What is the best interest checking bank in NYC?

Actors Federal Credit Union.
Amalgamated Bank.

Avoid commercial banks altogether -- they're not for us.

Credit Unions are generally your best bet, but don't always have good customer service (Amalgamated is fairly incompetent, for example, but not close-your-account bad).

But why stick with NYC banks? Can't you manage with any bank, nationwide, and use your PC/ATMs to do your banking? Internet-only banks and ones with bricks elsewhere ...

http://www.bankrate.com/checking.aspx

That said, I've been quite happy with the HSBC, which I initially used solely for a high-interest high-balance money market, but have stayed on.

ING direct is great, if you don't mind doing all your banking online.
Their current rates are:
savings: 1.3% APR
checking (<$50K): 0.25%
checking (>$50K): 1.5%
But I am not sure how many checks etc. they give you or whether
they charge you monthly fees for using checks...
I am guessing no, but check with them.
They will probably want you to make most of your payments online.

Apple Bank also has more of a "community" rather than "commercial" sensibility.

And a phenomenal Bway/73rd St. branch interior. Note the inscription high up on the far end: "Industry Thrift Prosperity" (the English translation is "Don't Throw Your Money Away Buying An Apartment When You Can Rent It For Much Less")

I was referred to this by someone (who hadn't tried it), but don't know much more about it:
http://www.smartypig.com/

It seems they've recently tried to morph it into a social-networking kind of thing. Ewwww.

I left Chase a long time ago(basically when they became Chemical Bank and remained Chase in name only) and have been very happy with HSBC

I'm up in the air between HSBC & ING Direct. Re: Smartypig.com, I've never heard of it but I guess they offer the hightest APY:

http://www.debtkid.com/ing-direct-review

Does HSBC or ING offer free atm use, no matter where it is used? BofA offered it but I'm not exactly sure about the others. I like the option of physical branches by HSBC but ING seems to be the better deal and keeps getting better as the months roll along, sans the physical branches.

I'm nearly certain HSBC doesn't pick up the bill for other banks' ATM fees, but there are ATMs in chain drug stores and the like that are cheap (or maybe even free).

"there are ATMs in chain drug stores and the like that are cheap (or maybe even free)."

DO NOT use free-standing ATMs in stores, unless it's clearly owned by a bank (like the Chase machines in Duane Reades).

Too many of those "generic" ATMs are hacked into (and even installed by, unknown to the store owners) by identity thieves.

My BofA money market acct is pathetic, may as well be zero. To be fair, the pathetic amount seems to the norm in most big banks, another reason why I'm looking around....

The ones I'm talking about are owned by actors, who are in fact trained liars.

But is this identity-thief-installed ATM phenomenon an actual fact, or based on your "personal experience"?

"But is this identity-thief-installed ATM phenomenon an actual fact, or based on your "personal experience"?"

Fact. It's been widely reported on by the local television stations and newspapers, and my own network television network.

your own network network? how many networks do you own?

RE: ING, they are being forced to ING DIRECT as part of their bailout. So you may end up where you started next year anyway with them

After pocketing €10 billion in aid and €12 billion in guarantees from the Dutch government last year, ING – which has around 85 million clients in over 40 countries – is being asked to get rid of its insurance business, as well as ING Direct US, Asset Management and Private Banking. After investigating a January guarantee by the Dutch government for an illiquid asset back-up facility covering 80% of ING’s portfolio of US$39 billion (€26 billion), the Commission says it is happy with a compromise that the bank will pay back an additional €1.3 billion for the scheme.

The bank, one of the world’s largest, will be subject to a stringent ban on price leadership, meaning it will not be able to undercut competitors. When asked about the prospect of putting a cap on returns for ING investors, Kroes said, “A client at that bank should expect modest returns at Christmas”. The bank will also carve out mortgage bank Westland Utrecht Hypotheekbank (WUH) to step up competition in the Dutch retail banking market.

He saw it on teevee, so it's true. He even linked to the webisode on his network television network.

There's been a lot of press about atm skimmers throughout the NYC area.

I use ING Direct since 2003 (I think) and I'm quite happy with it.

Note that you must have a brick & mortar bank established to link to your ING account. So while I don't use my HSBC much, that's the brick & mortar bank I need opened to have the ING properly linked.

For ING Electric Orange interest checking, they'll issue you with a debit/ATM card. Withdrawals are free if you use any ATMs that are part of the Allpoint Access network. I usually find them in Duane Reades and CVS.

Lemme know if you need more details.

A_B - Go figure... ING is not an option then. I'll have to google ING more. HSBC is also under the scorn of the Scottish and UK gov't, but what big bank isn't from their country?

I have free atm withdrawals from any bank/atm. If I get charged $2.00 or whatever from a bodega, BofA pays the fee and credits my account. Too bad HSBC and ING doesn't offer it.

It takes some getting used to but you can manage cash withdrawals more efficiently with a little discipline.

BTW, HSBC is really a Hong Kong country of origin bank.

HSBC = Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank...

HSBC incorporated in England and Wales, and headquartered in London since 1993

but moving the CEO to Hong Kong this year

HSBC Holdings (HSBA.L) (0005.HK) is swinging its power base back to its place of birth 144 years ago by moving its chief executive to Hong Kong as it increasingly focuses on Asia.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE58O1RV20090925

Ya and to further muddy the waters, Hong Kong was an english colony then. :)

Still,in my eyes at least, it's a Hong Kong bank.

1onewon - "I have free atm withdrawals from any bank/atm. If I get charged $2.00 or whatever from a bodega, BofA pays the fee and credits my account."

That is pretty generous. No way is that regular banking. Do you have a private banking, high net worth account with BofA? If that is the case, you're not going to get that type of services with the other banks unless you have private banking with them as well.

It is worth it to build a long term banking relationship with a bank that will reward you. I have been with Citibank for 15 years and couldn't be happier with their service. The account number is only 8 digits, so it's easy to remember. The greatest feature is that Citibank treats all my deposits as cash on receipt. I'm told that the bank discriminates in making deposit funds available, so you need to bank with them for a while, and may need to meet other standards. I have the absolute lowest level of account service, which was a downgrade specifically requested to avoid fees, but that level of service sill provides me with worldwide ATMs, a debit card, teller services and online banking. My balance is allowed to approach zero at the end of each month as there is no minimum requirement.

polydoa - they (ING Direct) don't charge for epayments (or bill pay). You can also pay (or wire) to individuals free. Pretty nifty and I use it to pay my friends back when they spot me. Never asked them to draft a check but they do offer it.

ps - Yes, I do, but damn, I kept getting abused by their credit card department. Enough is enough. It's like dealing with Verizon and their many "separate" companies, i.e. wireless is a different company from fios internet and from home phone and so on. You get the idea....

Though, I'm not going to do private banking anymore - many reasons, but most important I don't have as much as I did before....

jnyc - So, what's the catch? What do they charge for (the hidden charges)?

TD bank has a type of account that earns interest and if you keep an average DAILY balance of $1500 reimburses ATM fees. Plus they have the free coinstar machine and are open on Sundays.

TD bank's "penny arcade" machines are also available to non-customers so take advantage regardless of where you bank.

1OneWon - I had to check what fees they do charge as I've never done anything to incur an extra charge. Except once and it was because I used a Chase ATM and Chase charged me. Look through their FAQ and they answer the fee question.

I was a skeptic and I remembered asking the same question and grilled the customer service rep. about fees and how could they make their money without nickle and diming?