What's the procedure to change branches?

Did you try talking to somebody at the branch that you want to change to? The process may be simpler than you think....

I've done this about 5 years ago. I just went to the new branch to ask some questions on transferring branches and they handled everything in the spot.

If CIBC is anything like TD, you simply go to whichever branch you want to deal at. Doesn't matter where the original accounts were opened. This is the age when information flows seamlessly over networks, though I do realize some of the major banks haven't got on board yet.

Call them.

I think they will transfer or have to open new accounts similar.

When I moved across town I went to the local branch of my bank and asked to move my accounts from the corner branch near my previous house to this branch near my new house. Teller didn't know what to do about the request. Head teller came over and said that the bank doesn't really think in terms of branches being independent entities serving only their local area customers anymore, and that there was no reason to move accounts to this branch from my old one.

I said "but I don't want to have to drive across town to the old branch now" and he said that I can do all my banking at this branch and never have to go to the old branch again and the bank is fine with that. In the early 1980s it mattered which branch you were with (limits on what one could do at other branches than one's home branch, withdrawn limits, etc.), but now it does not mater as the bank's internal rules have changed. He said the only reason I would ever have to visit my old branch was in the event of fraudsters skimming my ATM card - in that instance one has to meet with staff at home branch to sign papers. His recommendation was leave my accounts at the old branch and just do all my in-branch banking at the new one. Since I do most of my banking online anyway, I said okay. Never been back to my old branch since then.

i haven't dealt with home branch since forever, when I moved I told my banks and they are say doesn't matter, i even open new accounts with other branches, honestly doesn't matter at all, you just have to remember not to mess up the branch info when doing direct deposit

My RBC home branch is even in a different province, hundreds of miles away. Never had any issues with banking at a branch near me in the past 20 years.

The issue i found with moving branches....

if you have an old grandfathered account.... you wouldn't be able to keep it...

you would need to open a current account that is available...

so i say don't bother...

I think many people (like me) have their "home branch" still in the town they went to college/university/first job etc. in, and haven't lived there for years, and will probably never live there again.

the only time i needed to go to my home branch is for them to certify a cheque. Since cheque numbers has routing that points specifically to your home branch, only the home branch can certify them.

aside from that, i'm not sure if home branch means anything else in the technology age.

The only thing that the bank ever needs to be changed is the address in which the bank keeps, this determines where to mail your info. Modern accounts are no longer tied to branches as there is no paper trail to follow at a branch, it would have been scanned and uploaded to your account. Banks treat branches like wireless cell stores, they have physical employees to help you out, they have phone customer service who has the same powers as a teller, anything requiring physical location just needs you to be at a branch to sign or verify.

MadCanadian wrote: ↑ The only thing that the bank ever needs to be changed is the address in which the bank keeps, this determines where to mail your info. Modern accounts are no longer tied to branches as there is no paper trail to follow at a branch, it would have been scanned and uploaded to your account. Banks treat branches like wireless cell stores, they have physical employees to help you out, they have phone customer service who has the same powers as a teller, anything requiring physical location just needs you to be at a branch to sign or verify.

I take it you have the fortune of not dealing with Scotiabank. Recently I spent about 20 minutes watching employees physically follow a paper trail at a branch, and I do mean paper trail. Phone customer service directs me to a branch at least half the time. Some things are completely inaccessible to them because there is simply no online record. One time they told me they couldn't pull up a file because someone else had it at the time. Let me repeat that - someone else had the file... in their office. When I needed a copy, I had to take it to work to scan it myself because they don't even have digital scanners, just basic photocopiers. A Scotiabank branch is less like a wireless store and more like a historical exhibit.

I moved branches and my transit number for my account still stays with my old branch just my address on file gets updated and i deal with a new personal financial advisor, everything else stays the same u dont need to open new acounts u dont need to transfer funds etc

I know we've gotten off topic but just for fun...

Over a decade ago I lost my bank card while at university. I called to have it cancelled and they said to go to my home branch to get a new one. As I was at school with a meal plan, I fortunately didn't need cash and waited a few weeks before I went home.

Just recently, I had to update some banking info for a non-profit I am involved with. There 3 of us that needed to sign and for some reason the account is in the middle of nowhere (Vaughan). It is virtually impossible to get all three of us in place together. So two of us go into a North York branch where the rep lined up all the paper work and we signed. She then sends the paperwork to a third branch where last person makes an appointment and signs. The files then go back to North York branch were rep updates the computer systems, then sends the files to original account branch for filing. Thank you TD!

nmclean wrote: ↑ I take it you have the fortune of not dealing with Scotiabank. Recently I spent about 20 minutes watching employees physically follow a paper trail at a branch, and I do mean paper trail. Phone customer service directs me to a branch at least half the time. Some things are completely inaccessible to them because there is simply no online record. One time they told me they couldn't pull up a file because someone else had it at the time. Let me repeat that - someone else had the file... in their office. When I needed a copy, I had to take it to work to scan it myself because they don't even have digital scanners, just basic photocopiers. A Scotiabank branch is less like a wireless store and more like a historical exhibit.

Not surprised seeing this. 3 or 4 months ago I saw a Scotia ATM, and it looked like a Soviet Era control panel for a space ship

Like everyone has said here, the branch where the account is opened no longer matters. And if you really want to switch it, any branch will be able to do it for you by opening a new account with a brand new account number.

The only bank I've had an issue with this is HSBC. If you opened your account in a, say for example, Vancouver, BC branch. It'll forever be tied to that branch no matter how many times you close and open your account. Even if you open an account in HSBC Ontario.