Looking for a bank

[ComingfromCT]

We will be moving to TV early next year and I would like to get some thing set up ahead of time. It would be nice to have our bank picked out if possible before we get there.

Any recommendations? We will be living near Spanish Springs in the Santo Domingo neighborhood. We want online banking, a way to get cash easily and close by. No fees on a checking and savings account. Just the basics.

[retiredguy123]

I use Truist, which is the new name of a merger between BB&T and Suntrust.

A lot of people use Citizens First Bank, which is a local bank, not to be confused with the national bank, Citizens Bank. They have ATM machines at many of the neighborhood mail pickup locations.

[dewilson58]

Depends on what you use a bank for.

Been with Wells Fargo for over 30 years and it has branches in the area.
Other posts have other good suggestions.

Depending you your requirements.............might want to look at Credit Unions as well.

[BobnBev]

Citizens First Bank---they will exceed your expectations.:welcome:

[Kenswing]

We just ditched Chase for being less than helpful whereas Citizens First was more than helpful. They truly perform as a local bank. I know they're owned by the "Evil Developer" but they totally understand what customer service is.

[villagetinker]

We have used Citizens since we moved here, 2013, very helpful and convenient.

[heron848]

We will be moving to TV early next year and I would like to get some thing set up ahead of time. It would be nice to have our bank picked out if possible before we get there.

Any recommendations? We will be living near Spanish Springs in the Santo Domingo neighborhood. We want online banking, a way to get cash easily and close by. No fees on a checking and savings account. Just the basics.

When we moved here we kept our credit union (located in DC). Fee free withdrawal from Publix ATM. Have to drive to Belvedere area to deposit the rare few checks we get. Everything else is done on-line.

[New Englander]

Citizens First is excellent and has offices all over the villages. I've been treated very well there.

[HIgolfers]

Citizens First is excellent and has offices all over the villages. I've been treated very well there.

Agree that Citizens First has been good. We use them as a local bank but have USAA as our primary bank because we’ve had them for years (inertia). Citizens First gives free checks if you’re a Veteran.

[Babubhat]

Use Ally online and set up a Chase account local. They often give 500 bonus to sign up

[Chi-Town]

Citizens Bank is easy. Plus free popcorn at their locations

[JGibson]

Citizen First Bank has the best in-person customer service. They're really good when it comes to fraud/scam charges.

[Michael G.]

Do you travel back to your home state?
Sometimes you can find branches here that are also up north.

We moved here from Wisconsin 6 years ago and found Chase bank work best for us.

[Joeint]

We will be moving to TV early next year and I would like to get some thing set up ahead of time. It would be nice to have our bank picked out if possible before we get there.

Any recommendations? We will be living near Spanish Springs in the Santo Domingo neighborhood. We want online banking, a way to get cash easily and close by. No fees on a checking and savings account. Just the basics.

I haven't been in a bank in years. I use Schwab bank online no fee ATM anywhere there is an ATM. On the rare occasion I have a check I deposit it using their app. I think Fidelity has the same options with its online banking.

[TommyT]

Check'em out. I think you will like them too..

Home › Citizens First Bank (https://www.citizensfb.com)

[G0fly]

Alliant CU is online only, pays 2.5% on savings, atm fee refunds, mobile deposits etc. I have always preferred Credit Unions over commercial banks. Less fees, rules, charges, etc.

[DAVES]

We will be moving to TV early next year and I would like to get some thing set up ahead of time. It would be nice to have our bank picked out if possible before we get there.

Any recommendations? We will be living near Spanish Springs in the Santo Domingo neighborhood. We want online banking, a way to get cash easily and close by. No fees on a checking and savings account. Just the basics.

Far more organized than I. It only takes minutes to open an account. Not sure why you would want to do it advance. Sort of like a mail order bride? In any case if you are not happy with your choice, a divorce is just a matter of filling out a form. No cost.

We use Citizens First. You can go to any of the branches. For checking we use our brokerage account at Fidelity. N/C checking, N/C wire transfer, as you know interest rates are rising. Recent check, since your money market acct varies the interest every week, last time I checked, recent, we were getting 3.7% on cash we hold to cover checks etc. Others will be or should be similar. Far as a bank, you may want to deal with a bank that can offer you a safe deposit box. If, you need one that may be harder to find than just a bank.

Advice based on experience. Be careful to pay all bills on your previous residence with a FINAL BILL and mark the check paying final bill in full. Our previous water company kept getting sold. Amusing now. They went after us twice for an unpaid bill-we had a cancelled check paying the bill. First time I sent them a copy of the cancelled check with a polite note-it was sent return receipt. The company was sold again and the new company started again. Reality, common business practice, it is less costly for them to force you to look for it than to take the time to find it.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

We will be moving to TV early next year and I would like to get some thing set up ahead of time. It would be nice to have our bank picked out if possible before we get there.

Any recommendations? We will be living near Spanish Springs in the Santo Domingo neighborhood. We want online banking, a way to get cash easily and close by. No fees on a checking and savings account. Just the basics.

Good ole Bank of America. If you use direct deposit for your Social Security check (or other regular source of income) there are no fees and you can link the checking and savings accounts together.

There's a branch of BoA right on 441 across from Michael's and Carrabba's restaurant, which has drive-through and ATM service only at the moment I believe. There's also a full-service branch (including mortgage services) on 466A, just past the Bonifay rec center across the street from Culver's. And of course BoA ATM cards are accepted at pretty much every ATM machine everywhere and are part of the CIRRUS network.

Best part is that there are BoAs all over the USA, so if you're traveling and need to actually go to a branch and speak face-to-face with someone, it's a good chance you'll be able to do that.

[Battlebasset]

Have been a customer of TIAA Bank (formerly Everbank) since 2011. Entirely online. I believe you need to maintain $5000 in the account to avoid fees. They reimburse ATM fees without a limit. Good savings and CD rates as well.

[retiredguy123]

Have been a customer of TIAA Bank (formerly Everbank) since 2011. Entirely online. I believe you need to maintain $5000 in the account to avoid fees. They reimburse ATM fees without a limit. Good savings and CD rates as well.
TIAA Bank CD rates are not good. For example, the 2-year rate is 4.1 percent. You can buy FDIC insured 2-year CDs that pay 4.9 percent from any discount broker. I would stay away from banks for CDs.

[Love2Swim]

I haven't been in a bank in years. I use Schwab bank online no fee ATM anywhere there is an ATM. On the rare occasion I have a check I deposit it using their app. I think Fidelity has the same options with its online banking.

I love the no fee ATM policy. And no foreign transaction fees on the debit card.

[bowlingal]

Citizens has the most locations all over the villages. On Line banking, convenient hours, helpful people. Free faxes and copies ( up to 5 pages), no fees

[LizzieBorden]

I have had Citizens First for 17 years and they have not yet disappointed me. You can access your money at any postal location via ATM in The Villages and no charge to access. Their are several locations around the villages that you can go to no matter where you happen to be. They are also outside the villages as well, like in Lessburg for example. They are friendly, courteous, easy to work with etc. I still maintain an account up north for when we travel up there for easy access as well, but you wont be disappointed with Citizens First. I also like being able to walk in and get something notarized as long as we have an account there.

[Stu from NYC]

Strangely enough we still deal with our former bank in VA for good deal and great service.

We do deal with vystar for access to local bank.

[bark4me]

We will be moving to TV early next year and I would like to get some thing set up ahead of time. It would be nice to have our bank picked out if possible before we get there.

Any recommendations? We will be living near Spanish Springs in the Santo Domingo neighborhood. We want online banking, a way to get cash easily and close by. No fees on a checking and savings account. Just the basics.
We opened up accounts at Citizens First Bank before we moved here. They were more than helpful and accommodating. We kept out Bank Of America accounts and also have a Credit Union account.

[Keninches]

Been with Bank of America for over 50 years. Also went with Citizens First when we moved here in 2003. Best bank around. Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citizens First locations within 7 or 8 minutes of Santo Domingo.

[jimkerr]

Your best bet is to join a credit union. Suncoast Credit Union is excellent.

[jparsoneau@aol.com]

I believe most banks are similar these days with the hours and the rates and the fees a charge there could be a little differences. I have two banks I have citizens bank, which is a small local bank. And I also have Wells Fargo, which is located here in Oregon and in the villages. Since I do the snowbird thing and bounce back-and-forth, which is convenient for me to have a bank that’s open at both areas. And both are good banks.

[Janie123]

We use Citizens First… great customer service. Quick story, I was moving a bunch of $$$ from a savings account (home sale proceeds) to an investment account. They actually called me to confirm the withdrawal was legitimate. Their online site and iPhone apps are very good as well.

[ghosthunter]

After nine years in The Villages I have found Citizen's First is good to you in the beginning but don't show the same treatment after you have been with a few years. When it was BB&T the bank was very personal and customer oriented but after the merger with SunTrust to become Truist is lost the personal touch. Vystar Credit Union has shown it is more customer oriented.

[Carla B]

Wanting a safe deposit box is a good reason to line up a bank in advance...boxes are not always available. We secured ours at the closest bank to our house, early on when the bank had just opened and our neighborhood was being built.

[NewRealms]

I would suggest a local credit union like Campus USA.

[RonGee]

We will be moving to TV early next year and I would like to get some thing set up ahead of time. It would be nice to have our bank picked out if possible before we get there.

Any recommendations? We will be living near Spanish Springs in the Santo Domingo neighborhood. We want online banking, a way to get cash easily and close by. No fees on a checking and savings account. Just the basics.


For us Citizens Bank has everything we need and more convenient than any other around. ATM’s at every postal station. The main branch is a mile and a half away from the Santo Domingo gate. We live in Santo Domingo. I don’t know what you expect from a bank however they have served our needs for 10 years.

[Dilligas]

We will be moving to TV early next year and I would like to get some thing set up ahead of time. It would be nice to have our bank picked out if possible before we get there.

Any recommendations? We will be living near Spanish Springs in the Santo Domingo neighborhood. We want online banking, a way to get cash easily and close by. No fees on a checking and savings account. Just the basics.
If you are already banking online with a national bank, keep that and sign up with Citizen's First here in TV. Citizen's has ATM's in almost every Postal Station, and all over the squares....very quick and easy to get cash. I stayed with Bank of America when I moved here because my electronic checking and auto deposits were already set up and working well. I established a ACH link with BAC and Citizens and my stock broker so that I can easily move money around. This way when I travel, I have ATM cards with a national & worldwide bank (BAC). Been here 11 years and no problems.

[augustnotes]

Citizen First Bank

[Deden]

BOA Bank of America, they are all over just about in every state traveling from North to south.

[JZawacki]

You may want to stay with your current bank if they have branches in TV. We’ve been with BofA for 50+ years. When we moved to the villages earlier this year, we kept our old BofA account (from Virginia) so we didn’t have to go through the process of changing our on line banking (which includes automatic billing and auto pay), and getting new debit card, etc. The only think we did was order new checks with our new address. The downside is BofA does not have an atm on every corner. But with the ability to get (no fee) cash back when we food shop and the fact we go out several times a year anyway, that does not present a problem for us.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I love the no fee ATM policy. And no foreign transaction fees on the debit card.

Just because your own bank doesn't charge an ATM fee, doesn't mean the owner of the ATM machine doesn't charge an ATM fee. There are several ATM machines around, that will charge a fee for every transaction you place in that machine, UNLESS you use one of THEIR authorized bank cards. The one in Walgreen's is an example of that.

[retiredguy123]

Just because your own bank doesn't charge an ATM fee, doesn't mean the owner of the ATM machine doesn't charge an ATM fee. There are several ATM machines around, that will charge a fee for every transaction you place in that machine, UNLESS you use one of THEIR authorized bank cards. The one in Walgreen's is an example of that.
Almost all banks will allow their customers to use their ATM machines for free. But, some banks will allow their customers to use other ATM machines and the bank will pay the fee, so the customer pays nothing. I think that is what the poster meant by a "no fee ATM policy". One bank that has a no fee ATM policy is Schwab Bank. Most banks do not have the policy.

[Villages Kahuna]

All the biggies have multiple offices here. But if you want a really friendly bank with even more offices, try Citizens First.

If it makes a difference to you, know that Citizens First is owned by the Developer.

[virtualcynthia]

I use online only banks for savings. Getting 3% and 4%z. I use Synchrony and Marcus by Goldman Sachs. For brick & mortar, I use TD. I’ve been there twice in 8 years.

[ComingfromCT]

What a great community where people are so willing to help! The advise I have been able to receive on this forum in this and other matters is priceless! Thank you all so much!!!!

[PugMom]

Good ole Bank of America. If you use direct deposit for your Social Security check (or other regular source of income) there are no fees and you can link the checking and savings accounts together.

There's a branch of BoA right on 441 across from Michael's and Carrabba's restaurant, which has drive-through and ATM service only at the moment I believe. There's also a full-service branch (including mortgage services) on 466A, just past the Bonifay rec center across the street from Culver's. And of course BoA ATM cards are accepted at pretty much every ATM machine everywhere and are part of the CIRRUS network.

Best part is that there are BoAs all over the USA, so if you're traveling and need to actually go to a branch and speak face-to-face with someone, it's a good chance you'll be able to do that.

not to start an argument here, but i was VERY upset the way boa treated me when 2 of the accounts were 'hacked' by a fraudulent zelle transaction. the people working @ the bank were very caring & understanding, but the overall experience with the managing of the accounts was awful. 1st thing they told me was it's very common for zelle to 'hacked' for lack of better word. it's also common to expect a 50/50 chance of getting our money back after any disputes. they told me i was compromised by a gasoline pump scanner: the info of the card in question was used to get access to the accounts. despite my many inquiries, the only help i REALLY got was from the wildwood police, who told me i need to give their fraud team the full 45 days to investigate, then come back to them if funds are not replenished. here's the catch-boa absolves themselves by stating zelle is a 3rd party app., & not responsible. so i find out who owns zelle, & it's BOA, Wells fargo, Truist, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank, U.S. Bank. something fishy here, so now i'm curious to know if anyone else here has gone thru the same thing?? Citizen's handles fraud by scanning transactions, & if an 'odd' charge shows up, they shut the entire acct down until a new card is issued. when all is said & done, i'm sticking with citizens

[JMintzer]

For us Citizens Bank has everything we need and more convenient than any other around. ATM’s at every postal station. The main branch is a mile and a half away from the Santo Domingo gate. We live in Santo Domingo. I don’t know what you expect from a bank however they have served our needs for 10 years.

Every Postal Station? Not any more...

I saw one on Hillsborough, but there are none farther south that I've found...

[Dusty_Star]

Hi, I am also from Connecticut. What I did was research which banks were in my Connecticut town & which were also in The Villages. I found several, & I chose Bank of America. I closed out my local Connecticut bank accounts after opening new accounts at a Bank of America office. A good reason for doing this ahead of time is that Banks these days have 'know your customer' regulations, they don't impact us much, but for accounts less than 90 days on their books they do delay the availability of deposited checks. Also, if you take care of automated deposits ahead of time it relieves some of the 'to do' items during moving, plus if you get checks you will have the time to receive the new checkbooks. Good luck in your new house.

[retiredguy123]

Any? Not any more...

I saw one on Hillsborough, but there are none farther south that I've found...
I think that Citizens First Bank customers can use the Presto ATMs for free. They are located at all 10 of the Publix stores, including Lake Deaton Plaza and Magnolia Plaza.

[Battlebasset]

TIAA Bank CD rates are not good. For example, the 2-year rate is 4.1 percent. You can buy FDIC insured 2-year CDs that pay 4.9 percent from any discount broker. I would stay away from banks for CDs.

Better still is to buy ibonds and t-bills direct from the US government at Home — TreasuryDirect (https://www.treasurydirect.gov/). Current 6 month t-bills around 4%, ibonds ($10,000 per year limit, but can go to $20,000 with spouse) was around 9%, think it just reset to 6%. No fees.

Plenty of good articles on this (I like the WSJ) if you google it.

[New Englander]

I think that Citizens First Bank customers can use the Presto ATMs for free. They are located at all 10 of the Publix stores, including Lake Deaton Plaza and Magnolia Plaza.

Yes Citizens First can use the Presto ATM's for free. I've done that many times.

[JMintzer]

I think that Citizens First Bank customers can use the Presto ATMs for free. They are located at all 10 of the Publix stores, including Lake Deaton Plaza and Magnolia Plaza.

Not what I was talking about, but good to know...

[mikeycereal]

I got with Mid Florida credit union. Got a nice $200 bonus for setting up a direct deposit.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

not to start an argument here, but i was VERY upset the way boa treated me when 2 of the accounts were 'hacked' by a fraudulent zelle transaction. the people working @ the bank were very caring & understanding, but the overall experience with the managing of the accounts was awful. 1st thing they told me was it's very common for zelle to 'hacked' for lack of better word. it's also common to expect a 50/50 chance of getting our money back after any disputes. they told me i was compromised by a gasoline pump scanner: the info of the card in question was used to get access to the accounts. despite my many inquiries, the only help i REALLY got was from the wildwood police, who told me i need to give their fraud team the full 45 days to investigate, then come back to them if funds are not replenished. here's the catch-boa absolves themselves by stating zelle is a 3rd party app., & not responsible. so i find out who owns zelle, & it's BOA, Wells fargo, Truist, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank, U.S. Bank. something fishy here, so now i'm curious to know if anyone else here has gone thru the same thing?? Citizen's handles fraud by scanning transactions, & if an 'odd' charge shows up, they shut the entire acct down until a new card is issued. when all is said & done, i'm sticking with citizens

It IS very common for your money to be stolen via Zelle. No one is hacking you. "Hack" is the wrong term for it. But yes that's a very common thing. Zelle, Venmo - any time you transfer money directly from your account to another individual person's account is risky. Every single time. That's why senior advocates warn people not to do it. When you transfer money directly, you are withdrawing it from your account and depositing it into someone else's account. Your money is gone. And every time you do it, you are giving everyone standing near you the opportunity to retrieve that information and grab a few bucks for themselves at your expense. If you do it over the phone, you're running the risk of the data being intercepted along the way. If you do it via the internet, you run the same risk.

If you want to ensure that your money doesn't end up in the wrong persons' pockets, stop using those services and be more protective of your bank accounts. You can use the tap feature in most gas stations these days, instead of inserting the card at all. If you have google pay or apple pay, many stations have the technology for you to just hold your phone against the black plate with your NFC switch turned on after you've used your thumbprint or facial recognition program to open the app.

[ScottFenstermaker]

We will be moving to TV early next year and I would like to get some thing set up ahead of time. It would be nice to have our bank picked out if possible before we get there.

Any recommendations? We will be living near Spanish Springs in the Santo Domingo neighborhood. We want online banking, a way to get cash easily and close by. No fees on a checking and savings account. Just the basics.

Developer-owned Citizens First has on-line banking, numerous branches, and ATM machines at the postal stations and so is a convenient choice for a low-balance checking account. (Plus Citizens First has popcorn machines in its lobbies.::angel::angel: )

However, apparently hoping that residents like popcorn and won't comparison shop, Citizens First pays pathetically low interest on savings accounts and CDs and should NOT be used for those. (E.g., 1.77% apy on an 18-month CD, which is less than 1/2 what you can get elsewhere.) For such accounts, check the internet for banks paying the highest rates on FDIC-insured accounts, and put your money there.

[ScottFenstermaker]

Better still is to buy ibonds and t-bills direct from the US government at Home — TreasuryDirect (https://www.treasurydirect.gov/). Current 6 month t-bills around 4%, ibonds ($10,000 per year limit, but can go to $20,000 with spouse) was around 9%, think it just reset to 6%. No fees.

Plenty of good articles on this (I like the WSJ) if you google it.

Actually, the I Bond rate is now 6.89%, BUT ONLY FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS. Annually: You can buy $10,000 in your name, $10,000 in your spouse's name, AND if you each have a trust, $10,000 for each trust. Plus, you do not have to pay tax on the interest until you redeem it. But research redemption restrictions (and the ability to defer tax on the interest) and understand what you are buying.

[chrissy2231]

We will be moving to TV early next year and I would like to get some thing set up ahead of time. It would be nice to have our bank picked out if possible before we get there.

Any recommendations? We will be living near Spanish Springs in the Santo Domingo neighborhood. We want online banking, a way to get cash easily and close by. No fees on a checking and savings account. Just the basics.
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