First Bank

Had to switch banks when I moved to St. Louis and picked First Bank since I wanted to support local. The transaction fees were ridiculous ($ 45 for a wire, $ 30+ for a cashiers check), which was bad enough. Then after a few months they decided to start charging a monthly fee unless you use your debit card 5 times or more a month. Mobile deposit limit is low. Service is not that great when factoring in the fees. My branch hid the deposit slips behind the counter because «people were abusing them». Huh?

It’s great to have a hometown bank that is big enough to meet all financial needs but small enough to know customers individually. First Bank is part of the St. Louis community – they support the Zoo, the Blues and you can find a branch in most neighborhoods and even in outlying areas like when you go to Hermann for Octoberfest.
Online and mobile tools are good and I can connect my Mint​.Com personal financial manager to my checking account to manage spending and budget. I like that they don’t charge for services like depositing a check with my iPhone (like my credit union does). They are very quick on approving loans – I guess that’s because it’s all handled locally.
I started here with basic checking and savings accounts and they have been really helpful over the years, like when my son needed a car loan and when I was interested in investment management services. My brother got his mortgage here too, because he likes the local servicing of the loan.

I worked here for eight years and I still bank there. Although most of the people I worked with there are no longer working there as well, Stacey the supervisor still does and she’s just awesome. If you ever have any problems, she will try her best to help. I love her to death!