Integra, Old National, or Fifth Third for a new checking account?

Question

I live in Evansville, IN, and these three banks are the ones that seem to be most prominent here. I'm only 16, but I have a steady paying job. Old National and Fifth Third both offer student account options, and ONB is the only one whose debit card is Visa (for some reason, it's slightly important I get a Visa instead of Mastercard, though in reality it doesn't matter). Integra is where my parents bank though. Where should I open the new account?!

Answer 1

Do your parents have a relationship with Integra that may benefit you? Like, if you overdraw your accounts - would Integra be more likely to help you then? Are you expecting any help from your parents? Like they could simply call Integra and have them transfer money to your account if you needed a little extra. Sometimes having this kind of relationship with a bank is worth it. Are all the accounts free? What are all the other service fees - in addition to the account fees, is there a big difference in other fees, like NSF fees? Which bank is most convenient to you? Do you need online banking? These are other things you should consider in your decision -

Answer 2

Hi there! As an Evansville native myself, I can provide some more in depth knowledge than most here. I bank through Old National, my fiance banks through Integra, some of my friends bank through DVFCU (Diamond Valley Federal Credit Union), and my grandmother used to bank with Fifth-Third. Out of all these, I prefer Old National. Why? Well, there are many reasons:

1. They always put deposits in BEFORE they deduct for checks, ATM withdrawals, etc. So, if you check your bank account and realize you're going to go under soon, you can get in there in the morning and make a deposit and you'll be fine. Integra and Fifth-Third do not do this. They process transactions in the order they are received.

2. They are VERY convenient. There are Old National banks all over Evansville and the area. (This is also true of Integra but not really Fifth-Third).

3. They process transactions very quickly, much more so than Integra. My fiance and I tested this once. We both bought something at the same place of roughly the same cost ($3 or so). Mine came through the bank one day before his. This might not be a big thing for you now, but it annoys me very much when transactions take a long time to come through.

There ARE good things about Integra, though. The employees are VERY friendly and they're very understanding. The first time you go under, they will refund your non sufficient funds fee if you go in there and explain the situation (if you forgot about something coming through or it happens to be their fault, etc). Also, they close at 6pm on weekdays and most banks close at 5pm in Evansville. In addition, the location on Highway 41 almost to Darmstadt is open to 7pm on weekdays and 2pm on Saturdays.

Also, you might try looking into credit unions for a savings account. 90% of the time, you'll get a MUCH higher interest rate at a credit union than at a huge corporate bank.

Let me know if you have any questions.