Do you ever feel like your bank doesn’t have your best interests at heart? Maybe it has forgotten to offer you great deals on products and services. Or maybe you think they’re charging high fees for things that other banks don’t charge. If so, then it might be time to consider switching banks!
Explore additional fees
- Fees are a way for banks to make money, so don’t be surprised if you’re charged for some services. Is it worth paying an annual fee? It depends on the service.
- Consider the services you might use and whether other banks or credit unions offer them. If they aren’t, there’s no point in paying for them since you can get them elsewhere for free (or at least at a reduced cost).
Check on interest rates
Interest rates are at historic lows, but not all banks offer the same rates. So before you switch to a new bank, check out the interest rates they offer on savings and checking accounts. You might be surprised to find that the difference between the two banks can be as much as 1%. But even if your current bank is offering better rates than its competitors, you should still consider switching if it doesn’t have an account that fits your needs or if its customer service isn’t up to par.
Consider the branch locations
When it comes to choosing a bank, you’ll want to think about the location of their branches. This will help you decide if that bank has any branches in your area and how far away those branches are from where you live and work. You should also review the hours of operation for each branch so that you can determine which one is most convenient for your schedule.
Check out the products and services available
There are many different products and services available from different banks. Some of these can be useful, such as:
- The ability to transfer funds between accounts in your name and those of other people who you have authorized to use your account.
- Free checks (some banks charge for basic checking).
- No fee for overdrafts if you opt into the program.
Find out about security measures
It’s important to know that you have access to a bank that will protect your data and keep it secure. Here are some steps you can take:
- Check the bank’s history of security incidents. You can do this by searching for news stories about the bank or checking its website for information about recent breaches. Banks may be less likely to report these incidents, so it’ll be up to you as a customer to find out if any breaches have happened recently.
- Make sure the bank is compliant with data privacy regulations. This won’t necessarily prevent a breach, but if it does happen, at least there are checks and balances in place regarding how your personal information is collected and used by the company.
Experts at SoFi suggest, “Once you have transferred all automatic payments and possible deposits and waited a cycle for those to update, you’re done. It’s time to close your old account.”
As you can see, there are multiple reasons why you might want to consider switching banks. Hopefully, this article has given you some starting points for your own research and that this article will help you make an informed decision about where to put your money next.
