Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo–the big banks most people use for their personal banking needs. These banks have done a great job with their marketing. So much so they have created fans around the country. I have talked to countless people who are all in one of these banks and do their best to talk other people into using the same bank they do.
As a “financial expert,” which bank do I use? Am I team B of A, team Wells, or team Chase?
The answer? None of the above.
There was a time when the big-name banks had the best technology, resources, and access to ATMs. As a result, it made sense for most people to use them. But technology has changed a lot. It is cheaper, quicker to develop, and easier for smaller companies to access. This reality has not only allowed small and medium-sized businesses to thrive, it has caused a shake-up in the banking world.
Personal banking options abound! And many of the options are without the traditional brick-and-mortar presence, including the bank I use.
I use One Finance for my personal banking needs. Here is why:
Convenience
The idea of going to a bank or calling into a traditional banking cubicle-filled call center is agonizing. It is something I will avoid at all costs. It is annoying, time-consuming, and extremely inconvenient. I loathed the need for that with the big banks.
With One Finance, there is a simple and intuitive online and mobile experience that is intelligently designed to limit the need for these inconvenient experiences. If I need something, I can easily find it on my own in the app. If I can’t find it, I get direct communication in a way that I appreciate: chat, email, or text. It’s great!
Beyond that are other convenient options you come to expect from an online bank. Mobile deposits, online transfers, autosave, card management, and even credit monitoring are things I can manage within the app as a One Finance customer.
Budgeting
As we have mentioned before, you do not necessarily need to “budget” to win with money. You do, however, need to make sure you are not spending more than you are bringing in. A budget can help with this, but so can a good system of expense tracking or segmentation. This is one thing I love about One Finance. They have an excellent system for segmenting your finances in one bank account. They do this with the use of “pocket.”
Pockets are essentially ways for you to organize your money and keep track of things. Think of it as a digital version of Dave Ramsey’s Envelope System. Because it’s digital, it is safer, easier to manage, and has some really cool built-in features.
One of my favorite features is the ability to share a pocket with a family member or friend so they can spend from or deposit into that pocket from their One Finance app. But the best feature? The ability to assign a unique digital card number and account number to each pocket to put more of your finances on autopilot.
Here is an example:
I have a pocket called “Mortgage.” Each month I have money automatically transferred from my investment account to that pocket (see why I transfer funds from my investment account). I also have it set up with my mortgage servicer to automatically debit money from that pocket each month to ensure payments are made on time, every time. This process also keeps my personal finances safer. If someone hacks into the mortgage servicers system and is able to steal that account information, they only get access to that one pocket. Not the account numbers of the other pockets or the main account number for the One Finance account. It’s great!
Better Banking
Fees, overdraft protection, and savings rate return are all features to consider when choosing a bank. One Finance excels in these areas. They do not have any monthly fees, nor do they have minimum balance requirements. All of this with overdraft protection!
But my favorite traditional banking feature is the rate of return on saving accounts. They have a 1.00% APY return on the regular saving account and 3.00% APY return on the “auto-save” saving account. Both of those rates far exceed what you may find with big banks.
Banking with an online banking technology platform like One Finance might seem intimidating. For some reason there is a sense of security knowing there is a traditional banking location I could go to if I needed something as a big bank customer. But the convenience and other great features of One Finance have significantly increased the quality of my personal banking life. As a result, I have never looked back!
For more information on what I carry in my wallet, check out this video: https://youtu.be/b5quhQFEMLE
Or you can give OneFinance banking a try for free at this link HERE
