For those that are just opening up a banking account, there are many things that they need to be aware of in order to make sure that they have a pleasant banking experience. First off, the person should make sure that they are aware of any things that the bank is offering for an initial period only to get the person to sign up. These offerings are usually great, but the person needs to look at what they will have after these offerings in order to know what you are really getting. You should base your decision on which bank to choose on what you will get minus the incentives that they are offering.
You should most definitely not choose a bank because it is one that is recommended to you by someone else. You need to do your own research and find one that fits your needs, which may be different from the person that recommended this bank. For example, you may be someone that wants no ATM fees because you use the ATM quite a bit.
Do find a bank that is near you so that you can go into the branch when needed. There are tons of banks that are offering online services and this is great. However, nothing really compares to actually being able to see a person and talk to them face-to-face, thus choose one that you can visit if the need arises.
If you are finding that no bank is really meeting your standards, then it is clear that your standards are too high. Remember that no bank is perfect; you simply have to choose the bank that is going to be more accommodating for what you want out of your banking experience. And always remember that if the bank offers free checking that they are a bank to consider since you should not have to pay to use your own money.
