Breaking up with my bank

Barbara

I'm not a fan of long-distance relationships . So it's hard to believe I spent an entire year in a long-distance banking relationship. About 130 miles separated me from my hometown bank during my freshman year of college.

While I was living at home, my old bank served all my needs just fine. But once I got to college, I started to see the signs that as a long-distance relationship, it just wasn't going to work …

There was a lack of communication. Without being able to stop into the branch, I didn't talk to my bank that much. Really, the only time I heard from them was when they sent my monthly statement. I didn't even have the chance to communicate with them securely online.

I wanted different things. I wanted to have easy access to my money. But five years ago, my bank didn't offer me a debit card. I also wanted online access, which wasn't an option (apparently, I was ready to start my obsessive account-balance checking early on in college).

Everything was too complicated. Because my bank didn't have online banking, I had to call to check up on things or to make a transfer between my accounts. Plus, with no branch to stop into, I found myself mailing deposits back to my hometown—wasting a stamp and putting my money at risk of being lost or stolen.

I started liking someone else. Sometimes I didn't have time to deal with my hometown bank. So, I'd go to the Wells Fargo store in Vermillion . Even though I wasn't a customer at the time, if the check was issued from a Wells Fargo account or if I took a Wells Fargo customer with me and signed the check over to them, I could still get my money. I liked the interaction with the staff there and how they handled my needs.

All the signs started to add up, and I knew what I had to do: break up with my hometown bank. When I headed back to school for my sophomore year, I went to my local Wells Fargo store with my tuition refund check—all 800-some dollars of it—and opened a College Combo®.

A lot has changed since 2002, but it's still something to think about for those of you headed to college soon. If you're facing a long-distance banking relationship, make sure you weigh the pros and cons of staying or switching.

Considering a bank swap? Done one already? Let us know how you feel.