Consumer complaint received 2025-02-15 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: UT

Complaint narrative:
I received an email on XXXX telling me that my savings account ( and other accounts ) will be closed within 60 days because I had " violated the terms of your account per the client manual ''. I spent XXXX hours on the phone trying to understand what I had done wrong and they told me on various occasions that they could not tell me over the phone and that it would be best if I go into a branch or wait until a letter is mailed to me. 

There are no branches within XXXX miles of my house, and so going into a branch is normally impossible. However, I was in XXXX XXXX, Utah at the time I received the email and I learned there was a branch in XXXX XXXX, Nevada ( XXXX hours away ). 

So after waisting several hours on the phone getting no answers, I drove XXXX hours to XXXX XXXX. In XXXX XXXX, I was told that a deposit I had submitted had my wife 's name associated with that money. ( The money was formerly in my wife 's XXXX account, but her name is not on the Citi savings account where I moved it to. ) My wife does not work, and so I contribute money to both her XXXX XXXX IRA and to my XXXX XXXX IRA. In 2024, I exceeded the income limitations of the XXXX IRA and so XXXX needed to return those funds to me. So I had my XXXX IRA funds transfered to my XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX and then into my Citi savings account. I had my wife 's XXXX IRA funds transfered to a joint credit union, XXXX, and then moved that money from XXXX to XXXX and then into the Citi savings. ( XXXX ) I did not realize it was not permissible to move that money into my Citi account. ( XXXX ) Citi said I could remedy the situation, but would need to have my wife drive back to XXXX XXXX and have her added to the account. Unfortately, we are unable to go back to XXXX XXXX, and so I have no choice but to let my account close, and have my savings held hostage for 60 days. 

Again, I did not realize what I had done was wrong. Furthermore, I couldn't even found out what I did was wrong until XXXX hours of relentless effort to understand what the problem was. Then, once I found out what the problem was, I was presented with an option that I simply could not do due to schedule constraints. 

Maybe Citi could have saved me A LOT of time and frustration by saying, " some money was deposited that had your wife 's name on it. We can not accept that money and we are returning it. '' Instead of, " you did something wrong. We won't tell you what you did wrong. And we are going to hold your money hostage for 60 days and close all of your Citi account. '' Throughout this whole experience, I have found Citi to be completely frustrating, unwilling to work with me, and a typical " big bank '' who cares nothing for their customers, and only cares about their shareholders. After getting similar treatment from XXXX XXXX several years ago, I swore I would never bank with big banks again and stick with credit unions who have treated me so well. Well, like a dog after its own vomit, I went back to a big bank, and... once again... got screwed. I have learned my lesson, and will NEVER bank with a big bank again. I am happy to keep my money with credit unions.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief