General Discussion

bobclark86

(1,415 posts)

43. At age 18, I went to the (small town, not big chain) bank...

Sun Feb 17, 2013, 03:39 PM

Feb 2013

and got a checking account without any fees. This was about 10 years ago. They still have that. Don't go to a big bank (if you need cash, go to your bank's ATM or hit Walmart and buy a 35-cent pack of chewing gum and get $20 to $100 out). Credit unions are also options. The few places that do have fees often waive them for direct deposit (work, SS, whatever).

Also, you can legally tell your bank to just cancel payments if there are no funds, rather than to overdraft. I haven't paid an overdraft fee since college because of this. I also don't auto bill for anything.

BTW, what places don't have online billing these days? My city of 15,000 people in Podunk, Nowhere even has online billing for water and sewer service.

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Class warfare? How the Poor are denied access to basic BANKING [View all] FirstLight Feb 2013 OP

That's pretty awful LiberalEsto Feb 2013 #1

This sucks! Kookaburra Feb 2013 #2

Its only getting worse Ruby the Liberal Feb 2013 #3

And not coincidentally at all, The USPS used to offer just this kind of service. Egalitarian Thug Feb 2013 #4

The overdrafting penalties should be much smaller. OceanEcosystem Feb 2013 #5

Many banks have sweep arrangements Ruby the Liberal Feb 2013 #17

Banks go out of their way to charge you the maximum penalty starroute Feb 2013 #57

+1000 FirstLight Feb 2013 #65

I have info...be back in a minute to type it out... OneGrassRoot Feb 2013 #6

HERE IS THE RESOLUTION: OneGrassRoot Feb 2013 #28

Indeed...good for us all to know for future reference Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel Feb 2013 #63

no local credit unions FirstLight Feb 2013 #7

When I joined the credit union I joined, many moons ago.... whistler162 Feb 2013 #23

My credit union charges $5 LiberalEsto Feb 2013 #46

some credit unions have "ties to XXX" rules to join. mwooldri Feb 2013 #38

Mine requires a $5 balance to open and maintain an account. jeff47 Feb 2013 #39

Message auto-removed i am me. i am free. Feb 2013 #60

this is a good argument for Postal Banking Enrique Feb 2013 #8

things to consider quinnox Feb 2013 #9

If you need a person, it is $8.95, IIRC Ruby the Liberal Feb 2013 #14

that's correct, if you have to go in and use a teller, then you have to pay quinnox Feb 2013 #20

Imagine SocSec, then. longship Feb 2013 #10

my bank waives all fees if you have direct deposit dlwickham Feb 2013 #42

Social Security has their own debit card now. richmwill Feb 2013 #78

Well, I was lucky to get a local banker which has good policies. longship Feb 2013 #79

It's all moving to paperless online banking where you pay all your paperless bills. L0oniX Feb 2013 #11

Still, some places charge a convenience fee for online payments. BadgerKid Feb 2013 #54

Actually ...the move is on to charge you more if you want a paper bill via snail mail. n/t L0oniX Feb 2013 #55

Those payday lenders and rent-to-own stores --- madamesilverspurs Feb 2013 #12

WHY FirstLight Feb 2013 #13

Well if all fails cash your paycheck at WalMart for $3.00. I would also get money orders southernyankeebelle Feb 2013 #15

no paycheck to cash... FirstLight Feb 2013 #19

yep southernyankeebelle Feb 2013 #33

Overdraft has changed to an opt-in program tammywammy Feb 2013 #16

Get a FREE AccountNow card auto1969 Feb 2013 #18

Thanks for this. n/t OneGrassRoot Feb 2013 #21

Sorry, this is bullshit... OneMoreDemocrat Feb 2013 #22

maybe you have no idea what you speak of FirstLight Feb 2013 #24

I am probably more destitute than you are duffyduff Feb 2013 #26

There's at least one in every crowd arikara Feb 2013 #29

Yeah, I wasn't sure where the OP got that from. OceanEcosystem Feb 2013 #30

Message auto-removed i am me. i am free. Feb 2013 #53

maybe you don't Enrique Feb 2013 #47

Your republican is showing. nt awoke_in_2003 Feb 2013 #50

you are wrong Viva_La_Revolution Feb 2013 #75

You are only charged an overdraft fee if you overdraft your account. That has nothing to do with RB TexLa Feb 2013 #25

how to explain FirstLight Feb 2013 #27

No, it is easy to not screw up, it's simple addition and subtraction. Cash withdrawals may be RB TexLa Feb 2013 #32

Message auto-removed i am me. i am free. Feb 2013 #56

Message auto-removed i am me. i am free. Feb 2013 #51

Except for the banks which process transactions out of order to gain overdraft fines Posteritatis Feb 2013 #37

That was changed in one of the recent reform bills jeff47 Feb 2013 #41

That's fantastic and way overdue. (nt) Posteritatis Feb 2013 #48

exactly! FirstLight Feb 2013 #44

K & R !!! WillyT Feb 2013 #31

there is a relatively new alternative grasswire Feb 2013 #34

Another DUer with a Wishlist post uses that... OneGrassRoot Feb 2013 #35

Message auto-removed i am me. i am free. Feb 2013 #58

Could you find a credit union? we can do it Feb 2013 #36

You know what...I'm not even all that desirous to PLAY the Money Game anyway FirstLight Feb 2013 #40

At age 18, I went to the (small town, not big chain) bank... bobclark86 Feb 2013 #43

I think the Post Office should be allowed to open a no fee full reserve banking system... hunter Feb 2013 #45

Have You Seen THIS: WillyT Feb 2013 #49

agree with the banking, did find if you are a veteran chase opens accounts for free MsFlorida Feb 2013 #52

There are also damn few banks in poorer neighborhoods. MADem Feb 2013 #59

have you ever thought of a pre paid visa card? notadmblnd Feb 2013 #61

maybe this will help - it is not free and hollysmom Feb 2013 #62

pre paid visas don't work... FirstLight Feb 2013 #64

If you dead-stop can't open a bank account, Sen. Walter Sobchak Feb 2013 #66

Equifax, actually FirstLight Feb 2013 #67

I don't think Equifax does check verification Sen. Walter Sobchak Feb 2013 #68

well, two ex-husbands jacked THAT reputation... FirstLight Feb 2013 #69

ChexSystems isn't a credit report in a conventional sense, Sen. Walter Sobchak Feb 2013 #71

that's fine FirstLight Feb 2013 #73

** Seriously though, do you see this as a cultural/class issue? FirstLight Feb 2013 #70

Been there, done that, got the lifetime of bad credit trophy. killbotfactory Feb 2013 #72

yep FirstLight Feb 2013 #74

In some places you go to jail for writing bad checks. Socal31 Feb 2013 #76

The minimum balance IS the alternative to credit. JVS Feb 2013 #77