Looking for bank with NO foreign transaction fee ATM
Sep 7, 2021, 3:32 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 239
Looking for bank with NO foreign transaction fee ATM
I currently have accounts at TD Bank (as part of my 6-figure investment portfolio at TD Ameritrade), but as I would like to keep that as "separate" in a community-property state, I'm looking elsewhere to have my checking account & debit/ATM card (this will also be where my pension & stimulus checks are deposited, since they are "community").
These are the places I've read about, and why they don't work for me:
- Schawb: merging with TD Bank.
- CapitalOne 360: even with multiple accounts, it only allows a SINGLE ATM (I like to have a few just in case I lose them on an extended trip abroad).
- SoFi: I can't get past the damn ID screen, as whatever photos I use for the ID aren't accepted, and it seems that the system is run on AI with no humans who want or care to look into it.
- Fidelity: seems to charge 1%.
- Discover: if trying to use abroad, BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Everyone else wants to charge 3-5%, which is OUTRAGEOUS.
Where else should I look?
These are the places I've read about, and why they don't work for me:
- Schawb: merging with TD Bank.
- CapitalOne 360: even with multiple accounts, it only allows a SINGLE ATM (I like to have a few just in case I lose them on an extended trip abroad).
- SoFi: I can't get past the damn ID screen, as whatever photos I use for the ID aren't accepted, and it seems that the system is run on AI with no humans who want or care to look into it.
- Fidelity: seems to charge 1%.
- Discover: if trying to use abroad, BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Everyone else wants to charge 3-5%, which is OUTRAGEOUS.
Where else should I look?
Sep 7, 2021, 3:59 pm
#2
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Sep 7, 2021, 4:11 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 239
So what you're saying is that if I had my separate assets at TD Bank and community assets at Schwab, they would be distinct enough, legally, to not have a beady-eyed divorce lawyer say they were co-mingled?
Sep 7, 2021, 7:29 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 216
I currently have accounts at TD Bank (as part of my 6-figure investment portfolio at TD Ameritrade), but as I would like to keep that as "separate" in a community-property state, I'm looking elsewhere to have my checking account & debit/ATM card (this will also be where my pension & stimulus checks are deposited, since they are "community").
These are the places I've read about, and why they don't work for me:
- Schawb: merging with TD Bank.
- CapitalOne 360: even with multiple accounts, it only allows a SINGLE ATM (I like to have a few just in case I lose them on an extended trip abroad).
- SoFi: I can't get past the damn ID screen, as whatever photos I use for the ID aren't accepted, and it seems that the system is run on AI with no humans who want or care to look into it.
- Fidelity: seems to charge 1%.
- Discover: if trying to use abroad, BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Everyone else wants to charge 3-5%, which is OUTRAGEOUS.
Where else should I look?
These are the places I've read about, and why they don't work for me:
- Schawb: merging with TD Bank.
- CapitalOne 360: even with multiple accounts, it only allows a SINGLE ATM (I like to have a few just in case I lose them on an extended trip abroad).
- SoFi: I can't get past the damn ID screen, as whatever photos I use for the ID aren't accepted, and it seems that the system is run on AI with no humans who want or care to look into it.
- Fidelity: seems to charge 1%.
- Discover: if trying to use abroad, BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Everyone else wants to charge 3-5%, which is OUTRAGEOUS.
Where else should I look?
,
I did quite a bit of research last year for no FTF bank and do come across institution like Betterment, T-mobile Money, Needham Bank etc, you may want to research yourself
to see if that is what you wanted.
Sep 7, 2021, 8:16 pm
#5
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Schwab's checking is known to be unbeatable. So moving there will be the right choice. I understand your commingling concern. To avoid this, you should give up your "soon-to-be Schwab" TD Ameritrade account and move your 6-figure investment elsewhere, such as Fidelity. Any benefits you get from TD Bank via TD Ameritrade would be soon to be history.
FWIW - unless your spouse signs a release on your certain assets, any divorce lawyers will make a fuzz no matter how well you arrange your assets, which is their job. A release is the only way to close this door forever.
Sep 7, 2021, 8:27 pm
#6
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Looking for bank with NO foreign transaction fee ATM
Sep 7, 2021, 10:56 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 239
Allow me to make it simple for you. In short - you should do everything in reverse.
Schwab's checking is known to be unbeatable. So moving there will be the right choice. I understand your commingling concern. To avoid this, you should give up your "soon-to-be Schwab" TD Ameritrade account and move your 6-figure investment elsewhere, such as Fidelity. Any benefits you get from TD Bank via TD Ameritrade would be soon to be history.
FWIW - unless your spouse signs a release on your certain assets, any divorce lawyers will make a fuzz no matter how well you arrange your assets, which is their job. A release is the only way to close this door forever.
Schwab's checking is known to be unbeatable. So moving there will be the right choice. I understand your commingling concern. To avoid this, you should give up your "soon-to-be Schwab" TD Ameritrade account and move your 6-figure investment elsewhere, such as Fidelity. Any benefits you get from TD Bank via TD Ameritrade would be soon to be history.
FWIW - unless your spouse signs a release on your certain assets, any divorce lawyers will make a fuzz no matter how well you arrange your assets, which is their job. A release is the only way to close this door forever.
Allow me to make it simple for you. In short - you should do everything in reverse.
Schwab's checking is known to be unbeatable. So moving there will be the right choice. I understand your commingling concern. To avoid this, you should give up your "soon-to-be Schwab" TD Ameritrade account and move your 6-figure investment elsewhere, such as Fidelity. Any benefits you get from TD Bank via TD Ameritrade would be soon to be history.
Schwab's checking is known to be unbeatable. So moving there will be the right choice. I understand your commingling concern. To avoid this, you should give up your "soon-to-be Schwab" TD Ameritrade account and move your 6-figure investment elsewhere, such as Fidelity. Any benefits you get from TD Bank via TD Ameritrade would be soon to be history.
Last edited by mia; Sep 8, 2021 at 9:24 am Reason: Consolidate consecutive replies
Sep 7, 2021, 11:05 pm
#8
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Whether this will be still available in the future remains unknown, depending on Schwab's actual takeover. So it isn't a bad idea to try an alternative.
Sep 8, 2021, 2:13 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2002
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You want MULTIPLE ATM cards, right? So that's your problem with Capital One? (And I'm not sure what account they offer that has a zero transaction fee ATM card--I just know about their no-forex credit cards.)
I use the Fidelity 1% when overseas. It's hardly noticeable, and it's worked perfectly (unlike my Ally Bank ATM card, which was a nightmare). I would get one of these as your backup, if you already have a Fidelity account.
I've been collecting bank bonuses the past couple of years and trying various banks. I haven't tried PNC yet, but they are next on my list because from what I can tell, you CAN get an effective 0% transaction fee, depending on the specific kind of account you have. Their top two consumer checking brands charge flat fees rather than percentages, but a certain number of those fees are waived each month, including foreign ones. There IS a percentage charged for debit purchases as opposed to cash withdrawals.
This feature alone has made PNC seem very attractive to me, and I'm going to try them out when their SUBs go back up. As far as verification, a friend has PNC and she says she doesn't recall being charged anything for her foreign ATM transactions (but she's not as into this stuff as we Flyertalkers are, so may not have been paying especially close attention).
I use the Fidelity 1% when overseas. It's hardly noticeable, and it's worked perfectly (unlike my Ally Bank ATM card, which was a nightmare). I would get one of these as your backup, if you already have a Fidelity account.
I've been collecting bank bonuses the past couple of years and trying various banks. I haven't tried PNC yet, but they are next on my list because from what I can tell, you CAN get an effective 0% transaction fee, depending on the specific kind of account you have. Their top two consumer checking brands charge flat fees rather than percentages, but a certain number of those fees are waived each month, including foreign ones. There IS a percentage charged for debit purchases as opposed to cash withdrawals.
This feature alone has made PNC seem very attractive to me, and I'm going to try them out when their SUBs go back up. As far as verification, a friend has PNC and she says she doesn't recall being charged anything for her foreign ATM transactions (but she's not as into this stuff as we Flyertalkers are, so may not have been paying especially close attention).
Sep 8, 2021, 2:31 pm
#10
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Hardly noticeable does not mean none.
Sep 8, 2021, 7:10 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 239
You want MULTIPLE ATM cards, right? So that's your problem with Capital One? (And I'm not sure what account they offer that has a zero transaction fee ATM card--I just know about their no-forex credit cards.)
I use the Fidelity 1% when overseas. It's hardly noticeable, and it's worked perfectly (unlike my Ally Bank ATM card, which was a nightmare). I would get one of these as your backup, if you already have a Fidelity account.
I've been collecting bank bonuses the past couple of years and trying various banks. I haven't tried PNC yet, but they are next on my list because from what I can tell, you CAN get an effective 0% transaction fee, depending on the specific kind of account you have. Their top two consumer checking brands charge flat fees rather than percentages, but a certain number of those fees are waived each month, including foreign ones. There IS a percentage charged for debit purchases as opposed to cash withdrawals.
This feature alone has made PNC seem very attractive to me, and I'm going to try them out when their SUBs go back up. As far as verification, a friend has PNC and she says she doesn't recall being charged anything for her foreign ATM transactions (but she's not as into this stuff as we Flyertalkers are, so may not have been paying especially close attention).
I use the Fidelity 1% when overseas. It's hardly noticeable, and it's worked perfectly (unlike my Ally Bank ATM card, which was a nightmare). I would get one of these as your backup, if you already have a Fidelity account.
I've been collecting bank bonuses the past couple of years and trying various banks. I haven't tried PNC yet, but they are next on my list because from what I can tell, you CAN get an effective 0% transaction fee, depending on the specific kind of account you have. Their top two consumer checking brands charge flat fees rather than percentages, but a certain number of those fees are waived each month, including foreign ones. There IS a percentage charged for debit purchases as opposed to cash withdrawals.
This feature alone has made PNC seem very attractive to me, and I'm going to try them out when their SUBs go back up. As far as verification, a friend has PNC and she says she doesn't recall being charged anything for her foreign ATM transactions (but she's not as into this stuff as we Flyertalkers are, so may not have been paying especially close attention).
I have decided on FBKC, which seems to have been a floundering old school bank that was bought up with the intent to turn it into an internet bank (SoFI had similarly bought Bank of Missouri to do so), and had NO PROBLEM getting my ID checked out, unlike for SoFi. Once I get 1 account up & running, I'll get the 6 others going easily.
For the record, I will have 7 accounts as:
[0]: main one used for auto-pay, regular-pay & ATM
[1]: account for receiving ACH transfers done by this bank
[2]: account for receiving ACH transfers done from sending bank
[3],[4],[5]: spare accounts for when the debit card for [0] is lost
[6]: empty account to be used when businesses I don't completely trust need an account (e.g., Paypal, since they have been known in the past to automatically try debiting a checking account instead of using a credit card)
Now all I need is a credit card that has NO membership fee, NO foreign fee, pays a decent cash-back, and gives me a $2K limit (I'll be getting a Russian dentist to replace my dental implant, and that will cost a little over $1K - and which I am sure an American dentist wouldn't touch for under $5K). I have CapitalOne Quicksilver, and it seems that they just don't want to increase the limit from the initial $1K for anyone. I have already been declined For BankOfAmerica's, and I couldn't get past the stupid ID check for SoFi (just like for their checking account). I don't think there are any other credit cards out there that will do this.
Last edited by EmailKid; Sep 8, 2021 at 8:27 pm Reason: Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
Sep 8, 2021, 10:20 pm
#13
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Sep 13, 2021, 4:03 pm
#14
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Yes, my problem with CapitalOne is that they only allow a customer a SINGLE ATM card. Lose it? To quote Dirty Harry, "you're out of luck".
I have decided on FBKC, which seems to have been a floundering old school bank that was bought up with the intent to turn it into an internet bank (SoFI had similarly bought Bank of Missouri to do so), and had NO PROBLEM getting my ID checked out, unlike for SoFi. Once I get 1 account up & running, I'll get the 6 others going easily.
For the record, I will have 7 accounts as:
[0]: main one used for auto-pay, regular-pay & ATM
[1]: account for receiving ACH transfers done by this bank
[2]: account for receiving ACH transfers done from sending bank
[3],[4],[5]: spare accounts for when the debit card for [0] is lost
[6]: empty account to be used when businesses I don't completely trust need an account (e.g., Paypal, since they have been known in the past to automatically try debiting a checking account instead of using a credit card)
Now all I need is a credit card that has NO membership fee, NO foreign fee, pays a decent cash-back, and gives me a $2K limit (I'll be getting a Russian dentist to replace my dental implant, and that will cost a little over $1K - and which I am sure an American dentist wouldn't touch for under $5K). I have CapitalOne Quicksilver, and it seems that they just don't want to increase the limit from the initial $1K for anyone. I have already been declined For BankOfAmerica's, and I couldn't get past the stupid ID check for SoFi (just like for their checking account). I don't think there are any other credit cards out there that will do this.
I have decided on FBKC, which seems to have been a floundering old school bank that was bought up with the intent to turn it into an internet bank (SoFI had similarly bought Bank of Missouri to do so), and had NO PROBLEM getting my ID checked out, unlike for SoFi. Once I get 1 account up & running, I'll get the 6 others going easily.
For the record, I will have 7 accounts as:
[0]: main one used for auto-pay, regular-pay & ATM
[1]: account for receiving ACH transfers done by this bank
[2]: account for receiving ACH transfers done from sending bank
[3],[4],[5]: spare accounts for when the debit card for [0] is lost
[6]: empty account to be used when businesses I don't completely trust need an account (e.g., Paypal, since they have been known in the past to automatically try debiting a checking account instead of using a credit card)
Now all I need is a credit card that has NO membership fee, NO foreign fee, pays a decent cash-back, and gives me a $2K limit (I'll be getting a Russian dentist to replace my dental implant, and that will cost a little over $1K - and which I am sure an American dentist wouldn't touch for under $5K). I have CapitalOne Quicksilver, and it seems that they just don't want to increase the limit from the initial $1K for anyone. I have already been declined For BankOfAmerica's, and I couldn't get past the stupid ID check for SoFi (just like for their checking account). I don't think there are any other credit cards out there that will do this.