Amen to Point 6. I started wearing them (actually SmartWool, but I graduated 
) to hockey rinks in the cold cold mornings that hockey parents consider part of being there for their kids. They kept me warm far beyond what you’d think; in the end I just came to believe that warm feet make for warm thoughts. Bigger surprise: they’re great for keeping your feet cool in the summer.
“There’s no bad weather, just bad clothing.”
Thanks for the boots info. Very handy!
Another question I’ve been debating…
Have my son open a credit card for emergency use only (Amex?) or add a second card from our existing account?
For the latter he wouldn’t be establishing his own credit history but maybe it’s better as it may be too tempting to have that plastic 
Any thoughts? Experiences?
My two youngest have had credit cards. One treats it responsibly, other than losing the physical cards (along with keys, wallet, etc.). The other, younger, we decided that a debit card only made more sense. It takes time to figure out which kind of kid yours is.
For Yale, I’d pick a BoA Visa card, as BoA is probably the most convenient bank there.
Thanks! @ lxnayBob
I suspect my son is similar to your first…so want to have something that can be cancelled quickly if lost
Part of message got lost…
Just wondering if monthly spending limits can be set. I suspect they can…
I know you can set a monthly limit on an Amex if it’s a sub-account. You can probably do whatever for Visa also, but I don’t know if that builds kid’s credit history.
@tonymom - my vote would be for a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees if your child might be planning on a study abroad trip at some point. We got our S a card on our CapOne account - it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees and it has a separate number so we can isolate his charges for review. Though it doesn’t build his credit, my S got a very low store credit card in his own name as a start for building credit. I don’t know about monthly spending limits.
There is a TD bank on the corner of Chapel and College. We went with a TD debit card for ready access to cash combined with an add-on Amex card for travel, etc. No limits set, but parental online access to both.
Is it crazy that my kid, who has 3 international roommates, did not want to bring anyone home for Thanksgiving? She just wanted to come home, be pampered by Mommy, eat traditional foods and see family - also sleep and not have to play tour guide. Don’t get me wrong, she loves her suitemates and we took three of them with us to Florida / Disney World for spring break last year. Its just that for us, Thanksgiving is for family.
So Wells Fargo Bank is not as popular I take it? Are there any easily accessible in New Haven close to campus?
I use a local Credit Union, and there are branches in New Haven. No ATM fees, and good service.
@tonymom, when I asked two cycles ago, BoA was said to be convenient, and since DW has an account there, we figured it would be easy to transfer funds (which it is). I didn’t know about TD’s presence, where I have an account, but found out in this thread.
To a degree, it depends on what you need the bank for. DS doesn’t use cash much, so ATMs don’t much matter. I think kids now use Venmo in place of cash for their transactions with other students, and credit cards are accepted even for low-value merchant transactions.
I’m not even sure that what I thought mattered two years ago matters much today. Two years from now they might be using Bitcoin :))
My D uses her debit card from our credit union at home. She can get cash back on purchases, but rarely needs cash.
She has not brought anyone home for breaks, but has made offers. She also enjoys hanging out with family and HS friends. She catches up on sleep and studying too. It would change things up if she had a guest.
@lxnayBob
True…we may all have barcodes across our heads two years from now…
Or things will digress into a Madmax world where Yale students barter in goods.
ATM card + credit card with parent limits will have to do. Son has WFB so may just get stuck with transaction fees.
I remember bouncing a check (remember back to what those silly things are) and being afraid to call mom and fess up. Good life lessons.
There’s a WFB at Church and Elm if he wants to avoid transaction fees.
it matters very little which bank you use. Kids use debit cards for even tiny purchases, and can get cash back if they need it. I think my daughter may have used the Chase bank near TD (that’s our bank) one or two times during her four years. Don’t stress it.
@Tperry1982 - Not weird. I was hoping my son would offer to bring a suite mate home, but knew he wouldn’t because family time is so important to him. And, honestly, he’s such a slow (but deep) bonder that it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he never felt the need to bring anyone home with him until senior year. At that point, he’ll realize that he loves these people and he’s about to say goodbye to them and the intense road trips will commence.
My son switched from his home debit card to a BoA account this past spring. The debit card fees were getting to him (he never wanted that much money, and often ended up pay 3 or 4 dollars to withdraw 20), and when he studied abroad this past summer, BoA was far easier to wire money to and from. We also ran into an instance where Yale issued a scholarship check (rather than wiring funds), and having a local account would have drastically sped up his access to the money, which he needed to pay tuition to his summer program. BofA offers free account services for students–easy peasy to set up, even for my kid, who let’s just say, doesn’t excel at mundane detail.
Both kids share our credit card. They only use it for emergency purposes or while travelling, so we keep it simple.
DS has a fly-in interview in Chicago, flight details up to him (within reason of course). He’s considering flying in, staying in a hotel overnight, and interviewing the next am. Any recommendations about which airport? I expect O’Hare on the Chicago end.
Another first for DS. Fingers crossed.