<p>hi, quick question: i'm thinking about opening up a bank account for when i arrive at smith, is bank of america a good bank to open up with? how convinient is it/availability of atms? what has been your experience with boa so far?</p>
<p>Here's a thread that was started a while ago regarding banks in the area.</p>
<p>Many people don't like Bank of America because it is so big. It is the fourth reincarnation for the bank holding my checking account (I'm a parent of a Smithie), and while I liked the first incarnation much better (BayBank, which is now long gone), I can't say that BOA has done anything egregiously wrong since they swallowed up my previous bank (Fleet Bank). (BankBoston was in between BayBank and Fleet.) There aren't any BOA ATM's on campus, but the BOA ATM in Northampton is very close. The advantage of BOA is that it's all across the country so you can access your account most places.</p>
<p>B of A is convenient. That's the best I can say about them, and we too will probably end up with them as the bank of choice.</p>
<p>If parents open an account with $300 minimum, the student checking account is free for 5 years. But watch for overdraft fees, ATM fees, and other fees. They can add up.</p>
<p>thanks mjm8 for the link, very helpful.</p>