CD Discussion Thread

I meant that mostly in jest.

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If anyone managed to get better rates by threatening to withdraw, we will hear it soon enough here. :grinning:

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Another change that Ally is making - They are requiring that you give them your cell number if you want to use online banking.

Here is the gist of the message:

As part of our commitment to your security, we’re removing the email option in the coming weeks because our team has identified a trend of fraudsters attempting to take advantage of security codes delivered to email. We ask for a security code when you log in from a device or location we don’t recognize.

We’ll be delivering your security code by SMS text message instead of email for a more secure delivery. To make sure you don’t lose access to online banking, we recommend that you log in and make sure you’ve got a phone number registered that can receive text messages.

Their excuse is the same for the other hoops they make you jump through, or paper that you must sign in triplicate in six places - for your protection. Ha! At best, it’s for their protection, at least according to their legal department. At worst, it’s because it’s easier / cheaper for them. Plus they get the added benefit of being able to spam your phone.

I’m leaving my CDs until they mature, but am moving my checking to Discover. I’m no big fish, but it will be a nice chunk of change that departs when the CDs mature.

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Why don’t you sign up for a free google voice phone number and use that?

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I have only gv. Some banks & other places wont send sms to gv… a real pain in the neck, textnow does not work then either

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Google voice numbers did not work for me; I had to enter a “real” cellphone number.

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I use Google Voice for most of my accounts and then I set it up to send my texts to email so it’s just like getting an email with it. I have encountered a few banks that won’t let me use it. I don’t have Ally.

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I also use G-voice as my primary #; unfortunately, with the new change at Ally, and for at least one other that I can’t remember the name of, G-voice does not work.

It’s interesting that Ally is making it a bit harder to break the NP CD. Is it a coincidence that Ally has kept its savings account at 0.8%? This is now the highest among Marcus, Discover, Amex and Capital1. Maybe Ally does want to attract / retain your money.

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BofA seems to have removed the email authentication function as well, in the last couple of days.

I considered it. I may still consider it at some point in the future. But, I’ve let them put a few straws on my back, and this one did it for me. Besides, how will they know if anything is wrong if no one does anything.

To be fair, other than their security group (for reasons other than this one), their customer service people are top notch. They are polite, professional, knowledgeable, are easy to understand with no effort, and don’t seem to follow a script. If it weren’t for this change, I would remain with them.

I don’t use cell phones and I pay no cell phone service provider every month. Use Google only for outgoing, free, calls.

Any financial institution that insists I buy cell service in order to become their customer can go pound sand. That said:

I can recall instances when, for verification purposes, a financial institution has reached me on my land line and provided a code via a voice message. There is nothing wrong with that and it works for any telephone, including cell phones.

But when they INSIST on using TEXT: screw 'em!

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I thought I was the last person on earth without a cell phone.

I agree "screw 'em!

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Not at all. My best estimate is that roughly ten percent of Americans do not choose to pay for cell service.

My own decision came about 1982. My boss sent me into NYC to a seminar there on cell phones, which were very new at the time. I listened as they explained how it all was going to work. I thought cellular technology was intrusive; I did not want to pay for something like that. And I never have.

Update

Reporting here on something that could change at any moment; it might have changed by the time I finish writing this post. Nevertheless:

Against all odds Weiss Research still has not updated their credit union ratings. Ken updated about two weeks ago. Bauer updated last week. But from Weiss we hear only crickets.

Keep a weather eye. The Weiss CU ratings update for Q2 could happen at any moment. It should have happened days ago.

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Garden Savings offered 4+% CDs a while back. I have a CD there.

It has come to my attention that Weiss is rating Garden Savings at “D+”.

That rating is based on end-of-March data. It remains to be seen whether or not the Garden Savings rating will change once Weiss releases their new ratings.

Garden Savings is located in New Jersey, which has been devastated by the pandemic. Am hoping for the best. I don’t want to lose that 4+% APY CD account and I certainly do not want my money back the way things are today.

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While I concur with your sentiment, this is a losing battle.

Sometimes there is a workaround. Wells Fargo, for example, doesn’t need a cell # to set up online banking, but it appears to be required for some features of online banking, including linking external accounts for transfers. I believe there is a workaround – they’ll send you a Yubikey for $25, which is acceptable instead of the cell # for PUSH transfers. But I haven’t tried it as the phone rep was as clear as mud regarding whether the key enables all the functionality.

Another consideration is that you can get very limited (100 min & 100 texts) mobile plans for about $5/mo now. So you just have to weigh the “screw 'em” vs the “screw me” :smile:

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Plus Shinobi was talking about paying for a landline anyway. Before we got rid of it, our landline cost us around $35/month. For the level of (dis)service we got, it made no sense to us to keep it instead of paying $6/month for cell service as landline replacement.

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My own land line service is excellent. I would never consider giving it up. And I do not like cell phones at all. They are silly toys. Personal preference.

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Assuming you have stable internet, you can get a VOIP “home” phone for $30-40 annually. And some providers, like Magicjack, include an app that allows texting to/from your ‘home’ phone number. Although I dont understand why shiobi wouldnt use his google voice number as a “texting” number, since he already has it anyways?