And many depositors feel more secure banking with a big entity than a smaller one. If you frequently cash foreign-currency checks, it may be a good idea to do this at small banks like Liu Chong to save on fees. But keep your ATM-linked accounts in a big bank for the convenience. Find out, however, whether either bank levies a charge if your total balance falls below a certain amount. You can take the opposite tack and consolidate all your accounts in one bank.
Loyal clients are more likely to have fees waived than casual customers.
If you take the hint and do what the bank wants i.e., open the right kind of account, sign up for a credit card and take out a mortgage you could hopefully avoid some of their excess service charges. So wait until you have a significant amount before going to the bank. It works for English teacher Patrick Kim, who deposits three or four U.S.-dollar checks at one go. HSBC charges the same flat fee for any number of checks as long as they are put in together. But he complains about the bank's arbitrary decision-making.