Fifth Third: A Bank in Review

In the past seven years, I have found a home with six different banks. Back then, I was just looking for anyone to hold my money, provide me with a bank card and a checkbook. I had no real standards and saw all bank companies as equals. Now that I have been with a wide array of different companies, I have realized that not all banks are the same. I have had my share of overdrafts with US Bank, National City, Sky, Huntington, and Key Bank.

Out of all of the banks that I have trusted my money with, I am currently satisfied with the service that I am receiving with Fifth Third Bank. I have been with this bank ever since my mishap with Huntington. To be honest, my reason for choosing this bank was not from any prior research. I saw a promotion promising a certain amount of free money to start a new account. So a new account I started.

Starting my account was quick and easy; unlike the time I went in to National City and waited an extremely long time for the process to be over with. The personal banker who assisted me was very helpful and stressed the importance of the safety of their clients' accounts. I felt like my account would be in very good hands.

The moment I realized that Fifth Third was a great place was when I received a call one morning from a representative who informed me that my account had gone over a few dollars. We worked out a deal that if I came in the next day and paid the negative balance, I would not incur any fees. Every time I have gone negative in my account, I received a call the next day. I am so grateful for the representative taking his or her time to alert me of any overdraft. I have not experienced that with any other bank I have used. Fifth Third has great customer service and I always am up to date with transactions.

Using online banking is extremely easy with Fifth Third. The webpage is set up so that I can see all pending transactions and every detail of my account. With other banks, I had to calculate my current balance on my own. Also, there would be many times where some of my pending transactions would not be available to view online. With Fifth Third, everything is available and already calculated into the current balance so that you do not spend money that you don't have.

Although Fifth Third has extremely tight security measures that ensure the safety of your accounts, this could also backfire at times. Recently, I had forgotten my ATM pin number. I tried to recover the pin number using the automated phone assistance because it was after hours. It kept asking me for my pin number in order to get to the main menu but needed the main menu to recover my pin number. I then just waited until the next day and spoke to a phone representative. The process was longer than I expected it to be but in the end, I got to change my password and access my money. This experience is the only unfavorable time that I have had with Fifth Third. Otherwise, I am completely satisfied with the services that this bank has provided me with and I would refer anyone who is looking for a new bank.