Sunday, May 2, 2010

Stock tip

My best stock tip is to sell Bank of America stock, even sell short if you can. Everyone I deal with at that bank is a complete idiot. This chapter:

Last week Steven and I went into our local branch, Steven to cash in a CD to move to Wells Fargo, and Sue and I had our IRA CD's mature. I was undecided whether to leave the IRA's with B/A or move it to Wells Fargo. We went to the branch and no one was in the new accounts area. After standing about for about 5-8 minutes I went to a teller. Conversation went something like this: "Is anyone there in new accounts? No, what do you want? I have some CD's that have matured and I want to know what my options are. You mean the rates? Yes. I guess I can help you."

She then walked to the new accounts area with us. Steven went first and tried to cash in his CD. After about 5 minutes of looking at who knows what, miss friendly says "it will cost you $26 to cash it in because you are past the 7 day grace period". I said, what are you talking about, it is a 7 day grace period starting on 4/20 and the date was 4/24. It sure appears to me we are only 4 days in. "Oh wait a minute......wrong CD. This one looks like the one". the first one did not mature until November, hence the penalty. Steven cashed in the CD. Then she spent another 5 minutes looking at my account. "Oh, this is an IRA account. It is special and I can't help you with it. It has all sorts of other paperwork and stuff to do."

By now she made up my mind for me, the money is going to Wells Fargo. I said, then cash it in. She said she did not know how and I would need to come back another day.

Monday Sue and I went back to the branch and met with the manager, another idiot. She fiddles on the computer for over 5 minutes and says "the computer says you need to have the requesting bank request the funds." I said to give me a casher's check and she said she couldn't, I had to have Wells Fargo request it. I asked if there would be a problem that the grace period is about up and she said no, as long as it was requested before it was up.

We went to Wells Fargo and met with our friendly banker. She greeted me by name. Wow. She said the B/A people were nuts. She could request the money but it would take about 2 weeks to get processed and I would have issues with the grace period. She told me to go to the other branch in the area. We went straight over. Now we met a B/A person who actually knew what to do. She took the right paperwork out and got us cashiers checks. Now we have been to a bank 4 times and still need to go back to Wells Fargo to get the cashier checks deposited. We gave the manager of that B/A a mouthful of complaints about the stupid people at our normal branch. I told her most of my money had been moved because everytime B/A messes something up I penalize them by moving a CD.

We went back to Wells Fargo three days later, now our 5th visit to a bank. Angela took great care of us.

Now it is Sunday, 6 days after we cashed in and moved our CD's to Wells Fargo and low an behold, the B/A website still shows we have the CD's in their bank. I assume someday they will figure out the money has been moved. Before we left Wells Fargo Angela shows us on-line with through the website that our new IRA accounts were there.

So, I suggest anyone with a Bank of America account is flirting with danger, and dealing with a bank run by idiots. My term "nonthinkers" is just not strong enough for them. We have had nothing but good experiences with Wells Fargo. I was so impressed that only meeting once with Angela she knew my name the next time I came to visit.

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