because I like to be able to say Aloha and Mahalo when I speak. I use a credit union that's connected to the Hollywood film industry. The name looks impressive on the checks. I use a credit union next door to where I work (they clear my deposits instantly and the checks that are written for the deposits don't clear for 2-3 days). I use a credit union and a bank that are union-friendly I use a credit union that is "gay friendly" (not sure what that means). ... I'm looking for a gay credit union. I used such a credit union in the past (one in Dallas and one in Florida). They are both defunct. I'm looking for a Wiccan or pagan credit union. One is in the making, but who knows if I will be alive when it opens. ... Any stories about why you use the bank/credit union of your choice?
These days, their is less difference between banks, because they all use Visa or Mastercard as their clearing houses. I just use banks who have an efficient and helpful telephone service, since most branches have closed down. I do remember the time when I asked a bank whether they spell banker with a "w". That was the end of that account.
