Move Your Money
I was asked recently “If you can’t or shouldn’t leave your money in a bank, where should you put it?”. I’m not against the concept of banks, just the predatory ones. I have had my money in some bad banks and some great banks. When a very bad bank took over my great bank and left me with a bleeding asshole, I searched the internet for what to do and only found articles that said buy more lube. 🙁
Then one day I’m listening to Alex Jones’ show and hear about the Move Your Money movement. Since then I’ve been a big Move Your Money advocate and preach the word when and where I can. But an interesting thing happened on the way to the forum when I was asked the question above… As I replied to the email above, I opened my browser and typed in my search box Move Your Money and only found old, out-dated articles, a lot of broken links and urls forwarded to site with agendas other than moving your money.
Putting the email on hold while I did some more research got me better results that I decided to post for my own reference. Below is what I found.
How Do I Move My Money Out of a Big Bank? (Bank Transfer Day FAQ) by Josh Harkinson | Mother Jones

Why would I want to move my money out of my existing bank?
You’ll probably save money in the long run. According to a 2009 year study by the Filene Research Institute, the average credit union account holder paid $71.47 in annual fees, compared to $183.14 paid by the typical bank customer. And new restrictions on debit card fees imposed last month by the Dodd-Frank Act have sent banks scrambling for even more ways to nickel and dime their customers in pursuit of profits. Nonprofit credit unions, on the other hand, only need to break even. They also tend to plow their money back into basic loans in their own communities, instead of dabbling in the kind of complex and risky securitized investments that caused large banks to go bust and drag down the economy. It’s important to note that credit unions and small local banks aren’t recession-proof: a striking 17 percent of Florida’s bank failures since 2008 were community banks.
What's the process?
Don’t expect to be able to open a credit union account and close your old bank account in one day. You’ll need to receive new checks and a debit card in the mail, switch over any automated deposits and electronic bill paying services, and wait for pending financial transactions to clear. Only then should you give your old bank the boot. Here’s a searchable map that locates credit unions near you.
How long does it take?
You’ll probably need to wait one or two weeks to get a debit card and checks in the mail, though some credit unions will issue you temporary versions. Besides that, it’s just a matter of finding the time to switch over your bills.
Aren't credit unions less convenient than big banks?
Not necessarily. While individual credit unions typically have fewer branches than corporate banks, many participate in “shared branching,” allowing customers to make a deposit or withdrawal at other participating credit unions. Also, many credit unions have implemented advanced online banking options including direct deposit, online bill-pay, and mobile banking using your cell phone.
What about ATMs?
Ask your local credit union if it’s a member of the Co-op Network. Customers at credit unions in the network can use a smart phone app to find any one of 24,000 fee-free ATMs across the country. “You actually get access to more fee-free ATMs than if you were at Bank of America,” says Ben Rogers, research director for the Filene Research Institute, a think tank that studies credit unions. Some credit unions will even refund any fees that you rack up using other banks’ ATMs.
If everyone moves their money out of big banks, how much money do the banks stand to lose?
Currently, total deposits for all banks and savings and loans, including personal and business accounts, come to $7.5 trillion.
Are big banks freaking out over this?
Most big banks rely on their vast numbers of personal checking and savings accounts to shore up their cash reserves and make lucrative investments. “If everybody moved their money, it would make a huge difference,” Rogers says. Still, the nearly 80,000 people who’ve made online pledges to join Bank Transfer Day probably won’t cause bankers to break a sweat—at least not yet. Add another 400,000 of them, and “you’d get not just frowns, but maybe gasps in the boardroom.”
How are credit unions benefiting from this?
Credit unions across the country have added upwards of 650,000 new customers since September 29 (the day Bank of America unveiled its now-defunct $5 monthly fee for debit cards), according to a survey of 5,000 credit unions by the Credit Union National Association. The group also estimates that credit unions have added $4.5 billion in new savings since then, likely from these new members and transfers from other banks. But CUNA spokesman Patrick Keefe says these numbers barely move the needle for big banks: “It’s actually a drop in the ocean for them. They are huge.”
Is there any scenario in which my big bank actually benefits if I do this?
Yes and no. If you have about $400 in a savings account and average about $1,000 in a checking account and have nothing else with your bank, then you’re probably what your bank would call an “unprofitable customer.” But most banks want to keep unprofitable customers onboard in hopes of later cross-selling them on credit cards and loans. “I don”t think that there’s a ton of banks actively smiling and smirking because they are scaring away all these unprofitable customers,” Rogers says. “Nobody really wants to lose customers.”
Related Links:
Goodbye, Wells Fargo; Hello, Credit Union
Community Bank Locator
Research a Credit Union
Move Your Money Official Site