<p>The college that I am planning to attend, doesn't have a branch of my current bank anywhere near it. And the banks that are near the campus, are not near my home.
What should I do?
Thanks</p>
<p>They don’t pay you anything to keep your money there and they are free to open up so I would just get a new account and get a new bank card and keep your other bank card at home so it doesn’t get stolen from your dorm room. You can switch money from one to the other one.</p>
<p>How far do you live from home and how often do you visit?</p>
<p>I was in the same situation a few years ago and I chose to get the bank near my college because I was spending more months at school (and I spent more money during these months) than at home. When I was home for breaks and stuff, I just worked out the finances with my mom.</p>
<p>For me, likewise, my home bank did not have any branches within a few hundred miles of my university. I was originally planning on setting up a bank account at school, but I ended up not doing this. For my on-campus job, the university had direct deposit, so I didn’t have to worry about cashing checks. For most things I bought, I used my debit card, and it doesn’t matter where your bank is based for that. When I did occasionally need cash, I would usually get cash back at a store and not have to worry about ATM fees.
Since I will be living off campus when I return next semester (currently abroad), I will probably end up getting a bank account because I will have more finances to coordinate with roommates and such. But for being on campus for 3 years, I was fine with just having my home bank.</p>