<p>Hey, just wondering which bank i should open my checking account for… so i can buy books and stuff or whatever… also how much money should i have for convenience points or whatnot… thanks for your advice</p>
<p>Bank of America</p>
<p>Citizens Bank is the other big consumer bank, with loads of ATM’s. The other large bank around is Sovereign.</p>
<p>Bank Of America is the way to go, since most students have a branch near their hometown’s, allowing them access to their money while they are away from school. </p>
<p>If you plan on getting a credit card, I would recommend you not get one from them however, their interest rates are very high. New England based Sovereign Bank has a very good student credit card with an interest rate half as much as BofA. This is just my opinion if you plan on getting credit.</p>
<p>convenience points can be easily added in the “food and shelter” section of the student link at <a href=“http://bu.edu/studentlink[/url]”>http://bu.edu/studentlink</a></p>
<p>that said, if u have a credit card, it’ll be very easy for u to add more money to your points when u know you’re down to something like $10. i rarely used my convenience points for anything other than laundry, so i never really added that much to it. i usually have about $35 on it.</p>
<p>if u added too much, u can get a refund at the end of the year… or u can choose to keep it for next year, since convenience points carry on from year to year (unlike dining points, which reset at the end of a semester). if u dont have enough, u can add more at any time. so just pick a number, see how u spend, and adjust it.</p>
<p>Are there any other banks on or near campus… like a fifth third … or somtin like that… cuz there isnt a Bank of America near me… Cleveland area… or a citizens bank… hmmm any suggestions on what i should do next</p>
<p>Sorry, no 5th/3rd within 500 miles of Boston. There is a Century Bank right on Campus which I know has branches in Cleveland. Also, last summer I visited a friend from school in Cleveland and saw many B of A’s in the area. If these don’t help, you can open up a free checking account when you arrive in Boston at any of the banks mentioned and easily use their online banking services to trasfer money between your accounts at different banks when you need to. It’s so easy to do so these days with the internet and all.</p>
<p>Century Bank is a strictly local bank. They do not have any locations outside of Massachusetts.</p>
<p>If you’re trying to find a bank that is located in both your hometown and near BU, you’re essentially limited to Bank of America, Sovereign and Citizen’s. Even if you can find one of those near you, it still may not be easier than just opening an account in Boston. Banking regulations once restricted a bank’s ability to operate outside of its state and or region. Those regulations have been drastically reduced; however, there are still restrictions. Additionally, not every bank’s IT systems have caught up, and you may find that Sovereign New England can’t make a despoit to an account with Sovereign Mid-Atlantic (for instance). </p>
<p>I would just keep your current account and then open a second account when you come here. Write yourself a check and deposit it into your new account, leaving $5 in your old account to keep it open. Repeat each time you move back and forth.</p>
<p>This is only really necessary if you need to make regular deposits (if you have a job, for instance). If not, you should be able to get by with a debit card (for withdrawls) and a credit card (for transactions) and just pay your credit card online.</p>
<p>i use Wachovia in new jersey and there aren’t any in boston. i think there’s a $1 fee when i use another bank’s ATM in boston. i get past this fee by using a debit card to withdraw money every once in a while when i use the shaw’s supermarket.</p>