Pacific Alliance Bank

Quite Decent Local Bank

I found Pacific Alliance a couple of years ago, when chasing CD interest rates. They had a 1.68% APY 2-year CD rate at the time, a special deal. I’d had my CD all over the U.S. at banks i’d never seen; it was a coincidence that Pacific Alliance was near me (easy drive or long bicycle ride).

A few months after setting up the CD, i moved my local “brick and mortar” checking account from Chase to Pacific Alliance. I’m quite happy and have no regrets. Sure, it’s a bit less convenient to bicycle many miles to their one branch vs. going to one of Chase’s bazillion branches, but it’s worth it to be out of a too-big-to-fail megabank. Pacific Alliance provides friendly, traditional bank services. It is the kind of place where they remember your name.

I’m a paper check kinda guy (for local banking, at least), so i do not have experience with Pacific Alliance’s online interface.

The great CD rate expired and they couldn’t come close to matching some of the better (as in: least worst) rates out there when i asked, so that’s done, but i plan to keep my free (local) checking with them. I definitely recommend locals consider Pacific Alliance, and personally i’d trust them as an “away” customer if in the future they offer any good deals.