Astoria Federal Savings and Loan Association

Pros: Umm.. ATM card is pretty?
Cons: Poor customer service, countless problems.. see review

I joined Astoria Federal Savings in 1995, since I was able to get a free account as a high sc ...

Pros: Kids Accts, Total Checking Plus, Friendly
Cons: Don't have online banking services like Citibank

I love my "home town" bank. I ended up at Astoria, after I was turned down for a loan at Greenpoint Savings, which at that time 6 years ago, was my only banking institution.

I had been shopping around for a loan to redo my kitchen....

Pros: No fee for checking with minimum balance
Cons: Lots of other fees. Poor customer service.

My husband and I chose Astoria when we moved to New York because it was the closest to our home. We opened the basic account, which has a minimum balance in order to avoid fees. Our checks were held for a long time, which made the task of keeping up...

Pros: I can't think of any
Cons: no really free checking, too many fees, long lines, no full atm coverage, lousy customer phone service, no online banking, poor locations

I keep hearing this line "best free checking in New York" associated with Astoria Federal but unfortunately I haven't seen any of it! I actually didn't even join up with Astoria by free will. I had opened an account with Long Island Savings...

Pros: Totally free checking
Cons: Poor customer service, lots of "nickel and diming"

In the mid-1990s Astoria Federal, a mostly Queens and Long Island based bank, bought out a small 3-branch savings bank in Westchester. Since Consumer Reports said it was the best "free checking" deal in the NY Area and we were frequently near the ...

Pros: They are across the street from my house.
Cons: Dumb Policies; not Customer-Friendly.

I had a savings account with Astoria Federal from 1999 to 2006, that I closed earlier today. There was a moderate amount of money in the account. Because this was a savings account and I do everything within my power to avoid taking money from it, ...

Pros: best checking
Cons: rude & incompetent employees, different branches can't serve you, computers don't have information past two months, can't get much help over the phone

i have to hand it to them - they do have the best checking available. free checking: no minimum balance, you buy the checks, the first deposit has a float of ten days and all following deposits are floated for three days unless you already have another...

Pros: none
Cons: long holds on the phone. poor record keeping

Long waits on hold. Lost files. Lost tax records. In my opinion very poor customer service. My mortgage broker even stopped doing business with them because of so many complaints. They do not "Put people first"!!

Just one example...

Pros: Customer Service, convenient locations, FREE checking
Cons: no drive-up window, no pc banking...yet.

Astoria Federal Savings Bank is a traditional bank located in New York with branches throughout the New York City and Long Island. They remember what banking was supposed to be and strive to keep the concept of a "neighborhood" bank alive.
...

Pros: Close to home. Nice puddle for ducks in the parking lot.
Cons: Website. Treatment of customers. Sales gimmicks. Incompetence.

I admit that I was a bit tired from my move from Texas when I opened an account at Astoria. I permit ...

Pros: Good customer service, easy checking
Cons: High minimums for interest earning accounts, service charges for atm use

This bank has its good and bad sides. They have good customer service, plenty of atm's around, easy free checking, and extra banking hours. I wanted to open a savings account, and was very surprised to learn of the high minimum balance required in order...

Pros: Free checking, helpful employees, internet banking.
Cons: Interest rates on MMA, CD's; Website should have more info regarding rates, terms etc.

I've had accounts with Astoria since the "Suburbia" days. I've had accounts with several other banks as well.
One of them, Dime Savings was impossible to deal with. How many mistakes they made with my account and refused to admit it even though I...

Pros: Friendly Loan Officer
Cons: Horrible service from Underwriters and Mortgage Processor

If you are applying for a mortgage, all I can say is STAY AWAY from Astoria Federal! I applied for a mortgage in March of 2008. At the end of April my loan officer at Astoria Federal knew exactly the terms I was looking for, 5% down on a new ...

Pros: Free Checking
Online BillPay
Great CD rates
Cons: None

Most of these reviews for the Astoria Bank are between 2-8 years old. Some of them seem to be written by "inexperienced" bank users, and those always having a "problem" caused by their own carelessness or by impossible requests.

One such comment: "With every statement, I would get junk mail. Pieces of paper encouraging me to buy into promotion after promotion." WELL HOOP-DE-DOO", banks have done this forever. Get real.

This bank provides free checking, great CD rates (often in the top of the ratings charts), and free online BillPay.

For the most part, Astoria Federal is an excellent institution, that provides free and reasonably priced services that put the BIG commercial banks to shame.

Pros: None that I can think of.
Cons: Their customer service.

I had a mortgage with Astoria since July 2004. In November 2005 I received notification that my mortgage would now be serviced by Countrywide. When I called Astoria for my year end statement of interest paid for the eleven months in 2005,, three different people informed me that my name, social security number, and original loan # was non-existent. No one has been able to help me. They often disconnected me from my call, or it rings back to the main number after being on hold for a certain amount of time, and I was never able to call back and speak with the person I was previously speaking with.