With more banking consumers moaning louder over their bank relationships, startups and tools are emerging to simplify the FI dumping process.
Yesterday, web-based software and research company Facilitas Inc. went public with such a service. Called the BankSwitcher SwitchKit, the program hopes to remove the headache of closing an account by guiding a consumer step-by-step on how to ditch his FI, as well as provide him with the digital paperwork to get the job done. The price to get the break-up-with-your-bank goods? $14.95 per customer, with a $9.95 special deal currently running.
I trialed the program yesterday. After letting BankSwitcher in on my very few automatic bill pay and reoccurring deposit details online, I soon received a follow-up email with a PDF attached. The document gave me the scoop on the steps to take to close the chapter with my current bank as well as the necessary materials to fill out to put me back on the market for a better checking account partner. The experience was sweet and simple, which is great. Historically, ending a banking relationship hasn’t been easy, which we discussed here. Granted, I have yet to heed the SwitchKit’s advice.
The question that remains to be seen for the new service is whether people are willing to call it quits with their current banks and pay for break-up advice. With Occupy Wall Street still going strong, Bank Transfer Day around the corner, and plenty of consumers moaning over new debit fees, we imagine the time to pull the trigger is inching closer for some, but for the masses, ending their FI relationships is not on the radar — yet.