Here

Appy wrote:

> I did it years ago.  I love this article by Bill Maher and have always wondered why people

> didn't do this.

I did that while I lived out in California.  Bank of America bought them.  So I did it again.  Bank of America bought them.  Third time wasn't the charm - I forget who bought them that time, but it didn't take long.  Then I moved to Maryland and got an account, as well as a mortgage, with a local bank.  They just got bought by CapitalOne.

Getting an account at a local bank is, in my experience, a temporary thing at best.  It may last for several years, but the large banks will eventually snap them up.

ABner,

Have you tried a credit union?  Then tend to be stable. 

Credit unions began as banks for government workers, either state, local or fed.  However, most of them, even the fed have opened up for all citiizens.  The one I belong to was a local teacher's union initially.  They now accept membership from all citizens.  There are also unions for farmers and such.

The rates tend to be lower.  Customer service is always better at Credit unions.  I was a member of a federal one for many years too.  They are really cool when you need things like cashier checks in a hurry.  Like two minutes before closing on my house!! 

When I had identity theft from my purse being stolen, the best agency I dealt with was the credit union.  My account had been totally wiped out. They returned all of my money in 3 hours.  They had me new account set up immediately and they gave me emergency funds to use until the three hours the accounts were restored. The service was immediate and painless. 

The worst I dealt with was Capital One.  They all but aided the perps in getting money in that account and then were rude when I demanded the money back.  They even extended my credit line for the perps.  I doubt they would do that for me. LOL  They also made it impossible for me to report the theft.  Even after I got a "live" person.   It was an unreal experience.

The best part of credit unions is that when something goes wrong, you do get a live human being. You also get actual results with the least frustration.