Flakeless in Seattle.

[susandennis]

Last night the weather twinkies were all aflutter with snow predictions.  They had 2 inches at sea level (me).  And, of course, today brings the same amount of snow we always get. 

There isn't even any on the Amazon Hill (which is really Beacon Hill which I can see from here and occasionally has snow on it when they predict sea level accumulation - it's also where Amazon has its HQ).

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My checklist of stuff - check new bank accounts, check insurance, check roomba - is all getting checked off nicely.

I opened a money market account at GMAC after doing some research.  My requirements are simple:
- high interest rate
- easy access to the cash
- download to Microsoft Money
- easy online access

GMAC totally failed on the last two.  Their log in scheme is so convoluted giving up a blood sample and using a decoder ring would make it easier.  And their Microsoft Money connection is only a hair better than Type It In Yourself.  So I told them to close the account nearly minutes after I opened it.  They returned the money fairly easily but I can still see the account. I want it wiped out. I'm not hopeful.

I did MORE research this time and went with Capital One Money Market.  So far, it's getting max stars.

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Work is changing insurance schemes.  So Premera - the old one - has put me in the 'only deal with this set of customers if you absolutely have to and spit on them if you can' category.  Fortunately, the only thing I really want from them is $50 more dollars in contact lens reimbursement.  They've had the claim for six weeks.  Again. I'm not hopeful.

Faithful readers will remember the hassles I had with my doctor a few months ago until I switched to my new man doctor.  He wanted to see me on January 16 BUT my work is switching insurance companies and the new one does not kick in until February and they advise that we postpone any medical thing that can be easily moved til February.

So today I called the man doctor's office.  Now, with the old doctor, moving a January 16 appointment on January 10 would likely take until March to get finalized.

Today, the man doctor's office answered on the 2nd ring.  I asked if I could move my appointment to February and I would like an early morning one, please.  Quick as a wink, she said 'how about Friday, February 2 at 7:40?' 

How can you not love that??!!

Comments

[cpratt.livejournal.com]

FWIW, if Capital One doesn't work out, E*TRADE Bank has a fine savings account at 5.05% that should meet your criteria (I'm a satisfied customer; it works fine with Money and can transfer into my checking account quickly).

[susandennis]

Interesting! Thank you! I had an e*trade account years ago. I can't remember now how they fell out of favor. I think it might have been the Money interface they had back then.

[cpratt.livejournal.com]

The Money interface is brain dead (in a good way) - just enter the same user name and password and Bob's your uncle.

Now, Emigrant Direct... ugh. Don't you love passwords so difficult that you can't remember them? How about auto-locking the account after a single failed sign-in? Talk about horrible... my account there lasted one day.

[susandennis]

Yeah Emigrant Direct fell off my radar early but I can't remember why. Actually I was surprised that so many of the online places touting high yield savings and money market offered no or convoluted access to Money (and Quicken for that matter).

[bemocked.livejournal.com]

for what it is worth... I have been a loyal devotee to Compass Bank (http://compassbank.com) for more than 5 years precisely because of how fabulous their Web-Banking is (really, really important when you are living out of the country). I use Quicken, so I can't comment on Money interface per see - but they specifically support export to Money, and i can't image that it would be anything but sleek given how smooth all other aspects of their PCBanking operates...

They stretch across the southern 1/2 of the country as far West as New Mex, as far as brick and mortar branches - but on the upside they will never charge a service fee when you use any other bank's ATM, AND they will refund and service fees the ATM owner tacks on for any ATM you use (the down side is you have to mail in the receipts from the ATM transaction where the service fee was charged... I keep them handy in an envelope on my desk, and mail them in once or twice a year.