We switched banks. That seems like a blog-worthy topic, right? Have you been or will you be affect by the recent increase in checking account fees among the major US banks? Jason and I had three checking accounts at one of the big corporate banks (I don’t want to slam them as it’s been industry-wide policy) and with the increased fees that are starting next month we were going to be paying around $45 a month just to have three checking accounts with debit cards. Whoa! So not worth it. I suggested we start carrying cash only and get pistols but Jason found a better solution. We have a small local bank chain called Avenue. We have been so pleased with their great customer service and of course, the lack of fees! They have a really cool vibe since they started out as a musicians’ bank. Beyond the pretty hummingbird logo, they have a city loft style lobby with free snacks and drinks and a guitar set up, ready to be played while we wait. But we never have to wait because their customer service is that good.
A great company is worthy of a blog post, I say. If you’re in Nashville, we highly recommend Avenue Bank. Switching banks is a big ole’ pain in the butt—it took us 6 weeks to get everything migrated to the next account—but worth it.
myMCMlife.com 
I had this problem with both Fifth Third and US Bank. Luckily, we moved to an area with a very active credit union network, so we joined the local credit union and have had zero fees since! They even have a policy where if they do charge the $5 overdraft fee (instead of $35 at my old bank), they will remove the fee if you correct your account within 24 hrs and call to let them know. Awesome customer service!
That’s great news! Finding a credit union was going to be our next step. Your comment also reminded me about Avenue’s ATM fee reimbursement. Since they don’t have a lot of branches, they refund all ATM fees anywhere in the world. The reimbursement always shows up on my online back account before the withdrawal. And Jason always likes to tell people, “When you call the bank, a person answers the phone!”
Thank you for this info! I’ve never even heard of them and I’ve lived here for 14 years. We’ve been looking around for options to our current bank, Regions. We were focusing on credit unions but we will definitely take a look at Avenue now.
Go Avenue! Can’t say enough about them.