CANT BEAT EM?
JOIN ‘EM If you’re an ATM junkie, dipping into your account more than twice a week, you now basically have no choice but to find a bank with a large stable of machines — in other words, Chase, Citi, or Fleet. In some respects, these megabanks assume that you are willing to pay extra fees and/or maintain higher balance requirements for the convenience of buying insurance, mutual funds, credit cards, and loans at the same place. But even if all you want is a plain old checking account, chances are the megabanks can still save you some money on ATM fees. (Keep in mind that just three “foreign use” surcharges a week can add up to $234 a year.) Chase (for locations, call 935-9935) has 69 branches and as many ATM locations in Manhattan, so you’ll never need to go near another bank’s ATM. At Chase, online banking is free, the ATM cards double as debit cards at any store that accepts MasterCard, and the 24-hour customer-service line actually lets you talk to a human being, even on holidays. T
