Question regarding pay during bootcamp

[ScottishLass]

First let me say, that my son is in Boot camp now (not me) and he was wanting his family to come to his graduation. He added me to his bank account with the navy, and I am supposed to be getting a debit card, which I have not recieved yet, however, he wanted me to have access to his account so we could use the money to come to his graduation. He graduates Oct 28th, and so far I dont believe their is any money in his account. So in alittle over 3 weeks he will be graduating, and I am not sure if we can go if no money is in his account. Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Navy Mom

[Craig]

First let me say, that my son is in Boot camp now (not me) and he was wanting his family to come to his graduation. He added me to his bank account with the navy, and I am supposed to be getting a debit card, which I have not recieved yet, however, he wanted me to have access to his account so we could use the money to come to his graduation. He graduates Oct 28th, and so far I dont believe their is any money in his account. So in alittle over 3 weeks he will be graduating, and I am not sure if we can go if no money is in his account. Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Navy Mom
Since most sailors use Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU) I will talk about that.
Alot of sailors mess this part up. They have their money going into a savings account and not the checking account. So, once you are added to the account, then I would log on to www.NavyFCU.org Once there, you will see all of his accounts (ie both savings and checking), then you would just transfer the money into his checking, and use the ATM to get the money out.
You can also call NFCU 24x7 at 1-888-842-6328 and see if your a joint owner.

You have to go to the graduation even if you must take out a loan. It is really remarkable. It's a HUGE thing.

btw: I love your user name. I was stationed in Scotland, and both of my kids were born there....

[Jojo(Rich'smom)]

Hi Craig.
So I just saw you mentioned NFCU...My son didn't open an account there cause the nearest one was pretty far AND Chase bank came to his recruiters office and spoke to the recruiters about the Chase Military Account. He opened an account with them and put me on it as a signer...he figured it was best in case I ever need to take care of his bills,etc. should he ever aquire any.
In any case, my question is ...would it be better if he does open up an account with NFCU and close his Chase or should we just leave it alone?

He doesnt ship out till September 18...so If we need to do anything i'd rather do it while he is still here.

[LT Guppy]

Chase is NOT military friendly. They have the "military accounts" but the reality is they will not work with you when it comes to deployments or PCS moves.

I would definitely go with Navy Fed. Even though there isn't one close to you, their phone/internet support is great. And they are more understanding about the circumstances faced by the military.

[Jojo(Rich'smom)]

oh wow....i will have to do that then....so glad i asked!! thanks!

[Jojo(Rich'smom)]

NFCU application is on the way!! :)

[jalexander29]

Another good bank is USAA. I've had mine for 10 years. Online access and you can go and deposit checks thru a ups store if you dont have a financial center close by. They also deposit money at the end of the month if you make a withdrawl from a machine that isnt theirs. NFCU is good but I prefer USAA plus I get a discount for my car insurance by have USAA. They take care of it all!

[cttaef21]

Hi Craig.
So I just saw you mentioned NFCU...My son didn't open an account there cause the nearest one was pretty far AND Chase bank came to his recruiters office and spoke to the recruiters about the Chase Military Account. He opened an account with them and put me on it as a signer...he figured it was best in case I ever need to take care of his bills,etc. should he ever aquire any.
In any case, my question is ...would it be better if he does open up an account with NFCU and close his Chase or should we just leave it alone?

He doesnt ship out till September 18...so If we need to do anything i'd rather do it while he is still here.Nearest one might be far now, but once he is in, it will be much easier...You can sign up now, but it's not really a big deal to wait until boot camp...Most people seemed to do that when I was there(as did I)...They are very helpful and informative. and they hand deliver your debit card and walk you through all the steps...They also offer a credit card as well...If your son is responsible, it would be good to get, helps to build credit and establish proper spending habits...I had a credit card prior to boot camp that I only used to buy dorm accessories and paid it back right away...Got an $11k credit limit through Navy Fed...I just used it to last month to purchase my flight home for leave...and the iPhone app is great, it even lets me pay my credit card...I couldn't be happier with Navy Fed so far