Reading all the posts, wow, Citizens Bank sure attracts their share of deadbeats who don't keep track of their financial affairs. Their charges are designed to get rid of people like you, because your balances are too low to make much of a profit and you want to use their capital to cover your bills. Sorry chumps, but if you make any deposit on a weekend, the bank can't use your money until Monday in the afternoon. Because nobody else wants you, they can gouge you for fees.

That all said, I am getting ready to leave Citizens Bank. I moved all my accounts to them when the nicely, but grossly unprofitable Bank Boston was acquired by Fleet Bank, a bank known for the worst retail, commercial and any other kind of service in New England. Citizens' had acquired the local S&L that financed the addition on my house and then acquired the commercial banking business of a former employer and so puff, I had several Citizens accounts Across several branches, service was great. Also, during my brief and unpleasant career in banking, I learned that Citizens had no clue as to customer profitability and did not care. Citizens offered me products that had to cost more than the bank made by lending my deposits and charging me fees. Whenever, I saw a fee, I would ask any newly minted loan officer, what the fee was for and they would give me a rebate, and do an officer override to eliminate any future such fees. (Oh yeah, I deposit lots of money with these guys, so the local people think I might be a profitable customer, but I sweep it all out and have lots of expensive teller deposits.

Well, as anyone should no, all good things come to an end, and I have been expecting the end for the last 5 years. Two years ago, Citizen's Bank honchos made the speaking rounds in the forums I attend saying we are now a big bank and so will lend like a big bank. (No body thought they would and they didn't.) That was the clue that Citizens would soon be a big bank and try and screw me. I did my research and the bank across the street, looked like a winner, or at least not a loser. Two years ago, I opened a college account at the new bank for my son to test the waters. Finally, the red light went on, Citizens now wants to charge me $5 every time I use my overdraft protection. What, that is BS. So it is time to walk. So, in the fall, when I am back from vacation, my two business accounts will walk across the street and I will close my two personal accounts and use one new account with USAA, which gets great reviews.

Citizens has nice people in their branches and I hope they can find work in the local banks who will take Citizens business. That will leave the poor Brits holding the bag as they should, since Royal Bank of Scotland took all of Citizens Bank customer's money and invested in sub-prime loans which are now wroth didly.