Best bank in America?

Charles Ramos7 said:Section 6.

(1) Those required to have one must use their assigned Social Security number:
1. on all applications and documents used when communicating with the individual,
2. on any paperwork used for business operations (like invoices, receipts, or similar documents), and
3. during electronic transactions and banking activities.

George Lewis9 said:Look, banks aren't exactly obligated to open an account for just anyone. But seriously—are we ever going to hear what kind of "secret data" they’re actually digging for?

boldskipper6 said:Honestly, you really should've stopped being such an old-school grandma type by now—at your age, too...

Jesse Long2 said:https://www.chase.com/personal/checking

George Lewis9 said:Fair enough, but I’m still not seeing anything "secret" here. Transactional data has to be reported to the IRS anyway—the format just depends on how much money is moving through the account. Other concerns are more about marketing or data mining. When they mine data, they aren't looking at your specific individual transactions; they're pulling massive datasets to build consumer models. There's really nothing to worry about there.

And again, I'll say it: the IRS has eyes on every single cent you earn, regardless of what you tell the bank. If I had anything to worry about, it would be the IRS, not my bank.

Peter Morgan3 said:I suppose I’m such a vital cog in the machine that they desperately need to track my height, weight, whether I own a dog, and if I frequent any local bars... As if anyone cares.
I couldn't care less about conspiracy theories, cults, or whatever else is trending.
☕
Regarding banking, I had some rather unpleasant experiences with Hippopotamus and Raiffeisen Bank. After switching over to Bank of America back around 2004, I've been satisfied with both the service and the fees. However, since I only utilize their most basic service package, my objectivity on the matter may be limited.
If I carried a mortgage, credit cards, or significant savings, I might pay closer attention to the fine print, but as I mentioned, I have none of those concerns, so it isn't really my business.

By the way, if memory serves, when I opened my account with them, I wasn't required to provide anything beyond the standard documentation. 🤔

George Lewis9 said:There's always going to be someone looking for a fight just for the sake of it—this whole debate over data collection is honestly pointless.

George Lewis9 said:Fair enough, but I’m still not seeing anything "secret" here. Transactional data has to be reported to the IRS anyway—the format just depends on how much money is moving through the account. Other concerns are more about marketing or data mining. When they mine data, they aren't looking at your specific individual transactions; they're pulling massive datasets to build consumer models. There's really nothing to worry about there.

And again, I'll say it: the IRS has eyes on every single cent you earn, regardless of what you tell the bank. If I had anything to worry about, it would be the IRS, not my bank.

Emily Sanchez9 said:And what exactly led you to that conclusion?

No bank is going to put up with someone who can't manage their finances. I’ve been banking with Zábanka for years now and haven't run into a single issue. I had one minor hiccup once, but we worked it out through a simple conversation—they were actually incredibly polite and accommodating.

I stay on top of my bills religiously, so for me, Zábanka is gold standard. Their online banking, in particular, is lightyears ahead of the competition; compared to what they have in Miami, it feels like a spaceship.

Isn't it funny how the people who always have something bad to say about banks are usually the ones who couldn't meet their own obligations? They sign a contract, agree to the terms, fail to follow through, and then what? Expect the bank to just roll over and forgive them?

Care to enlighten us? Why is Zábanka the "worst" in your book? Because from where I’m sitting, they’re the best... at least based on my own experiences.

I’d love to hear the specific grievances you have against these "villains" that somehow make everyone else perfectly wonderful by comparison...

Alexander Thompson said:Man, this guy really went and bought himself a whole lot of trouble...

Arthur Baker3 said:I’m looking to open a basic checking account. Honestly, I don't plan on using any of the extra bells and whistles—no online banking or anything like that—now or anytime soon.

Can anyone tell me which banks I should stay far away from?

I’ve been digging through various threads about different banks, but everything feels so scattered. I even downloaded fee schedules from their websites, but I’m still stuck in indecision.

Everyone seems to have such wildly different experiences with these places, but I’m flying blind here. I tried reading through old forum posts, but half of them are one, two, maybe three years old. They aren't much help since things change so fast.