Chicago banks?

November 3, 2006 1:03 PM

Where do you bank in Chicago?

I'm beyond livid with Citibank right now and I want to close my account ASAP. I've been a Citicard member for a few years and have loved that experience, but Citibank has made nothing but mistake upon mistake since I opened my new account three weeks ago.

I don't have grand banking needs, but I would really like to know the company I'm working with follows it's own policies and isn't going to charge me for things that are supposedly "complimentary".

Online banking is a requirement
Online bill pay is a nice to have
Free checking is a requirement (with a balance is fine)
Branches conveniently located is a big ++

I'm in Bucktown near Western and Armitage.

posted by FlamingBore to Work & Money (18 answers total)

I use TCF. They have online banking and bill pay. I can't recall if our checking is free or if my wife knew someone there and that's why we don't get charged. They are frickin everywhere (inside every Jewel, for instance). No major complaints.

I actually edit a directory of Chicago banks. If you have any more questions, my email's in my profile.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 1:36 PM on November 3, 2006

MidAmerica Bank (formerly MidTown Bank). There's a branch at Damen and Armitage. In 1992-ish, I was trying to open my first checking account, and every bank I went to ran a credit check and refused (but it's a checking account...). MidTown opened an account for me. A couple times when I was in a financial bind, I was able to go to a manager and say "I've had this account for X years, every 2 weeks there's a direct deposit. Can I please write a bad check for my rent this week?" and they worked with me.

They're more coporate now. Last month a cash machine at my card for no reason (really!) and the first person I talked to wanted to chage me $25 bucks to replace it. But, again, when I spoke to the manager and said I hadn't lost a check card in 15 years, he waived the fee.
posted by ba at 1:41 PM on November 3, 2006

I use the behemoth that is Chase (formerly Bank One) and have had no problems with them. Their ATMs are everywhere and I don't pay for checking, online or paper.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 1:57 PM on November 3, 2006

I second Chase... but use direct deposit for your checking account. Before I did this, they were deducting $6 a month from my account. Boo. I'm at North and Ashland and there's never a shortage of ATM's - they're even in some of the CTA train stations.
posted by youngergirl44 at 2:02 PM on November 3, 2006

I use Citibank and have never had a problem with them; I'd be curious what problems you've run into.
posted by raf at 2:35 PM on November 3, 2006

(Oh, and I was very happy I had Citibank when I moved to and from DC in the last few years; it was very nice not having to change banks. But if you don't plan on moving, this isn't a real concern.)
posted by raf at 2:36 PM on November 3, 2006

Another recommendation for Chase - they're in every Dominic's, and seem to be in most CVS stores as well.

I have a 'Basic One' checking account with no minimum balance, no monthly fee, and no direct deposit requirement. It's not promoted on their website, however.
posted by unmake at 2:44 PM on November 3, 2006

Use Citibank for the condo association and Chase for everything else.

Chase vs. Citi online: Chase wins hands down.

Citibank's website is like a time capsule from what the internet was like in 1994. As of late they have added security measures designed for maximum annoyance with minimum impact.

My favorite is the 11 digit all numeric userid you must punch in with a little keyboard. That way, you can't save the damn thing in your browser and have to write it down on a post it note. It is a user-hostile system.

Chase's site has its annoyances, but they are minor by comparison.
posted by mrbugsentry at 3:05 PM on November 3, 2006

Damn, that should read: "We use Citibank for the..."
posted by mrbugsentry at 3:06 PM on November 3, 2006

My family (intermediate) as well as myself use Citibank and have been using them since the beginning of time - it is the only bank i have an account with. i had TCF but they screwed me over royally. Up until now i haven't had any financial problems with Citibank but theres a lack of ATMs and conveniently placed banks in Chicago - lately it seems they've been opening new ones - in the past 6 months new citibanks have opened where i work, live and near my gym. Chase seems like they've exploded over the past year in Chicago and i'm considering switching. If i were you i'd go with Chase.
posted by AMP583 at 3:49 PM on November 3, 2006

I'm sixthing Chase. I've been with them since I came to Chicago in '01 and have had no problems. I have the same "Basic One Checking" account that unmake mentioned above. That was a Bank One thing (hence the "One" in the name), so I'm not sure if Chase is offering it to new customers.
posted by I Am Not a Lobster at 4:20 PM on November 3, 2006

Stay away from Corus Bank. Les incompetents.
posted by Jess the Mess at 6:53 PM on November 3, 2006

My favorite is the 11 digit all numeric userid you must punch in with a little keyboard. mrbugsentry, not to derail but when do you need to do this for Citibank? I've never had this experience before, and I've used them for a few years.
posted by hooray at 8:05 PM on November 3, 2006

There are apparantly more chase atm machines than any other bank in Chicago, so that may be something worth considering.
posted by allthewhile at 8:11 PM on November 3, 2006

Seventhing(?) at this point, but I used Chase for all my six years in Chicago; no complaints, and they meet all your requirements.
posted by aiko at 3:47 AM on November 4, 2006

I used to work for Chase (actually Bank One) and their own employees wouldn't bank there. Their practices are just as bad as Citibank's. The only bank I've found that I like is Washington Mutual. I don't know what their branch map looks like, but I live in River North and work downtown and I have one within a block of my house and my office. I've been VERY happy with them; their people are truly wonderful and honestly care about making you happy.
posted by MeetMegan at 3:12 PM on November 4, 2006

I'm not from Chicago, but want to add two things.

Avoid Washington Mutual. If something happens to your account that they profit from, don't expect a fix, wrong or right. Don't expect decent customer service, either, unless you are a profitable customer.

Find a credit union. For one, there must be dozens of those in such a large city, and often times they have agreements to handle business for one an other, possibly including ATM's.

CU's = Member Owned. Better service
posted by richter_x at 9:02 PM on November 4, 2006

I was very unhappy with TCF. Fees for everything, and a crap-tastic web site.
posted by qvtqht at 8:24 AM on November 13, 2006