Choosing a bank

Chockstock

Chockstock

The Stars and Stripes Forever
10-Year Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
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On the handy admissions checklist, WP wants accepted candidates to open a check account at least 30 days before R-Day. Can anyone recommend banks that are accessible near the East Coast/NYC?

Thanks
 
I would suggest you either choose Pen Fed or USAA. With either of those you can set up your account ahead of time over the phone.
 
I haven't heard great things about Pen Fed. I've been very happy with USAA.
 
The only reason I recommended Pen Fed is that there is a branch right on post and an office right outside Thayer Gate.

USAA is terrific and my kids and I have used them for years. Plus when you get a car you can get your car insurance through them. As well as renter's insurance. It's all online - easy peasy.
 
USAA has the best deployment incentives as well!!!!!
 
As a fellow 2014, USAA could not have been simpler. It takes about 25 minutes online to set up along with a credit card for the initial deposits. After 2 days, they called me and asked me to fax over a copy of my driver's license and SS card. Within a week, I received my new debit card.

My only concern is the form that USMA requested we fill out for direct deposit. I mailed it to USAA's office in Texas with a return envelope enclosed asking them to fill out the forms and they have not...

Any advice on that one?
 
I don't know about Pen Fed but USAA is awesome. I've done car insurance, house insurance, life insurance, home mortgage, credit cards, etc. with them. Always an excellent customer service experience. It's fun when someone like Allstate or Geico calls and wants to offer you a lower rate. When I tell them I have USAA they tell me I have a great deal and sheepishly conclude the call!
 
My son has both PenFed and USAA; one for banking, the latter for insurance. He also retained his local credit union account as it is linked to our family account.

If you don't need the physical presence of an actual bank building, then USAA is fine. My family has been a part of USAA since the 70s and we have no complaints; great service and no problems at all. But USAA does not have my banking. USAA has great customer service by phone or web, and of course all account info is accessible via web or phone. They just don't have a physical presence.

Without an actual physical presence, however, it's hard to offer other services - like a safe deposit box, getting a cashiers check quickly, or getting a large amount of cash to name a few.

Since both were essentially free accounts, my son setup accounts at both. I've set things up so that I can transfer money from my accounts to his, and also take care of insurance matters. I did this for both USAA and for PenFed.

As noted, just outside the Thayer gate is the PenFed credit union, and a USAA insurance office.

And of course, there is lots of info at their respective websites - plenty of info to compare. The websites however don't identify all the benefits offered to new cadets, so a phone call or personal visit might be beneficial.
 
Titan2012 - Call USAA and tell them you need the form to send to WP. They know exactly what you need and will fill it out for you. The posted to my son's bank account for him to print and mail in. No need to have the original. Printed or faxed copy works fine. Whole process took less than a day.
 
PenFed wouldn't let me open a checking account because I'm not 18. I just kept my wachovia checking account, so whatever bank you use now would also work.
 
I actually set up a PenFed checking (and savings) account today over the phone. They were extremely helpful. I chose them over USAA because of their convenient locale. I plan on opening an account at USAA and switching to them a couple of months before I graduate. ..considering USAA insurance right now as well. Please let me know if you have any questions (telephone numbers, opening account amounts etc.)
 
Thanks for the help. I'll probably choose one over the other...unless there's an advantage to having both :rolleyes:
 
The PenFed call center made a boo-boo with my new cadet's account, but we were able to get it fixed by real humans in the PenFed office in Highland Falls when we were there for a visit. Everyone was very pleasant and helpful.
 
Is the form that you are sending to WP concerning banking the diract deposit form or the form that the bank filled out a portion? I think the number was 1199A or something like that. Our d mailed the direct deposit form several weeks ago but the 1199 form she is keeping to turn in on R-day. Does she need to mail it too? Thank you.
 
When we visited the Highland Falls PenFed office, they filled out their portion of the paperwork and then offered to deliver it to WP so the new cadet had once less thing to keep up with on R-Day. Really nice folks!:thumb:
 
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