open an ING account

INGDirect is now paying 4.50% on an 18-month CD.

Others are paying :

Bank of America 2.75%

Washington Mutual 4.00%

E* Trade 3.00%

Chase 2.25%

Wachovia 1.80%

Since there is now minimum amount required to open an account, someone could open a CD for what they normally spend on coffee in a week.

I wanted to do this after having a small finance unit in grade 11 math. I now keep most of my money in ING and I’ve earned much more interest than I ever will when keeping it in a savings account at the bank.

.... it’s time to open an Orange CD Ladder

I started doing this some time ago but really haven’t followed through – and it’s so simple to do. The brilliant thing about ING is that a CD can be opened for any amount, any, no minimum. It’s a great way to always have “emergency cash” available as some funds will always be maturing soon.

oh God, it was wonderful, after trudging all the way around Brussels trying to find someone who would have me. Every bank I went into had a larger office elsewhere until finally I came across the giant ING building on Avenue Marnix. To say that it is imposing is an understatement. Its huge forecourt is like a skating rink in winter. It is heads down under the umbrellas in strong winds. The rest of the time, it simply serves as a smoking area for bored banquing employees. Those who banque on their lunchbreaks, anyway. So, they have a suite of rooms, all named after famous composers. I was shown into Beethoven and the cute banquer closed the door after me. There was a hushed silence and we looked at eachother. Coffee ?, she said. I nodded. She pressed a button under her table and a moment later another cutess arrived carrying a silver platter. ‘How do you like it, Fromatto ? I like my coffee black, I said, trying not to think of the scene in Airplane. ‘I have to ask you some questions first’, she said. ‘Espresso or allongé ?’. I hate to be given choices, but the atmosphere was tense. Two banquing employees waiting on my answer. I let their question hang in the air for several seconds before saying, ‘espresso, and make it a double’. They looked at eachother and then back at me. Mr Fromatto, you do realize that you are a first time customer with us, are you sure you can handle a double ?’ I wasn’t, but I wasn’t gonna let them know that. ‘Hit me’, I said, and very slowly the cutess with the silver platter slid into the chair next to me. And that’s how I got a bank account.

Here’s a picture of some chairs.

well, i signed-up online for an account.
just waiting for the verification process to take place.
i signed up for a savings account,
but i think i might also sign up for a checking account with them in a few months if i like this.

i’ve heard such good reviews and advice about ING.
they offer better interest rates than my new savings account.
i am considering putting most of my savings into an ING account and keeping some in my regular savings and normal amount in my checking. it seems like a really good idea.

Ditto what everyone else said. Great interest, customer service etc. I think they can offer such high interested because they don’t have the overhead of a brick and mortar bank.

I opened my account to get the $25 bonus, and it has served me well. I am also using it to buy year long cd’s for 5.4%
Before this my savings was earning 0.75% at my regular bank.

I opened an account in 2001. After 9/11, the rates dropped, but they still offered better interest rates than “brick and mortar” banks. The rates have since gone up, and I’m very pleased to see my money growing so nicely. You can set up automatic transfers from other bank accounts and even have paychecks direct deposited (I think). I used a regular bank for checking but all of my savings is at ING. Their customer service is always helpful, and they respond quickly to requests. It is one of the few banks I feel pleasure doing business with! Definitely worth it.

Are there any catches to this? I was looking at their web site for the personal savings plan, and it almost looks too good to be true? No minimum account balance, no fees, withdraw anytime, and like 5% interest?

What’s up with that? And does my regular bank charge me for transferring money to the ING account?