I got a home loan from Fremont Bank back in 2021. At the time, they encouraged me to get a home equity loan as well; I thought it was free. Apparently, it's only free the first year. For years, I've been logging into my home screen and it never showed a balance due. I also never got a billing for the annual fees. But this morning, when I clicked on my HELOC account button, it showed a balance due of $225. I phoned their customer service line and was told that I'm charged $75 per year to keep the account open. They never sent a billing for that annual fee or I would have closed it earlier. To close the account, I will now have to pay $225 plus around $175 in fees. I wonder how many elderly people forget about their Fremont Bank HELOCs, only to discover they owe hundreds, if not thousands to Fremont Bank when they, or their heirs, go to sell their homes? Update at 5:58PM, same day I posted, I got a call from Valerie and she waived the $225. I'm impressed with how responsive they were. Sure, I have to pay the recording fees, etc. to record the reconveyance, but that's just a pass through expense so I'm fine with that. Thank you Fremont Bank!! read more

What's the point of an ATM if it's inside a locked room during the middle of the day?

The worse bank in America. Customer service, and all the personal are the worst. I wish I never got my home loan from them.

This review is specifically for the loan officer, Thomas Chen, based out of this branch. When I first moved to Hayward in 2018, I used a broker to fund my loan and refinanced with another bank after. But when I looked into Fremont Bank'a options, I met Thomas. He called me back almost immediately and I was able to refinance for the 3rd time in Hayward with an awesome no fee or closing cost loan. Fast forward to today when rates are at their highest, I decided to give Thomas a call again to see the purchase options. Boy did I luck out! He was able to preapprove me in literally 1 single day and get me on my way to bid on homes. Then I found one and the rest became turbo speed! Because I wanted to close on the loan before my son started the new school year, Thomas put that as top priority and stayed on top of all correspondence. There were some hiccups with the insurance part (partly due to AAA), but overall, a standard 30-day close turned into a 14 day close. Amazing!! I literally got my offer accepted on 7/21 and closed on 8/7! It would've even closed sooner but again AAA flood insurance can be a pain, but Thomas was still the one that made it all happen so quickly for me. Due to the current market in general, getting a loan wasn't as easy as when it was typically 2.8%, but looking at how fast he kept it moving, I am so grateful to have him as my loan officer! If you want a professional, speedy, no BS mortgage consultant who is looking out for your best interest, I would definitely recommend Thomas Chen as I already have worked with him twice for 2 very different loans and both times he did what he said he would and there were no surprises. Half I feel is due to Thomas disclosing all that is needed upfront and the other half is the Fremont bank team supporting these loans. From normally a stressful experience, Thomas made things as smooth as possible and still so responsive to this day. I am super happy and would definitely come back directly to Thomas for my mortgage needs in the future. read more

Where shall I start. The bank is well kept and nicely set up but I'm confused to why I'm here to cash a check from my employer which banks at this bank and the idiot clerk comes to tell me that he needs to call and verify the check. Hello if you see the funds available what's the problem. Seems suspect to me I wouldn't recommend this bank to a dog. He is lucky I don't have time. Oh and he asked me to sit in the lobby while he verified the check. Since when they do that? read more

Do not bank with fremont they will not do a dispute for unauthorized transactions without making me go to the bank and close my account and open another one it Is cristmas eve and i am pissed i have 5 kids along with a newborn baby and Bill's to pay and i do not have time to go into a bank and go through this hassle they should have just did the dispute and left it at that but they gave me such a hard time and also hung up on me several times when trying to take care of this do not bank with fremont bank read more

I've been banking with Fremont bank for over a year now and I've always had absolutely great experience every time I go there. Staff are very nice. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. Hanana is always helpful and always goes an extra mile to make sure that all your needs are met and you leave the branch satisfied. Would definitely recommend all my friends and family to come here. read more

Our experience with Fremont Bank (Hayward Branch) is more than extraordinary. Not only are the staff very friendly and efficient, they are very coordinated and it is a great team there. Carrie the Manager, Amy at the Counter and especially Thomas Chen, the loan specialist at the Hayward Branch went over and beyond to help us. Our son applied for a loan and our case was not straightforward. When the initial terms that Thomas told us did not work out, he helped us find an alternative, with even better terms. On top of that, Thomas follows through and stays on top of the entire loan process, from meeting loan contingency deadlines all the way to the funding of the loan. Thomas told me and I remembered: "Make sure you copy me on all the emails so I can stay on top of things for you." That is dedication to excellence. He is extremely responsive to our emails, sometimes even during the weekends. A very dedicated worker who takes pride in his work. If you need help with refinancing or making a new purchase , I HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Thomas Chen and Fremont Bank because they think "FOR" you. read more

Martha is such a sweetheart! She opened my account 5 years ago and even now, she's super friendly and really sweet every time I come into this branch! On top of that, they have free coffee or hot chocolate for their customers and because Fremont Bank is local, the whole staff makes sure you get the best service around. Will continue to bank with this branch specifically for a long time! read more

Worst bank ever!!! My family and I had Fremont bank for years until we just decide to leave. 1. You always have to wait in line for like 20min even thou there's only one or two people in front of you. 2. They have a button outside of the bank that you have to press for them to ask you a bunch a question before they let you in. 3. They want to charge you for everything. 4. Managers there are so rude!!!! 5. They always have problems with the Atm machines 6. Online banking sucks!! 7. They steal money from you and then they will tell you they have put it back when is not true. I can keep on going but waste of my time. This bank just sucks!!! Don't recommend this bank to anyone! read more

The staff at this location are top notch to say the least. The customer service is fast, friendly and professional. While all are great professionals, Natalie is who I frequently interact with. She makes every transaction smooth and effortless. She exhibits that customer service and competence that is lacking in today's workforce. This branch is my go to for quick banking so I can actually complete my multitudinous duties of the day. Thank you! read more

I have had my money over at Fremont Bank for about 3 years now, and I could not be happier. They offer all the same stuff I used to have at Wells Fargo, but I really like the B-Charitable checking account they have as well. I get to choose one of the charities they work with, and they will donate to that charity based on whatever my average checking balance was over the last year. Basically, they give away some of their profits to a charity of my choosing, just for doing what I normally do: put my money in the bank. The other day I needed to get something from my safety deposit box, but there was this huge accident on the freeway. I was only a few minutes late, but late is late... and come on, this is a bank. I rang the bell and asked nicely, but didn't have much hope. Carrie - even though I hadn't stepped into the branch in maybe a year - recognized me and came to my rescue. John helped my into the box and kept a great attitude, even though I could tell that they had shut down the computers for the night and had to boot one back up. Also wanted to give Martha, Adriana, and Ami a shout out. I have worked with each of them and they are pretty awesome. They seem to always know when I want to chat a little, or if I need to blast out of there in a hurry, and handle either in stride. I would make these guys my bank twice over if I could. read more

I cashed out of a couple of IRAs but could not come to a local office since I had moved out of the area. The bank agreed to mail the funds but sent them via a non-expedited USPS method. The envelope/check made it to my local post office but it never got delivered so it was returned to the sender. (Fremont Bank) This process started on 10/20/22 and it is now 11/15/22 and I still do not have my funds. The bank is waiting for the envelope/check to be returned from the postal service. The funds should have originally been sent either electronically or via overnight delivery versus normal delivery. Now my funds are being held hostage until the envelope/check are found and returned. This is one of the most frustrating experiences I have ever had. No relief in sight. I strongly encourage you NOT to use Fremont Bank for your banking. As a side note, I reached out to their President and have not received any type of response. Clearly, they do not care about the customer! read more

What a good choice I made to switch to FREMONT Bank! I am no longer a stranger to my own bank.. The manager Carrie Valle is so helpful and the teller Amy So both made me feel special. That really counts in my book. If there were ten stars, it still wouldn't be enough for these two wonderful people. read more

Totally inflexible. They pride themselves on being a "community bank" with personalized customer service but that is baloney. I opened an account years ago and they decided to slap on hidden fees for not logging into their online banking portal frequently enough. When I called them out on it, they will not show any flexibility unless I set up direct deposit. I am a business owner so I can't arrange for direct deposit. Now moving my assets to a friendlier and more accomodating bank. read more

As a small business owner, I knew I made the right decision coming to Fremont Bank. The staff at the Hayward branch are very nice and knowledgeable. Whenever I've had a question or an issue came up, they were quick to find me answers. I highly recommend anyone to bank with the Hayward branch! read more

I love this branch bcos people that works here are very nice... Miss Amy was very helpful.... I'm going to this branch from now on.... tellers are approachable... read more

This is my 3rd time refi with Fremont Bank(refi process took me 3 weeks, very fast) over the last 10 years. I choose them over the big banks because of the personal attention I get from them. And if you need to find out the status of loan application, you can always get hold of someone to help you, either by phone or email at their CS dept. Overall, its been a positive experience. Nothing bad to say about them. read more

This isn't my bank, but I came in here to see a friend. It is much nicer than any bank I've been in. They have coffee and water for customers and a seating area. You can't just walk right in the bank. They have a security camera that you have to wait for them to see your face on the camera before they open the door. Which makes me feel safer here. The tellers were friendly and if I decide to change banks then I would definitely come here. read more

This is by far one of the best banks I have been too. Aside from the coffee, tea, free newspapers, and peppermints, the staff is friendly and extremely helpful. Martha Ramos helped me start my account and was really helpful in helping me set up my the Fremont banking app on my iPhone! I will definitely recommend this branch to others. read more

Super friendly staff. This lady came walking by, even though they were technically closed but I was still here taking care of stuff, and she offered us a beverage. How nice! read more

Great experience with Cindy G. at the Fremont Main (HQ) Branch. I had a few complicated issues to sort out that she immediately understood and handled seamlessly. Throughout, she was very efficient, congenial, pleasant, and easy to work with. Kudos to her for a very pleasant and positive banking experience! read more

I rarely need to visit the bank. But twice in the past few months I needed to and both times after a long drive from Silicon Valley. Both times I asked to use the restroom and both times I was told no! I spoke with manger both times and the answer was a firm no- you can use Starbucks. I've been a Fremont Bank customer for over 30 years now it's time to leave them. Beyond disappointed. read more

They have a great no cost loan program I'm willing to share with my clients/buyers and I'm excited to use them for my real estate deals. In today's market, every extra penny saved matters. The staff is very courteous and professional and very responsive to my emails. read more

This branch is incompetent. Took 20 minutes to deposit a check. Nibila insisted on calling the money order place while the line grew behind me. Go to Patelco it's a way better bank read more

I've been here at least 10 times in the last couple of months. All of the tellers are friendly and the location is REALLY nice.

Fremont Bank is a one on one type of bank which I really like, however when it comes to getting a call back...well... they honestly suck...while refinancing, I left voicemails to the assistant of the loan officer (Leanna) requesting for a call back on questions I had and not once did I receive a call back unless the phone call was beneficial for here question. Refinancing is a win win situation but in this situation...they made it seem as if the win was only from my end...next time, ill refiance at another fremont bank..when I call and leave a voicemail requesting for a call back... I expect one. ...simple read more

Worst branch manager I have ever seen anywhere. Staff is nice but not very detail oriented.

Wouldn't break $100 bill. Father has an account with them, but won't provide any service for non account holders. Few months ago Chase bank provided the service. It's the small things that count and if they won't provide a small friendly service like that then I can't recommend or trust them in the future if I decide to switch banks. read more

First time in Fremont Bank was March 2013 when I needed 2 $50.00 bills for gifts. The branch on Industrial Blvd in Hayward seemed perfect after my Starbucks latte. I was so impressed with the appearance and friendliness after being buzzed in that when I heard is there anything else I can do for you I said an easy refi and gave my NY sarcastic laugh. Nav Sewak said give me your phone number and some one will call. He was right and I was accommodated with times and locations to start and complete the process in 3 weeks. Best service for a refi I've ever had. I've been back several times for assistance on different banking requests and again Nav or Crystal have been on each encounter as effective and productive as they could possibly be. I have never had to follow up on any requests I've had. Every time everything was perfect. They even have good coffee too. Best bank ever. read more

Fremont Bank - Banks & Credit Unions Near Me - Hayward, California

This is to acknowledge my family here at Fremont Bank. Because here on industrial I feel like part of the family . Carrie Morales & Martha Mitchell make you feel like your problem is theirs. There has not been an issue that they haven't followed through personally with me to make sure 1) it was resolved & 2) that I am satisfied with the results. I would have given 10 stars if I could. Thanks for making me feel special read more

Great service and staff, people are very friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend this bank to friends and family

The Hayward branch is super helpful and professional, they make my visits a heart warming experience.

POOR SERVICE. Tellers are not genuinely helpful. Their online banking looks complicated and confusing so I went to this bank in Industrial Pkwy West to ask an assistance. The teller (Chinese woman) who entertained me did not know how to properly assist a customer. She deliberately made me struggle before getting the help that I need. And she made me feel stupid when their online banking confuses me. It's really frustrating so I told her I might close my checking account. When she heard that, she started to try being nice. She even offered to print my banking statements that she tried to refuse when I first requested it. Then before I left, she hurriedly offered a bottle of water on me which I politely refused but she insisted because it's cold. So FAKE. If she's sincere, she should've been offered that water the time I arrived because it's one of the bank's compliments to customers. She just offered it because I am planning to close my account. Fake/Poor customer service. read more

Over the past several months, we have had multiple real estate loans financed by Fremont Bank - Purchase as well as Refinance. Support from our loan officer, Josh, was outstanding. He ensured that our needs were well understood, he provided a solid understanding of the variety of options suitable for us, was readily available to us to address our unique issues and overall provided top notch customer service. The new purchase included a very complex short sale - without Josh's active support, it is unlikely that we would have been able to successfully complete our purchase in the timeframe required by the selling Bank. read more

We began the process of securing a particular low interest home loan from Fremont Bank with a simple phone call. We were referred to the Loan Processor Lorissa Huey who was very helpful as we waded through the paperwork. Once the application was approved Mohammed Khan, a Mobile Notary, came to our home and explained all the necessary documents to be signed that he would then notarize. After the loan was approved we were pleasantly surprised that the Branch Manager Carrie Morales came to our home and was amazingly congenial and helpful as she walked us through a process of setting up a series of accounts that we would be using. Overall, we were very pleasantly surprised and welcomed the personalized service the staff at this Fremont Bank branch provided. Therefore we strongly recommend this Fremont Bank branch to anyone in need of a home loan. read more

Fremont Bank is a wonderful community bank. i enjoy going into the Hayward branch to take care of my personal banking needs. My frequent tellers name is Krystal...I appreciate how she always remembers how my last visit went and she almost always inquires about how my family is doing. They have coffee, water, tea, and other complimentary items available. Its always a wonderful experience when I visit this branch. read more

A belated but very sincere and appreciative shout-out to Carrie Valle, branch manager at this Fremont Bank location. She has helped us patiently with several issues setting up our non-profit organization's account, but this past week she ended up staying in her office with me, for an entire HOUR past the bank's closing time when she could have gone home, in order to personally handle a phone charge dispute with a 3rd party company and make sure we succeeded in achieving justice. Instead of just telling me to call a specific number, or merely suggesting what I should say when I did, she picked up her office phone, put us both on speaker, and handled the dispute for me, very politely but firmly, getting over $500 of our charges refunded back to our account. I deeply appreciated her concerns for the injustice of the situation and her sincere happiness when they agreed to return the funds - It was only after we had finished the long drawn-out process and celebrated all 'round that I looked at my watch, walking out through the darkened bank to my car, and realized how long she had stayed there past closing, without even a murmur of complaint. The bank can be a bit inflexible with fees, I aqree, but Carrie is GREAT and the personal care is totally worth it! read more

My experience with Fremont Bank Mortgage Group was mixed. I am debt free with a credit rating of 790. I answered an advertisement from Fremont Bank. I was interested in a refinance with zero points and a lower rate. I spoke to their loan broker. He prequalified me for a zero points, 4% rate loan. Based on what I told him, he said there was no problem prequalifing. Since I was prequalified, I paid the $500.00 application fee. After a month of paper work and having paid the $500.00 loan fee, he called to inform me I couldn't qualify for the zero point fee, but I qualified for a loan which had points or a no points higher rate loan. I asked if I can get my application fee back and cancel the application. He said the application fee was nonrefundable. This sounds like bait and switch by the broker and Fremont Bank. Shame on them. If it's not bait and switch then it's outright incompetence. I can understand a loan broker doing and saying anything to make money through the application fee, but I am surprise Fremont Bank has such bad internal control to risk their reputation. The rest of the process was average. The underwriter and application people seems unorganized, asking for additional document multiple times rather than a single request. The application people seemed to want to do well, but for reasons unknown to me, seemed to be unorganized. John Takagama the Manager should be commended for his effort to solve the problem. He personally sent me a note stating that they would refund the application fee if I desired. Fremont Bank has a very good reputation with people where I work. It's unfortunate this incident occurred which had tarnished their reputation with me. The lesson here is it takes many good executions to create a good reputation, but only a few bad executions to negate the good reputation. A followup to this incident -- I received several replies through "Yelp reply" and personal email from several officers at Fremont Bank and John Takagama. My personal opinion is that issues arise, as in this case, either due to real reasons or misunderstandings. Of course, it's best when there are no issues, but the true character of the institution is how they respond to issues. Fremont did an excellent job correcting the problem. They responded to the complaint, followed up with an investigation and proposed a solution to address the complaint. I would give Fremont Bank a five star on their response. read more

I came here to open a new student checking account. Maria was able to help my through the process thoroughly letting me know what was going on each step of the way. My old paper EE bonds took a while to cash but Maria's help made it easy and painless. I will be frequently visiting this bank as it's my local bank and I enjoy the friendly service that is provided here. read more