A Guide to Finding the Right Bank for Your Needs
Whether you're looking for a bank at which to open a new savings
account or you're simply unsatisfied with your previous bank and
want to find a new place to do business, finding the bank that's
right for you can sometimes be quite difficult.
Of course, it doesn't have to be... it simply a matter of
knowing what you're looking for before you head out to the bank,
and making sure that you do a little bit of comparing of
services before deciding upon one particular bank over the
others.
Below you'll find some basic tips for what to look for in a new
bank, as well as what to avoid.
Interest rates
No matter what type of account you want to open, interest rates
are going to be of major importance. Check to see what rates are
being paid for savings and money market accounts, as well as
whether or not interest is paid to chequeing accounts.
If you're looking for a loan instead, find out what the base
interest rates that are charged for loans and whether your
interest can be affected by the collateral that you use.
Account options
When looking at a bank to determine whether or not it's the
right one for you, consider how many options are available for
each type of account. Ideally, there should be several different
options for chequeing, savings, and other accounts.
If a bank only offers very basic services, you might be better
served to look elsewhere unless the interest rates that they
offer are well above average.
Online account access
Though not as major a concern as some of the other
considerations, banks that offer online account access can add a
level of convenience to your banking experience that you might
not otherwise have.
Online account access can enable you to check your balance,
transfer funds from one account to another, and even see which
cheques have cleared the bank from the privacy of your own home.
Corporate vs. local
Another minor consideration that might have some bearing on your
decision is whether the bank is part of a national or worldwide
corporate chain or if it's a locally owned and operated
institution.
Corporate chain banks tend to have much more support from their
corporate office, but are usually limited as to the services and
concessions that they can offer without approval from a higher
authority.
Local banks, on the other hand, are usually able to handle most
matters in-house, as the owner is usually an individual within
the community.
Shopping around
When comparing banks to find the right one to meet your needs,
it's important to explore all of your options. Gather
information from several different banks and compare the account
options that each offers to their interest rates.
Some banks might offer exceptional rates but with relatively few
options... others might have a wide variety of account options
but offer horrible interest rates.
Compare and contrast a variety of bank options so as to find
best deal that fits your needs... after all, this is a major
decision and shouldn't be handled lightly.
By taking the time to compare your available options and shop
around for the best deal, you're much more likely to find the
bank that's going to give you the best experience.
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