Which Bank is best?

[Guest C & A]

Which bank would you advise opening an account with and how easy was it do before you arrived?

[xzibit]

Everyone will just recommend who they bank with.

 

So - Commonwealth are the best. It was easy to set it up online before I moved over.

[scooterdan]

Westpac are the best too..... Set up before coming over!!

[soo_the_panda]

Another vote for Commonwealth. Great online/mobile banking options and some of the best customer service/call centre help I've ever received from any kind of business. Always someone knowledgeable and helpful without huge waits, 24/7. Been very happy with them for both everyday accounts and home loans.

[Guest Brad]

I bank with anz but they hit you with lots of charges unless you complain. They do have a lot more charges here (monthly fees, ATM, etc)

my fiancée used commonwealth before she joined me and never had any complaints.

id wait to you get here only need to take in a passport if within 6 months of entry.

can eft money across, very secure.

​did it 2 weeks ago and was in my account the next day

[erobertson]

My hubby and me both bank with ANZ. We set up the accounts easily from the UK and then produced ID when we got here to get cards issued etc. The online banking is pretty good and have smartphone apps too. The call centre is in Melbourne too which always helps.

 

I think all the big banks are much of a muchness and we went with one of them to avoid ATM charges really.

[NicF]

We were with ANZ, which we opened before we arrived but they charged us a monthly account keeping fee even after my OH went in and questioned it. When I went to close the account down the woman I dealt with said they would have wavered the fees as we worked for the government - I wasn't convinced and thought it was a bit of a line but it does show if you threaten to go elsewhere they will find a way of waiving the charges.

 

We now bank with Commonwealth Bank who don't charge account keeping fees providing you pay at least $2000 a month in to the account. Easy enough to do if your salary goes in to the account. We chose Commonwealth because our mortgage on our block of land is with them (as will be the mortgage on our house if we ever get a set of plans passed by council) and our mortgage is with them as they were prepared to lend to us even though we had not long moved over and my OH had only been working for three months.

 

One thing I would consider when deciding on who to bank with is where you are likely to be living and the prevalence of bank branches and cash machines in the area. I didn't really think about it when we decided to change banks but Commonwealth have a cash machine within walking distance of our house, whereas ANZ don't and there are far more Commonwealth cash machines around town than ANZ ones, which is good for me as I work in the CBD. If the area you are thinking of living in has loads of NAB branches and cash machines but no Westpac ones at all then it would make far more sense to bank with NAB than Westpac, at least to start with anyway.

[minty]

Westpac are great.

[Guest deardos]

Nab 4 me

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[Louise EP]

commonwealth!