Current Recommendations for Banks with no ATM fees

[Sisababe]

I'm loving it so much on the road, I plan to stay out more time then I'm in! I'm shopping for a new bank. Looking for one with good mobile banking, no ATM fees and is federally insured. I just really need a checking account with debit card for ATM withdrawals but don't want to pay ATM fees. I currently have a Scottrade brokerage abd checking account for my travel fund, but I'm not thrilled now that they've been taken over by Ameritrade TD Bank and looking to see what else is out there. Anyone have a bank they love that's easy to use while on the road?

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[Vermilye]

I have both a Capital One Mastercard & checking account. They reimburse all ATM fees (not just a couple per month), no charges, and .06% interest. The credit card returns 1.5% cash back. Excellent website & registers, and fast, english speaking phone help. I've never been to one of heir banks - everything was done on line.

Plus, they let me put one of my photos on the credit card!

[kstock11]

I went with Discover Bank and am satisfied with them.

[fudge_brownie]

Capital One credit card is one of the best. I especially like the app giving me almost immediate notification when a charge has been made. Also, they will question duplicate and foreign charges and anything suspicious. No foreign fees.

One trick with ATM's, you have to be careful with privately owned ones. I only use ATM's located in a bank building or clearly labelled with a bank name I recognize. Not sure how fee reimbursement with a private machine will work.

An important feature would be the amount of money that can be deposited via a remote deposit or scanned check. Many new accounts limit this, some have a sliding scale that increases based on the age of your account. Some limit the number per month or total amount per month. I am a bit familiar with TD and I thought theirs were very restrictive on new accounts.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by fudge_brownie

Capital One credit card is one of the best. I especially like the app giving me almost immediate notification when a charge has been made. Also, they will question duplicate and foreign charges and anything suspicious. No foreign fees.

One trick with ATM's, you have to be careful with privately owned ones. I only use ATM's located in a bank building or clearly labelled with a bank name I recognize. Not sure how fee reimbursement with a private machine will work.

An important feature would be the amount of money that can be deposited via a remote deposit or scanned check. Many new accounts limit this, some have a sliding scale that increases based on the age of your account. Some limit the number per month or total amount per month. I am a bit familiar with TD and I thought theirs were very restrictive on new accounts.

I haven't had problems with private ATM reimbursements from Capital (even a $4.50 fee at one). Like most major bank credit cards, the Capital MasterCard does not work at most credit union machines. I did forget to mention no additional charge when used in Canada, and a good exchange rate. Gee, I sound like an ad! (But I have other cards, and this one is the best).

[Sisababe]

Thank you for the recommendations!

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[trainman]

Keep enough money in your accounts and you get a lot of free services, I have never used a ATM and don't plan to and I don't text either, so don't text me. Yes I do have an iPhone, I'm not the set in my ways.

trainman

[Upfisk]

We use a credit union. Most everything is free; bill pay checking, transfers to another bank, transfers to our brokerage acct, notary services, warnings about balance that are settable by us. We do pay "foreign" ATM fees and the fees are not refundable. When overseas we went inside the back for cash advances for no fees. We do have to call the CU when we head to Mexico or Canada or other countries in the past. We travel frequently, pay most of our bills by bill pay, get our bills online, not in the mail, and it generally works.

[Mike Lewis]

According to Quicken, I paid $177.04 in ATM fees in 2017, $49.67 in 2018. This was from using a Bank of America debit card at non-BOA ATMs. Hmm-- I need to pay more attention to this.

[Farther]

I'm asking this question out of ignorance, not as a criticism. I seldom use an ATM, maybe two or three times a decade. I always use a credit card for every purchase possible and just carry a couple of hundred cash while on the road. So my question is, what is the necessity of routine use of an ATM.

[elongest]

I just go to Wal Mart buy an item and get cash back from my debit card. Lot safer than going to a dark ATM after hours to get cash and no fee.

Eddie

[Mike Lewis]

It's easier for me to control my spending if I use a debit card for day-to-day purchases instead of a credit card. Then I can watch my bank account like I watch my gas gauge, and make sure my bank balance makes it to the end of the month.

I'm afraid if I use my credit card for all purchases I wouldn't be able to keep track of my spending as well. I haven't put a lot of thought into this, though, and could be persuaded otherwise. I do think that getting cash back with a purchase via a debit card would be an easy way to avoid the ATM fees. I'll start doing this on my next long trip when I can't find a Bank of America ATM.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Farther

I'm asking this question out of ignorance, not as a criticism. I seldom use an ATM, maybe two or three times a decade. I always use a credit card for every purchase possible and just carry a couple of hundred cash while on the road. So my question is, what is the necessity of routine use of an ATM.

While I use my credit card for as many purchases as possible since I get 1.5% back as cash, I still need cash for small purchases such as coffee stops, etc. Lots of places charge extra for credit card purchases under $10.00, so some cash is handy. I take out $200.00 at a time so I only make ATM stops once every couple of months.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

While I use my credit card for as many purchases as possible since I get 1.5% back as cash, I still need cash for small purchases such as coffee stops, etc. Lots of places charge extra for credit card purchases under $10.00, so some cash is handy. I take out $200.00 at a time so I only make ATM stops once every couple of months.

We're kind of in the same boat Jon. I can count the number of times I've used an ATM in the last year probably on one hand, but it does come in handy to have some cash. In many of the little 'mom and pop' shops in the area where we now live, its cash only.

[DanandDaphne]

We use All America Bank. No fee checking, they reimburse all ATM fees and have great online access. Best of all they are currently paying 3% on checking. It was 2.5% for the longest time but it went up recently. We have banked with them for over ten years and have never had a problem.

[Farther]

Originally Posted by DanandDaphne

We use All America Bank. No fee checking, they reimburse all ATM fees and have great online access. Best of all they are currently paying 3% on checking. It was 2.5% for the longest time but it went up recently. We have banked with them for over ten years and have never had a problem.

3.0 %? That makes for a pretty good investment. Are you sure it's not .3 %?

[DanandDaphne]

Yep 3%, that's why we started banking with them. I think it was 4.5% when we started banking with them. You have to do several thing to get the high interest rate. You need to have at least one direct deposit, or automatic payment, and a certain number of card transactions using your pin number and you have to log into your account each month. They are located in Oklahoma and they were called Evantage when we started banking with them but they changed to All America Bank a number of years ago. Our checks still say Evantage Bank on them but they are almost used up. When thy are all gone we will get All America Bank checks. https://allamerica.bank/

[trainman]

Originally Posted by Farther

I'm asking this question out of ignorance, not as a criticism. I seldom use an ATM, maybe two or three times a decade. I always use a credit card for every purchase possible and just carry a couple of hundred cash while on the road. So my question is, what is the necessity of routine use of an ATM.

I would ask the same question, but it's probably the way they spend there money, when I have cash in my pocket which is just about all the time it seems to last me for two or three weeks before I cash another check and it's then only for a $100 or so. I guess some are compelled to buy all the time, for us we already have more then we can use in this life time, I'm trying to use it up before I buy more.

trainman

[stratos175]

Bad thing with a debit card is little or no protection from any fraud. Not sure how many of you know who Clark Howard is but he hates debit cards because of that one reason.

Enjoy the journey.

Steve

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by stratos175

Bad thing with a debit card is little or no protection from any fraud. Not sure how many of you know who Clark Howard is but he hates debit cards because of that one reason.

Enjoy the journey.

Steve

And whatever you do, don't store a debit card number on a website. Several years ago I did this, then one day I went to an ATM on payday and had $0 balance. Someone had stolen the website's database and cleaned me out. My bank reimbursed me immediately, but I had to file a police report, etc., to make the reimbursement permanent.

I've recently started listening to Clark Howard. I think he's pretty good so I'll keep listening to him.