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Comment by a_subsystem | Hacker News Reader

They have a huge number of branches all over the US. That is the only reason a relative of mine uses them, because he travels frequently and needs cash fast often. The 3-4 times I've went into WF helping him deal with stuff has been an absolute clown show every time.

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My bank is in Texas. I live in Massachusetts. I think in over 30 years, that’s been a mild inconvenience exactly once and otherwise “no difference detected”. (The once was an overnight delay to get a cashier’s check for something, probably a car purchase.)

My girlfriend in the 90s chose USBank for me, and it was pretty good. I stayed with my account even after moving a few hundred miles away. But there were certain transactions that must be done by involving my "home branch", so I became mindful of that technicality.

How do you deposit paper checks and both deposit and withdraw and cash?

Paper check deposits were mailed for decades, but are now deposited from the mobile app (endorse, take a pic of the front & back, deposit in the app).

Cash withdrawals are done via ATM, just like (presumably) everyone else. My bank refunds all ATM fees (up to some limit that I’ve never hit [looks like it’s $10/mo]).

I don’t have any recurring need to deposit cash; if I needed to deposit cash, I’d have to drive about 90 minutes to the nearest ATM that will take cash (if this was a regular need, I’d find another bank).

Credit unions are regional but they have networks you can interact with. I've lived all over the country with a credit union based out of Ohio with I think less than ten branches. I have no problem finding fee free ATMs, have deposited paper checks both through their app and in network credit unions. The credit union network also offers financial advisors. I've got a mortgage and auto loan through them as well.

Meanwhile my girlfriend's bank doesn't seem to have physical branches, and my bank explicitly returns any money I lose to ATM fees.

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