Ability to have multiple sub-accounts under the main account. For example, you don’t just get Checking/Savings, you can have multiple checking or savings accounts under a single main account #/login.
An ATM card can be issued for any one of the Checking accounts not just the primary “billpayer” checking account
Check images are included in your statements
You can copy and paste amounts into your billpayer.
Your transactions persist online at least 2 years.
Your statements persist online at least 5-10 years.
I have banked with Wells Fargo since a teen (still have my original checking acct). I believe WF can do #1, #3, maybe #5 and #6. I have a Premier Account which when I log in online I see all of my accounts including my linked Mom’s accounts that I help her with paying any utilities from her own rentals. I don’t know that any bank out there does all that you ask (wo a fee) and has the following, many branches and decent open hours at branches. Pre-covid, WF used to be open to 6pm on Saturdays!!! Great, when I want to deposit rent checks/cash when I make my weekend rounds.
I don’t recommend BofA because their hours suck and at least up here in SF/SM county they are closing branches.
I also bank with HSBC since they are global which is useful should I semi perm stay in Malaysia in the future so sending cash to and from US is already set up. If not for that aspect, I would not recommend them actually.
I hear First Republic is good if you have a lot of money but again they don’t have the branches or hours that fit my lifestyle.
Now I’m pissed. We swapped banks from one FCU to another and I cannot find the statements for the old bank. I’d assumed they stopped coming in because we weren’t using them anymore. But they only keep pictures of the checks for 6 months. HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO TAXES if I don’t know what checks I wrote for donations??? And they say that they keep the data for 2 years. What a lie!!!
Seriously pissed. If we get audited, it’s going to be a mess.
Don’t you have either the letters or emails from the various organizations that you donated to? I mean, UCLA usually sends a thank you letter or a receipts type of letter. If you remember the organizations that you donated to, I bet you can contact them for a receipt letter if they can trace your donation.
Unless you are declaring an extremely high amount of donations (relative to income level, etc) you probably won’t get audited. And assuming you are relatively consistent year over year with your donation amounts I would think you can show say the prior year(s) that proof so that you can say that yes while you dont technically have it for the year in question you can prove the prior year which is hopefully similar.
Yes and No. First, I’ve found that sometimes the letters aren’t correct, sometimes they’ve been misplaced, sometimes they don’t have dates of the donations (which makes a difference - I need to know the year they were received) and they don’t have to send you letters for smaller amounts. Also, the letters can be in emails not snail mail - occasionally they’re sent as personal emails if the donation is to a friend’s small non-profit (I have a friend who runs a program in Tanzania for example). So it’s MUCH easier for me to go through my checking account check photos and credit card listings than my email (I have 18000 emails backed up in my Inbox, and unfortunately searching for “tax-deductible” brings up way more emails that are soliciting, not donations.). Sometimes the letters are never sent.
Give that about 80% of the checks I write are donations, glancing through check photos is WAY easier than looking for receipts.
Hrm. I hadn’t considered this. I’ve always considered the IRS to require proof or “else”.
