Best banking relationship in/near TV

[kbace6]

Hey all, moving to TV area (eventually in TV) later on this year and am wondering what the prevailing wisdom is with the local banks in and around TV.

We need to leave all of our banks up North in order to avoid state income taxes. So we are looking for which bank/credit unions in TV area people have had the best relationship with.

Who was easy to set up a new account and work with?

Best customer service, best online banking and I suppose… can I get to the bank in a golf cart? :-)

I don’t want to turn this into a complaint fest either, but which banks should I avoid like the plague?

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful replies.

[Keefelane66]

We use Citizens and convenience of Wells Fargo for snowbird season up north

[villagetinker]

We have been with Citizens for almost 10 years, have not used any others for checking and savings. Tried Chase for a home equity loan, and they were a disaster, went back to Citizens for that also.

[dewilson58]

EVERY bank down here has: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.

It's not so much, "the bank" as much as the local personnel.

Definitely benefits of Wells Fargo as mentioned by another poster.

Most retired people as not borrowing, so it gets down free checking, savings, technology, etc.

[Dusty_Star]

I'm from the North East & before moving to TV I opened accounts at a national bank that has offices in my original home town & TV. Then I closed my local only bank accounts. This way I was not a 'new' customer to the bank, but an established one. My understanding is that all I need to do is have the Bank change the office of domicile to the TV branch & I will be out of the home state as far as banking goes.

[Ecuadog]

Been using Citizens First Bank (CFB) for a decade. No problems. Easy, peasy.

I just now opened a Fidelity Cash Management account. Haven't really begun to use it though. No fees or minimums. You can use paper checks and online bill-payment. Comes with a debit card, which I would only use for ATMs (fees reimbursed). Cash is FDIC protected. Cash is currently earning 2.34%. It is also a (somewhat limited) brokerage account. They also offer no-fee, international, bank wire-transfers. And, they have an office in Lake Sumter Landing.

[JMintzer]

We use Truist (which used to be Suntrust). There is a branch we use when in MD and one down in Lake Deaton Plaza which we use when we're in TV. We made sure we met the bank manager at both branches...

[retiredguy123]

I use Truist for free checking and a VISA credit card. I like that I can pay my credit card bill with a simple online funds transfer from one account to another in the same bank.

To me, it makes no sense to use a bank for interest bearing accounts. I use Vanguard and Fidelity for that.

[Babubhat]

Just changed address on Chase and Fidelity. Rarely visit a branch but they are here. Most transactions are done through app.

[Velvet]

I use Citizens First. My parents used it for ten years, my aunt and uncle for 32 years.

Just recently a scammer made a charge on my account. Citizen notified me by text, and when I said it was not me, they closed the card - not the account, they reversed the charge on my DEBIT card and sent me a new card in two business days. All of this without me going into the branch!

Wells Fargo??? Have you read the papers? I don’t even drive by one without grumbling.

[retiredguy123]

I only use a debit card to get cash from the ATM. For purchases, I always use a credit card. Your bank "may" refund your money for an unauthorized debit card transaction, but they are not required to do so. But, if you use a credit card, they must follow the Federally mandated process to handle credit card transaction disputes.

[Velvet]

I only use a debit card to get cash from the ATM. For purchases, I always use a credit card. Your bank "may" refund your money for an unauthorized debit card transaction, but they are not required to do so. But, if you use a credit card, they must follow the Federally mandated process to handle credit card transaction disputes.

Mine was an online transaction from Singapore.

But that’s another thing I like about Citizens, the neighborhood pools have ATMs for cash.

[Kenswing]

We've received great service from Citizens First. We also have Wells Fargo for when we travel and to get foreign currency.

[photo1902]

Another vote for Truist (formerly BB&T).

No issues with them at all.

[melpetezrinski]

I only use a debit card to get cash from the ATM. For purchases, I always use a credit card. Your bank "may" refund your money for an unauthorized debit card transaction, but they are not required to do so. But, if you use a credit card, they must follow the Federally mandated process to handle credit card transaction disputes.

Actually banks ARE required to refund your money but only IF you notify them as per their fraud reporting procedures. Personal debit card use is protected by consumer laws. However, you might need to sign an affidavit, file a police report, call the CFPB, FTC and even contact the bank's regulator. So, your statement that a "bank may refund your money" is fairly accurate if they want to put up a fight.

[ColtsFan]

We have used Citizens for 18 years. Great service and they have a lot of branches throughout The Villages. Yes, you can get to any Citizens Bank in your Golf Cart.

[Papa_lecki]

Pick the branch close to your house.

If you are a USAA member, that’s an option too. Their only downside is it’s thought to deposit cash. You get reimbursed for ATM fees for withdrawals.

[westernrider75]

We have used Citizens for 18 years. Great service and they have a lot of branches throughout The Villages. Yes, you can get to any Citizens Bank in your Golf Cart.

Just to clarify, I believe you mean Citizens First Bank, as there is also a National wide bank that is just Citizens Bank.

[rrtjp]

Been with Bank of America for over 20 years. Never had a single problem with them.

[Nordhagen]

I like Mid Florida credit union. Very friendly efficient service. Golf cart accessible.

[Battlebasset]

Hey all, moving to TV area (eventually in TV) later on this year and am wondering what the prevailing wisdom is with the local banks in and around TV.

We need to leave all of our banks up North in order to avoid state income taxes. So we are looking for which bank/credit unions in TV area people have had the best relationship with.

Who was easy to set up a new account and work with?

Best customer service, best online banking and I suppose… can I get to the bank in a golf cart? :-)

I don’t want to turn this into a complaint fest either, but which banks should I avoid like the plague?

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful replies.

I've used TIAA Bank (all online) for 10 years. The only need I have found for a physical bank has been for convenient and free use of a notary.

For those that are using Fidelity in Lake Sumter for that, do they provide access to a notary?

[retiredguy123]

I've used TIAA Bank (all online) for 10 years. The only need I have found for a physical bank has been for convenient and free use of a notary.

For those that are using Fidelity in Lake Sumter for that, do they provide access to a notary?
Yes, I have used Fidelity for a notary.

But, some banks will only notarize their own bank forms.

[biker59]

Been using Citizens First Bank (CFB) for a decade. No problems. Easy, peasy.

I just now opened a Fidelity Cash Management account. Haven't really begun to use it though. No fees or minimums. You can use paper checks and online bill-payment. Comes with a debit card, which I would only use for ATMs (fees reimbursed). Cash is FDIC protected. Cash is currently earning 2.34%. It is also a (somewhat limited) brokerage account. They also offer no-fee, international, bank wire-transfers. And, they have an office in Lake Sumter Landing.
Note: the Lake Sumter office doesn't handle banking, just investing. I tried to get them to sign off on a direct deposit form so I could switch my pension to my Fidelity CMA, but they could only fax the form to corporate.

[JGibson]

Citizen is really good about fraud protection which Seniors need the most.

[retiredguy123]

Just to clarify, I believe you mean Citizens First Bank, as there is also a National wide bank that is just Citizens Bank.
Correct, but you need to repost it about a thousand times. Citizens First could change their name, but some people would still call it Citizens Bank.

[MidWestIA]

We got Chase when we went from TV to Texas and back - it's everywhere so any trip we take our bank is there and they treat us well

[bark4me]

Hey all, moving to TV area (eventually in TV) later on this year and am wondering what the prevailing wisdom is with the local banks in and around TV.

We need to leave all of our banks up North in order to avoid state income taxes. So we are looking for which bank/credit unions in TV area people have had the best relationship with.

Who was easy to set up a new account and work with?

Best customer service, best online banking and I suppose… can I get to the bank in a golf cart? :-)

I don’t want to turn this into a complaint fest either, but which banks should I avoid like the plague?

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful replies.
Citizens First Bank

[Morty S]

We use The Vystar Credit Union. Check out their CD rates, excellant. Also nice place, nice folks.

[BoneLakeBennie]

We need to leave all of our banks up North in order to avoid state income taxes. So we are looking for which bank/credit unions in TV area people have had the best relationship with.


Perhaps first decide if you need a brick and mortar bank. We've been banking with Alliant (https://www.alliantcreditunion.org/) Federal Credit Union for years after realizing we hadn't stepped into the bank for a couple of years.

That being said we decided to open an account with Citizens First Bank in TV, which is probably completely unnecessary, but felt that with the new home and process, we may need a local bank for something (notary, etc)

[NotGolfer]

We bought our house 14 years ago about now (Feb/March)...then moved here later that year. We've been with Citizens First from the get-go. NO issues! Our branch is in Colony but you can go to any of them around the community. We've found them to be friendly and helpful.

[Pete Swanson]

Hey all, moving to TV area (eventually in TV) later on this year and am wondering what the prevailing wisdom is with the local banks in and around TV.

We need to leave all of our banks up North in order to avoid state income taxes. So we are looking for which bank/credit unions in TV area people have had the best relationship with.

Who was easy to set up a new account and work with?

Best customer service, best online banking and I suppose… can I get to the bank in a golf cart? :-)

I don’t want to turn this into a complaint fest either, but which banks should I avoid like the plague?

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful replies.

Been here at TV since July of '21. Have had nothing but positive experience with Citizens.

[bagboy]

We bought our house 14 years ago about now (Feb/March)...then moved here later that year. We've been with Citizens First from the get-go. NO issues! Our branch is in Colony but you can go to any of them around the community. We've found them to be friendly and helpful.

We've been satisfied Citizens First Bank customers for 13 years. Like you, the Colony branch is our branch for services beyond ATM access.

[JanaR]

The girls at Truist Bank At Colony are very personable and make you feel “at home”. I highly recommend them!

[JanaR]

The girls at Truist Bank @ Colony are very personable and make you feel right at home! I highly recommend them!

[yporter]

Hey all, moving to TV area (eventually in TV) later on this year and am wondering what the prevailing wisdom is with the local banks in and around TV.

We need to leave all of our banks up North in order to avoid state income taxes. So we are looking for which bank/credit unions in TV area people have had the best relationship with.

Who was easy to set up a new account and work with?

Best customer service, best online banking and I suppose… can I get to the bank in a golf cart? :-)

I don’t want to turn this into a complaint fest either, but which banks should I avoid like the plague?

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful replies.

Our long time bank up north was consumed into PNC, where the reduction of bricks & mortar has made local branches disappear steadily (our safe deposit box moved 4 times in 10 years), so we were not upset at the idea of changing banks, especially since the local PNC branch is not golf cart accessible. When we finally bought here after years of renting, we decided to get a local account and explored several banks for mortgage opportunities and found that the large national banks (PNC, Chase, etc) were not retiree friendly - proving financial stability via investments instead of income was challenging and the mortgage officers we were dealing with were very hands off. Citizens was totally different - they were great, and the mortgage office staff were not only friendly but extremely helpful with educating us on how to get the correct info and present in so we could give the full picture of our finances. They answered all my questions quickly, and always called back - great customer service and very different than my experience with the other banks during this process.

Citizens has been extremely friendly no matter which branch we have walked into, is golf cart accessible, and has adequate tech for online access and bill pay like PNC. I can't speak to their phone accessibility, since it is so easy to just stop in.

[jimkerr]

Hey all, moving to TV area (eventually in TV) later on this year and am wondering what the prevailing wisdom is with the local banks in and around TV.

We need to leave all of our banks up North in order to avoid state income taxes. So we are looking for which bank/credit unions in TV area people have had the best relationship with.

Who was easy to set up a new account and work with?

Best customer service, best online banking and I suppose… can I get to the bank in a golf cart? :-)

I don’t want to turn this into a complaint fest either, but which banks should I avoid like the plague?

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful replies.

Suncoast Credit Union on 466a in front of Lowe’s is excellent.

[Wondering]

EVERY bank down here has: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.

It's not so much, "the bank" as much as the local personnel.

Definitely benefits of Wells Fargo as mentioned by another poster.

Most retired people as not borrowing, so it gets down free checking, savings, technology, etc.
Wells Fargo, really? They are a joke! They rip off their customers.

[larcha]

As many have said, having a branch or ATM near where you live is important because of convenience. In this regard, Citizens First can't be beat. The second consideration is travel. It helps to have a nationwide bank if you go outside The Villages. Which one depends on where you are going. Not all nationwide banks have convenient branches in all areas. You have to do your homework.

[JRcorvette]

We have accounts at Citizens and MIDFLORIDA CU. No need for a National Chain Bank. Also with MIDFLORIDA you can use the ATM’s at any Publix with no fees!

[Nucky]

I get it, Citizens First is great. What happens when you have a question or get hacked or jammed up somehow at 5.05 PM on Friday afternoon? It’s going to be a long weekend filled with worry.

We went back to a big bank. Customer service around the clock, even on holidays. Works for us.

A new bank is opening, Freddie Fuddpucker S & L.

[dewilson58]

Wells Fargo, really? They are a joke! They rip off their customers.

Been with them for over 30 years.................Love 'em.

:eclipsee_gold_cup:

[chrissy2231]

Hey all, moving to TV area (eventually in TV) later on this year and am wondering what the prevailing wisdom is with the local banks in and around TV.

We need to leave all of our banks up North in order to avoid state income taxes. So we are looking for which bank/credit unions in TV area people have had the best relationship with.

Who was easy to set up a new account and work with?

Best customer service, best online banking and I suppose… can I get to the bank in a golf cart? :-)

I don’t want to turn this into a complaint fest either, but which banks should I avoid like the plague?

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful replies.
Forget about local banks. Discoverbank.com is the best! Check out interest rates on their site. I've used them for more than 20 years.

[Dburesh]

I've been here for 7 years & Citizens First has been fabulous! They are friendly, accommodating & very efficient. My dad has been a snow bird here for over 22 years & wouldn't ever go to anywhere but Citizens First.

[retiredguy123]

I get it, Citizens First is great. What happens when you have a question or get hacked or jammed up somehow at 5.05 PM on Friday afternoon? It’s going to be a long weekend filled with worry.

We went back to a big bank. Customer service around the clock, even on holidays. Works for us.

A new bank is opening, Freddie Fuddpucker S & L.
I would be suspicious of a Savings and Loan. I think they they went kaput about 30 years ago.

[JanKel]

I'm from the North East & before moving to TV I opened accounts at a national bank that has offices in my original home town & TV. Then I closed my local only bank accounts. This way I was not a 'new' customer to the bank, but an established one. My understanding is that all I need to do is have the Bank change the office of domicile to the TV branch & I will be out of the home state as far as banking goes.

I too am from the north east ( New Jersey) and wanted to do the same thing. Open an account before moving to TV. But I could not find a bank that had branches in both locations. Could you tell me what bank you used?

[retiredguy123]

I too am from the north east ( New Jersey) and wanted to do the same thing. Open an account before moving to TV. But I could not find a bank that had branches in both locations. Could you tell me what bank you used?
Bank of America?

[Nucky]

I would be suspicious of a Savings and Loan. I think they they went kaput about 30 years ago.

The head of the bank is Mr. Drysdale! I think??? Lol.

I didn't really want to go into it but Citizens had strike one strike two and they completed strike three a few weeks ago.

Citizens Mortgage is another thing. A well-oiled machine, full of people who want to separate you from your money! They are just doing their job. I get it.

They really were absolutely perfect. The bank, not for us. No specifics. Your just going to have to trust me. Curmudgeons bring it!

[Nucky]

Bank of America?

BOA closed every branch with no notification to their valued customers during the beginning of Covid. I get it but come on how about a little communication? They are dead to me too! :wave:

[thelegges]

We had one BOA branch open in MI during Covid, by appointment only. We have been with them from Pontiac State Bank in 1965, sold 4 times until BOA bought. Why we like them, tellers, managers call you by name. If we need something they are just a phone call away. In TV our guy during Covid, as did many in BOA retired. So have a new person who takes my call, and greets us by name.

Chase is our business accounts, and some financial, manager is very easy to work with.

Citizens is an account we started in 2010 when we bought our first house. It a small account and use for writing local small businesses if it’s their preference. Branch’s are friendly, but don’t spend enough time to get the new girls name

[kbace6]

Just to clarify, I believe you mean Citizens First Bank, as there is also a National wide bank that is just Citizens Bank.


Thank you for this. I looked up the locations of Citizens bank in TV and there were none. CFB bank makes much more sense!

[kbace6]

I have read through all four pages of your replies and you TV folks do not disappoint. I appreciate all of your replies. I do have USAA and will keep them for several reasons as my nationwide bank.

My best banking relationship ever has been with DCU so I am quite partial to Credit Unions as they tend to treat one more like a person rather than a number, so I will likely get an account with Mid Florida or Sun Coast CU.

However, with a few exceptions, I cannot ignore the consistently good comments on Citizens First.

I forget which one of you mentioned this and I am not going to scroll through all four pages to find it again, but I want to thank the individual who mentioned that Citizens First is "retiree friendly" and that they take the time to explain things to their seasoned customer. This makes so much sense with the strong presence in and around TV. How could any business not behave this way in TV? I suspect those that do not are not in business in TV very long. (not looking for other reviews here) :icon_wink: I have been in customer service in one way or another for over 40 years and this is very important to me.

Thank you again to all! This was very helpful.

:beer3:

[Pairadocs]

I use Truist for free checking and a VISA credit card. I like that I can pay my credit card bill with a simple online funds transfer from one account to another in the same bank.

To me, it makes no sense to use a bank for interest bearing accounts. I use Vanguard and Fidelity for that.

After trying several, (including Citizens) we found United Southern to be the best for what people used to think of as "small town banking".... friendly smiles, knowing many customers by name, free checking, checks printed at no charge, a very simple web design making paying credit card an easy one click transfer. We also use both Fidelity and Vanguard as a better option for cash.

[Kenswing]

I have read through all four pages of your replies and you TV folks do not disappoint. I appreciate all of your replies. I do have USAA and will keep them for several reasons as my nationwide bank.

My best banking relationship ever has been with DCU so I am quite partial to Credit Unions as they tend to treat one more like a person rather than a number, so I will likely get an account with Mid Florida or Sun Coast CU.

However, with a few exceptions, I cannot ignore the consistently good comments on Citizens First.

I forget which one of you mentioned this and I am not going to scroll through all four pages to find it again, but I want to thank the individual who mentioned that Citizens First is "retiree friendly" and that they take the time to explain things to their seasoned customer. This makes so much sense with the strong presence in and around TV. How could any business not behave this way in TV? I suspect those that do not are not in business in TV very long. (not looking for other reviews here) :icon_wink: I have been in customer service in one way or another for over 40 years and this is very important to me.

Thank you again to all! This was very helpful.

:beer3:
Since you currently have USAA I'm guessing you might be a Vet? If so Citizens First will give you free checks.

My wife and I went into the Lake Deaton Branch this morning with 48 paper U.S. Savings Bonds that had reached their 30 year limit. They didn't even bat an eye when I said I wanted to redeem them. Just sat us down, had us sign them and deposited them into our account.