11 May 2005

Bank on it

| seepi
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Can anyone recommend a good bank in Canberra? Is there such a thing left? I’ve heard good things about Credit Unions, but I’ve also heard that you can’t use them interstate.

I’m disgusted by the huge banks now charging fees for internet banking, after they told us all to use that, rather than ever going into banks. So I want to register my disgust by withdrawing all my money from ‘that bank’. But is there anywhere better to put it?? I’ve been with the Woden branch forever, so it will actually be a bit sad to change.

But if anyone can recommend a bank with some kind of customer service ethic, I’ll join tomorrow.

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CPS is Excellent, if you really need a bank I find that St George is the lesser of many evils. When it come to internet banking they really cut the mustard with no fees at all, and if your willing to give up any real person access to your account you can put money away with no fees, any time web access (again no fees), and at least 5% interest. The former mentioned internet account give you free unlimited access to BPay, which to me is about as much as the industry has improved for customers in about 10 years.

But I agree with others here, go with the credit unions, the only fee I’ve had on my accounts is for BPAY. I get around this by doing all the BPAY through St G.

as long as an atm card has maestro or cirrus for international use i dont care who im with. for intl use its good to have two or three cards all on different banks.

ive changed banks more often than i can remember. although i left 1 cent credit on a commonwealth visa card as they were shitting me. i closed the account and there was another charge, by time life 6 months later so i paid it off plus once cent and now they send me a statement every month which is costing them not me!

i asked how an account which had been closed can be debited by someone to whom i had not given permission but they said i must have. i had not and time sent me a cheque and an apology.

anyway – always complain to these rapacious bastards and go over your statements with a magnifying glass. keep all receipts.

went with the CPS Credit Union when the banks started gouging with fees, always helpful, much less cost than the banks and they have not given my money to some one with the same name like which bank did 3 times after I told them it had initially happened. Credit Unions over banks any day.

IMB. It’s a fab building society. Very friendly!

Yep, go the credit unions! I used to use one that remembered my name (and what I was doing lately, like studying or buying a house) every time I walked into their one branch in ACT. Most of them have good internet banking and can use any ATM for free. Only changed because I got married and other half preferred his Bank.

Or maybe Bendigo Bank, at least they help small towns without a bank branch through their community bank scheme.

Teachers credit union. No fees. The fastest and simplest net banking interface I’ve seen. No branch in the ACT though.

Exactly – any customer service person who’s ever sold me anything knows “which bank” I used to use, and in future will also know who I’m with (not to mention my real name and credit card number, all from glancing at the bit of plastic I hand them). The “financial arrangements” divulged above are positively opaque by comparison.

spiny, I’d hardly call the details people have related here ‘financial arrangements’, these are recommendations on the service – not my account details are x12345678 and my pin number 1234

Spiny-Parrot8:26 am 12 May 05

How easy ppl are prepared to give their financial arrangements on the internet. One Question on this blog and bingo. So now you Know.

I’ve lived in the Canberra region since mid-2001 and my “bank” is a Credit Union in Perth. Only very rarely has this caused issues. I can do internet banking, and I can use ANY ATM (for free). I’d recommend a Credit Union over anything else, except that they bank with a bank (the National). I wish they’d get together and establish their own banking system.

Canberra_unsung_hero8:29 pm 11 May 05

Bang ! Bang !

I’d also recommend the Police Credit Union. Only 1 branch in Canberra but the personal service (they actually greet you by name after a while) is second to none. The odd annoying mix up, but all gets solved very quickly.

Added bonus, also the financial institution in the ACT least likely to be the subject of an armed robbery while you are doing your banking due the majority of the clientele being armed!!

i vote for members equity credit union (no street address) and members and education credit union (based at CSIRO). i’m a member of both and they’re fabulous 🙂

I’ve just opened a CPS account for exactly the same reason – inertia kept me with the bank when they introduced a $5/month charge for the privilege of giving them my money, but charging me to schedule transactions on the net was the last straw.

The card I’ve got is and eftpos one, and as far as I know will work quite happily anywhere in the country. You can also get a visa card, which means you can use it world wide, and coupled with internet banking, I don’t really see what more you’d want.

I use police credit union who often greet me by name without me having to give it when i call on the phone. Might be because i was constantly harrassing them about my mortgages at the time but hey, can you name a bank that does that?
I can use my card at just about any atm i can find – including interstate

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