<p>Can anyone tell me which bank operates the ATMs on campus? We are thinking about opening a bank account on line with one of the banks on Main Street. It would save a lot in transaction fees to deal with the bank that operates the campus ATMs.</p>
<p>I'm not sure which bank operates the ATM on campus, but we opened up a Bank of America account for our D. They had a branch in our town as well as in Northampton. That's worked out really well for our D.</p>
<p>You can also deposit money into the OneCard (I believe that's what it's called). It's works like an on-campus debit card that can be used to pay for laundry, books and I believe food at the campus center.</p>
<p>The other thing we did was to have our D get a credit card.</p>
<p>The ATM in the Campus Center is affiliated with Easthampton Savings.</p>
<p>The campus ATM (there's only one, in the lower level of the Campus Center) is run by Florence Savings bank, but I wouldn't recommend getting an account with them. You can't deposit checks at the ATM in the Campus Center and the bank locations/ATMs where you can deposit checks are not convenient to Campus at all (I hate that we have FSB ATM, it's such a scam). If she ever needs to deposit a paycheck or anything in her account, she'll have to trek out to the FSB at the end of King Street and let me tell you, in the snow, when the wind is blowing and it's like negative 2 out, that is NOT FUN. </p>
<p>Really, it's much more convenient to set up an account at the banks in town. There's a Bank of America that's right downtown, close to campus, and they have branches all over (though most people hate their service, you can't beat their convenience, so it's okay for college student, short term banking). The other banks in town are Bank North, United Bank, and one more bank on Pleasant Street. </p>
<p>It's actually also better fiscal policy not to have an account with the bank that has the ATM in the campus center, because that way when you have to get cash, you know you have to walk into town to get it (it's like five-seven minutes, but still), and you tend to think more about the neccessity of what you're about to spend money on. Play off of that college laziness to keep your family in the black!</p>
<p>D has been very pleased with Bank North. She started with a debit card and now has a credit card with them as well, in addition to an "In Case of Emergency, Break Glass" card on one of our accounts. BN's service seems to have been pretty good and it isn't much further into town than Herrell's. :)</p>
<p>Bank of America, on the other hand, sucks dead fish with a straw.</p>
<p>The OneCard is also a very good thing and most of D's on-campus expenses flow through that.</p>
<p>I know that many parents on CC hate B of A, and I'm not saying that's not with good reason, but it is the only national bank that operates within Noho, so if you're out of Bank North range, B of A makes sense for students. One card is okay, most students reload it as needed for laundry (though some use it as a debit/ atm card)</p>
<p>Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>S&P, it's nice but not essential to have a Smithie's bank account be in the same bank system as the parental one back home. We're <em>far</em> out of BN range. :)</p>
<p>Now partly D's job(s) keep money flowing into the account as needed. If an extra boost from home is needed for any reason, then hand carrying a check from home or one being brought during a visit or even the good ol' US Mail suffices. This does mean that there can't be "I need $500 right away" calls home but a little planning goes a long way. Plus, come to think of it, D has a BN savings account, established when she opened her checking account and added to by $25 per month since then to qualify for the free checking...not a problem since she's a "saver" anyway and appreciates having some cash on hand. Though I foresee a new laptop for her possibly coming out of that some point, or a housing deposit...three years of college and the kid now understands about housing deposits.</p>
<p>My B of A account isn't connected to my parents account at all. They bank with a school employee's credit union in my hometown. I also fill my B of A account with what I make at Smith, but I use online external transfers if I have to bridge the gap between home and school (there's no way my parents could afford to visit me during the school year to bring a check). </p>
<p>I know that you hate b of A and I'm no fan either, but having a national bank is very handy for a smith student who's on the go. If you happen to, for example, do a smith program out of town for the semester or the summer, it's useful to know that you can access your smith paychecks and accounts no matter where you go. </p>
<p>Since my b of a account is also my smith direct deposit account, and thanks to Smith generosity I sometimes get stipend deposits over the summer when I'm doing programs, it's important that my college account travel with me. It's a reason why a lot of Smithies choose B of A, not because they have good service or great rates (they have netiher), but because they're everywhere, and money in your smith accounts can be easily accessed or deposited from anywhere in the country. </p>
<p>I was just trying to explain all the options since the guy asked.</p>
<p>Well, that scenario makes sense, having your Smith account travel with you.
D has a second account with Citibank which serves the same purpose.</p>
<p>We also chose B of A for it's coverage. With one D up in Northampton and another D in southeast PA and us in NJ, B of A had the coverage to address that need. I also wanted to be able to manage everything electronically.</p>
<p>We've banked at Citibank for over 20 years, but unfortunately they don't have as extensive a branch network as B of A.</p>
<p>I have a checking account Easthampton Savings Bank because the ATM is in the Campus Center. I'm from the one part of the country that doesn't have Bank of America, so that wasn't practical in the nationwide sense (I just checked - the closest location to me seems to be in another state). I set up direct deposit so that my earnings go directly to my checking account, and if I do get a check I need to deposit, I mail it in. The convenience of the ATM is very nice to have (especially as I live next door to the Campus Center). </p>
<p>I also have an account with a credit union at home, but after quite a few problems with the credit union and transferring money, I'm considering closing the account and opening a checking account with ING (where I already have a savings account).</p>
<p>Thanks borgin, you're right, it is actually EASTHAMPTON, not Florence Savings that owns the ATM. My bad.</p>