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Friday, October 7, 2011

Politics Advice on How to Dump Your Bank

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Fri, Oct 7, 2011 at 2:59 PM

Dont let your money molder.
  • Don't let your money molder.
Democrats and Occupy activists are on a campaign to encourage Bank of America customers to quit their accounts en masse to protest recent fee hikes.

If you're just coming around to the realization that your bank is trying to screw you, here's some help! I blogged last fall about how easy it was to close my Bank of America account—I'd had my BofA account for 15 years, but it only took nine minutes to close.

Even if you don't care about the bailout and foreclosure politics, big banks across Oregon get drastically more complaints from consumers.

Here's how you quit your bank today! This advice is just for regular accounts, not accounts linked to complicated loans.

1. Find a local credit union to use instead. Credit unions are nonprofits and, across the board, charge lower fees than major banks and invest more in their local communities. You can look up local credit unions here. (And put recommendations in the comments, please! I use Rivermark because their only inner Portland branch is right near my house and I've never had any bullshit from them.)

2. Start your account at your new credit union. If you're organized, wire all the money from your bank account to your credit union account (I didn't do this).

3. Grab your ID and your bank card and head over to your bank. Tell them you want to close your account. Sign some paperwork and grab your cash.

4. You're done! Here's some more advice on quitting credit cards, phone books, and other unsavory consumer products.

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