First Republic Bank

First Republic Bank is amazing. I’m a small business owner and their team has consistently gone way above and beyond to support my business. Most recently, I’ve been working with Irene Pang Montalvo to resolve some unusual and time sensitive issues that had come up with my account. Irene was super proactive, communicative and went the extra mile to make sure everything was resolved in a timely fashion. Much appreciated Irene!

When the bank started charging fees on our ATM account usage, that was the last straw. The banks you nothing for your money. Their rates for a savings account are about .10% while they charge for any and all other services. Unless you have millions of dollars there is no reason whatsoever to bank here.

I used to tell people how great this bank was. Now I’m looking for a new one.
When I opened my account ten years ago they had a promotional offer of free ATMs worldwide. Incredulous, I asked how long the offer lasted and they said for the life of the account. Now I’ve figured out that they changed the deal and I have to have a minimum balance of $ 2500 or pay $ 18/​month.
Who has that kind of money sitting in the bank? I guess the rich people this bank caters too.
And the teller apologizes and tells me «well I wasn’t here when they made you that offer». As if that should make a difference?

I’m not sure what’s funnier. Me or the fact that you can Unilocal a bank.
I’m rating FRB 5 stars for the following reasons:
1) I work about 200 yards from this branch.
2) I’m in the bank mulitple times a week (they still haven’t given me my own desk space yet)
3) They have cookies!!! (I like Oatmeal Raisin)
4) They’ve got lots of cool swag. (Umbrellas, chocolates, datebooks, calendars, instant shoe shine sponges, mugs, pens, etc.)
5) The staff is super friendly and fun!
6) I probably wouldn’t hear the end of it if Leanne ever found out I gave her branch less than 5 stars.
7) The branch manager (Her name is Leanne for those of you that aren’t good with deduction) gives me a hard time every time I’m in the branch.
8) They are open on Saturdays.
9) Free use of the conference room for customers!
10) They put up with high maintenance customers like me.
11) Its a bank located inside a National Recreation Area.
12) The building that the bank is in used to be the Presidio’s brig.
13) Did I mention the cookies?
14) Everytime you call them they have to say this ridiculously long and drawn out greeting. I sit there and totally let them say the whole thing when they don’t look at the caller ID and realize that its my office line! Hahahaha… I’m easily pleased… oh, shiny object…

Fresh baked cookies daily, reimbursement on all ATM charges throughout the galaxy, and personal phone calls on checks that are about to bounce before they actually bounce; Sounds perfect, and for the most part it is.
I thought I had stumbled across an amazing hidden gem of a bank when I discovered First Republic. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff that are genuine people and not refined corporate drones with premeditate personalities sitting in to fulfill your requests.
The only problem I ran into with this company is that I later found out that the minimum checking account balance you had to have was $ 2500 or they would charge you an extra $ 15 dollars a month. I know not all people have enough money sitting around to deter the monthly charges, and those who do are probably investing it into an account with a decent interest rate. With an interest rate of lower than half of one percent, you might as well have the extra $ 2500 your’e not using sitting in one of the many savings accounts that could offer at least 15 times that interest rate, instead of just sitting on it so that you can get use free ATM’s. Their rationale for such an inadequate interest rate, and high minimum balance is the quality of service they offer and the ATM reimbursement program.
Although at first it seemed amazingly considerate of them to offer such services, but in the end they are definitely coming out on top. For the people who have the money to have at least two and a half k’s sitting around growing stagnant just for the purpose of not having to pay ATM charges, Its an amazing company. For the rest of us, were better off opening up a money market account with the extra cash, and getting some real interest, then worrying about the ATM charges another day.
Great cookies though.

Come on, you’ve heard those cheeseball commercials on the radio, «I moved away from my First Republic Bank branch, and thought I would have to transfer banks, but I was wrong. They helped me even when I was on another planet and couldn’t use my ATM card.»
But seriously, if there is a bank where you can get real free checking, this would be it. They even reimburse your ATM fees, if you open a certain type of checking account, and have friendly tellers sitting at desks, instead of behind bars. They have some strange EZ Bake oven, where they have Otis Spunkmeyer cookies baking at all times for customers, and when it was raining out, they gave me a free kick ass umbrella. And in these torrential showers that we’ve been having in SF, it was badly needed.
LOVE LOVE LOVE my bank. The Presidio branch is convenient for me cause it’s across the street from my office, but whichever one I visit, they are all professional and friendly.