Best banking relationship in/near TV
 

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Another vote for Truist (formerly BB&T).

No issues with them at all.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Banking
 

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Chase
 

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

Citizens First Bank

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

Perhaps first decide if you need a brick and mortar bank. We've been banking with Alliant 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)

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.

Bank
 

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

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

Banking
 

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

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

Another Citizens recco
 

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.

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

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

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.

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!

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.