We took out a mortgage for our vacation home in 2015. Never a late payment for all nine years. October and November payments were not being processed by Fremont for 12-15 days. They blamed USPS and pushed their "Auto Pay" online system. Decembers payment took 24 days for FREMONT BANK to process. Again, they blamed USPS. We actually called and made a phone payment mid month, paid to place a stop payment on the off chance the payment was actually lost. February 5th, yesterday, we received a nasty letter from Fremont Bank admonishing us for not being honorable credit risks. Once again they blamed USPS...their letter arrived at our address in FIVE days. We are paying of this loan off next month to protect our credit. Borrowers beware. This institution does not care about it's customers. read more

With Fremont Bank, we have had the best possible lending experience. My husband and I applied for a Home Equity Loan. Can you believe we've got a loan in 10 days! That is awesome or what?!! Everything went smoothly, starting from the beginning of completing the application! Mike, you have the most excellent people like Revelina Velasco, Jorge Mallque and Daphne Gonzalez working alongside you! They were exceptional, with them you can make a difference. We chose Fremont Bank over 2 other lenders after talking to Michael Delucia on the phone. He assured me that his team is the # 1, indeed, Michael was not wrong Revy, Jorge, Daphne YOU ROCK! Your constant follow-ups, your perceptions changed our hesitated/confused minds (because of the interest rate increase we were going to cancel the application). You all made this happen. I will surely spread the word about you, Fremont Bank! Thank you! read more

I have had a HELOC at this bank since March 2018. I have had a very bad experience attempting to repay this loan. It is a variable rate loan currently at 6.5% which has gone up several times in the time I've had the loan. At Fremont Bank the checking department employees can't view loan screens. Loan employees can't view checking screens. This necessitates two phone calls each time I have an issue with incorrect transfer between the two Fremont Bank accounts. Loans can not be accessed on the Fremont Bank App so I have to be on my laptop in order to deal with these issues. I have attempted to make Principle Reduction payments 2-3 times per month. This bank invariably applies them incorrectly as partially interest and partially principle. This bank only allows a single payment per day. Fremont Bank's software doesn't allow payments to be made on weekends. That is 8-9 days every month I can't make a Principle Reduction payment. No payments can be made 5 days before or 5 days after my regular monthly payment. That's 11 more days a month I can't make Principle Reduction payments. I used my regular bank's BillPay service to make my regular monthly payments. My regular bank mailed the payment on the 15th of the month. Fremont Bank said they did not receive the payment until the 23. They applied the payment on the 24th of the month. The check was coming from Arizona. Even though the bank has a 5 day grace period between the 20th and the 25th of the month I was charged a $30 insufficient funds fee. Each time Fremont Bank makes the corrections, which takes a day or two. During these correction periods I also cannot make Principle Reduction payments. The Fremont Bank employees continue to explain that the fault lies with the United States Postal Service. They also say the bank is not doing this on purpose. Each time the Principle Reduction payment is applied incorrectly Fremont Bank employees give me more instructions to avoid this problem in the future. I follow the new instructions. It does not correct the problem. Most recently I have initiated bank to bank electronic payments for my regular payments. This will necessitate my individually making these payments each month. I can't use bank to bank electronic payments to my Fremont Bank loan account because these only go to my Fremont Bank checking account. And the Fremont Bank employees tell me these payments may be held in my Fremont Bank checking account up to 5 business days depending on how large the payment is before they can be released to my loan account. I have called several other financial institutions to transfer the loan. So far, the interest rates would be slightly higher and the loan initiation fees are prohibitive. All that glitters is not gold. read more

I have had great service from everyone at this bank and they really saved our business during the pandemic. They have adjusted loans in ways that helped us make it through cash flow difficulties. They were always on top of it. Everyone in the branch is friendly and does a great job. I highly recommend Fremont Bank to anyone with a small business!!! read more

Their mobile banking app really sucks. First of all, it does not have the feature to allow you to take a peep at what you type in the password box. Second, it always give you an error notice: " Please try again, or call 866-... for assistance". Not user-friendly interface. read more

Absolutely love this branch!!! Paula, Jody, Rose, and Jimmy make the best team and it's always a pleasure coming in here. Great service and feels so welcoming!! They def don't treat me like "just a number". Highly recommend this team!!! read more

Fremont Bank - Lobby waiting are- always has fresh coffee! - Banks & Credit Unions Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been a client of Fremont Bank for a number of years now, and I'm a big fan. All the services of one of the mega-banks, and then some. I opened an account when their San Francisco location was a shady-seeming back office on Spear Street, but apparently they've moved to a more legit street facing space near the ballpark. All ATM fees are FULLY REFUNDED. The $1.95 fee at the machine at the corner store = fully refunded. The $10 fee at the casino machine in Vegas to fund an ill-advised late gambling "comeback" = fully refunded. No limits. They have all the online services you could want, but the ability to go visit a bricks and mortar location if you need to take care of some business. Their prepaid-postage deposit envelopes are easier than doing deposits at an ATM or waiting in line. The staff is super accommodating, and it's almost like some small town operation where you actually know your banker. I can call them up and have them check out a check to see if it's posted, or move money between my accounts - unheard of today. All in all, great bank. Best kept secret in town. read more

Paula Eng (Branch Manager) and her staff have figured customer service out: Friendly, courteous and prompt service. The folks at SoMa branch answer the phone within a few rings without the annoyingly long hold times. They know their customers by first name and offer personalized service tailored for your personal and professional banking needs. They have many of the bells and whistles of the major banks and one amazingly AWEOME feature none of the others have for their small business account: Deposit pickup within 30 miles of the branch! This SINGLE BENEFIT allows me to travel the world (writing this from Lima, Peru) and still have money to spend! Thanks Fremont Bank! And South America thanks you too! read more

You guys are total crooks. I paid off my home loan. There was an over payment of almost 8k. I have been trying to get that money from you guys since October. I keep being told that the the check is in the mail, the check got lost, etc. Each time I call I'm told that someone will get right back to me and No One has ever returned the call. We are considering contacting an attorney and want the money plus interest for the three months. No one should ever use your services read more

I have had the best working relationship with the manager at this branch, Paula Eng, and also Maricel. As a local business owner, I know that I am not an expert in everything, and that I need to rely on other professionals. That is where Paula and Maricel come in. There have been more than a few times where I am about to make a stupid mistake, and instead of just blindly processing it, a REAL PERSON helps me. I am so glad to be done with big banks. read more

I am very happy with this branch of Fremont Bank. They were a life saver when helping me set up my first business account. Their lobby is clean, there is free water and coffee and Jody is always cheery and ready to help. I also like that there is no rush feeling when with the tellers (even when it really is quick!) and you are both seated across from each other. We did have to play a little phone tag and do an extra run over to the branch since they didn't have a scanner to send me the form, but other than that, they have been a great place for my banking! read more

Amazing service! Great clean location. This is one of my favorite branches. The employees are very polite and greet you personally by your name when you come in. Customer service is very courteous and willing to help and answer any questions. read more

Banking at Fremont has been a wonderful change, in comparison to other banking institutions. At Fremont Bank they treat you as an important client, no matter the amount of money you have. They always greet you by name, attentive of your individual banking needs, and are swift not to keeping you waiting. I must applaude Fremont Bank San Francisco staff, Maricel, Rose, Jimmy for their outstanding service always provided. They have went above and beyond and I could not be more pleased. A. Ruiz Construction Co. read more

I've responded to Fremont Bank's low rate advertising 3 times in the last year. I am a high income individual with no debt except for two low loan to value mortgages. My wife and I have individual credit ratings over 800, we are highly qualified borrowers at Chase and Bank of America. Each time I've called Fremont Bank I have been given a bait and switch pitch for rates at least 100 basis points over the advertised rate with application fees and closing costs. Know that this is a classic bait and switch operation. Be aware. read more

The most nightmareishly inefficient, poor customer service of any lending organization. LIKE THE OTHER LENDING RELATED REVIEWS SAY, STAY AWAY - unless you want to spend months babysitting their horrendous staff read more

My experience with Fremont Bank has been extremely bad. Paula Eng (branch manager for this location) tried to make things right, but she didn't - she really, really didn't. I wanted to bank at a small local bank with good customer service - that's who they said they were, but they aren't. Try someplace else. read more

I refinanced with Fremont bank a couple years ago when rates hit a nice low. It was a true "no cost" loan as they picked up ALL the costs except for the lender pay off fee, which was pretty small. The "application fee" they charged was refunded at closing. The refi process wasn't any easier, better, or worse than any others we did in the past. However, since we have had our loan, the servicing has been just OK. They are minimal about sending a statement showing our balance. Recently noticed we were down to our last payment coupon, and wondered why they hadn't sent a new book yet. Called them up and their response is they don't send out a new book until they get the last coupon. Wha? They said the code to tell the computer to send out a new book is on that last coupon. Cutting it a little close! Why not have the code printed on the third from the last one, just in case the coupons get delayed in the mail. There have been other minor, annoying things about Fremont's servicing our loan, though nothing major In all the different mortgages we've had (West Star, Chase Manhattan, Countrywide, B of A), I never even THOUGHT about the servicing company...until our loan with Fremont bank. It's not a bad servicing company, but preferred my previous banks. *4-17-15 Update* After speaking to someone at the bank, I was switched over to a monthly, no extra charge statement, similar to what I had enjoyed at my previous lenders. I appreciate Fremont Bank's attention and flexibility in this matter :-). read more

And, I must add, now rates have dropped to ridiculously low levels, I got a call asking if I wanted to refinance. I was awed like it was 1999 and hadn't expected a call from a bank which I have a hard time seeing how they will make money on my refinancing to a lower rate at a no cost refi. All the same, I will take it. read more

Banks are suppose to have good customer service, right? This place has the WORST I have experienced. With more employees than customers, their employees shouldn't be making personal phone calls when there are people waiting. This is my first experience with this bank and will be the last. For a business that is dealing with people's money, professionalism is obviously not a concern of theirs. read more

I'm a fan of both this bank and First Republic. Once you switch away from Wells Fargo or Bank of America, it's a breath of fresh air. It's like a small town bank with all the services, including the fact that they will refund ALL fees from ATMs, no matter which bank's ATM you use. I'm not sure why people stick to the larger banks when something like Fremont Bank is around. The staff are more than courteous, they are friendly and welcoming, always ready to offer some tea or coffee, or even mints and a bottled water to go! read more

I have refinanced my mortgage twice with Fremont Bank. The first 2X were smooth and painless. The second loan was funded on 1 November 2009. I was told I could refinance if a lower rate became available after 90 days. 90 days later I began checking the rates and approximately 120 days later I found a lower rate and called to lock it and begin the process. At that time they told me they changed the rules... now I must wait 180 days before moving to a lower rate. This smacks of bait and switch and while the bank rep blamed it on the "whole banking industry" becoming more "conservative," I think they could have honored those of us who financed prior to the game change. I asked him to have his boss contact me and I have yet to hear from him. Hard to play by the rules when you never know what they are.... read more

I can only recommend Fremont Bank based on thier staff and the level of services. Old school banking with actual people who will call, to prevent you from bouncing a check, got to love it. Paula Eng, the Branch Manager, you rock. read more

I heart Femont Bank. I never thought I would be saying that about a bank, but this branch is so on top of their customer service game that you will literally love banking with them. Maricel helped us open our first business account and has been one of our biggest cheerleaders ever since we met her. It is truly a pleasure to work with them. read more

On the positive side, Fremont Bank offers great free refinancing, if you have excellent credit. I refinanced my home loan, got a much better interest rate, for no cost. Later, when I tried to refinanced a second time and turned out I could not do it, they refunded me the application cost (which was about $800), which they didn't have to do. In gratitude for that refund, I switched my banking from Wells Fargo to Fremont. But, alas, in the 12 months I have had my Fremont Bank checking account, two deposits have been entered erroneously. One deposit had an error of $100. It was easily corrected with one phone call. The second deposit was for $52,619. It was entered $52,419...AND it was entered as a DEBIT!! Yikes. It looks like there is a correction in process already (I just discovered it on-line five minutes ago), though the correction is not yet complete as I write this review, so I'm still lacking $40,000 from my account. It is clearly a bank error and I am optimistic that when I call them tomorrow, it will be resolved quickly. However, I am still writing this review because it's just not acceptable to have bank errors on two deposits within 12 months, if ever. I had my checking account with Wells Fargo for 25 years, and they never, ever made an error, at all, on anything. On a lesser note, I did not find the service at Fremont Bank to be better than at Wells Fargo. Actually, it was slightly not as good. The first and only time I visited Fremont Bank's office in San Leandro, in February 2013, I was the only customer in the bank...and I waited about 30 seconds (I counted) before asking the teller if she was available. The teller was engaged with her smart phone and hadn't noticed me. 30 seconds may not sound like much, but it really is when you're the only customer in the bank and the only reason you're waiting is because someone just hasn't looked up from their smart phone. It was definitely irritating. I was there to make a big deposit and I felt like, look, I'm giving you guys a huge chunk of money, and you can't even look up from your smart phone? Once I got her attention, the teller was fine. But, again, I never have that experience at Wells Fargo. I've been to the Wells Fargo office on Shattuck and San Pablo in Berkeley several times, and the tellers always signal promptly when they're available and you don't wait while someone is on their smart phone. read more

I started my loan process a few months ago. My loan processor Mr. Sanjay Shankaren, Fulfillment Specialist II, could not have been more helpful. He guided me through the whole process, answering questions with lots of paitence. We finally got approved today. I would use Fremont bank again especially due to Sanjay. Thanks again! read more

Clearly one of the nicest banks in the city! Great customer service, friendly people. Makes you feel like home!

My husband and I had a wonderful experience with Fremont Bank and Jessica H. The process for our loan was quick and efficient and Jessica and her colleagues were very helpful walking us through all the necessary steps. We will definitely recommend Fremont Bank to our family & friends and look forward to working with them again in the future. read more

Fremont Bank on Townsend Street is AWFUL. Don't go there. VERY BAD service. People are rude and they don't care about the customers. They only want to sell you a checking account and home loan. Paula Eng is the manager. She is a bad manager. read more

I was in desperate need of a loan because a HELOC had come due. Having a difficult time finding just the right loan for my situation, my brother (who owns a Real Estate company) referred me to Elizabeth at Fremont Bank. I'm so glad he did. In no time, they had just what I needed. At every level, working with multiple employees throughout the process, they were helpful, friendly, and efficient. Thanks Elizabeth and the team at Fremont Bank. I'll refer everyone I know to you guys!!! Jeff K. read more

Recently I applied for loan modification for my existing loan at higher rate. Due to some stupid reason cooked by Fremont bank, I couldn't qualify for it. Anyway, I was suggested to go with Forbearance Agreement. It's partial payment for four months. Since I have no choice but to go with it, and I paid all my payment on time. After four months, I was told again that I couldn't qualify because I can afford it. So I went outside to do refi. Guess what? Fremont Bank reported to my Credit report that I was late in my payment 30, 60, 90 and 90+ days. most of all, it lowered my credit score by 150 point for these late payment. Fremont bank admitted technically I never paid late but due to partial payment they have to report to the credit agency. Now I can kiss good bye to take any advantage of refi at lower rate. I get one response for 10+ phone msg. read more

Martin is an awesome service rep - no fake selling points, no trying to shove you into signing up for something you don't need, but does expain and present things in a professional manner. I am giving it 3 stars only because besides Martin, not much can be said about the rest. read more

This bank is so much more friendly than the big names. They really want to help you. I don't have a lot in my account but that doesn't seem to matter. Ask for Paula. She is so attentive and treats me with such respect. You won't be disappointed. read more

This bank has great customer service every time I come in and would recommend this branch in San Francisco Bay Area.

We had one of the best banking experience with Fremont Bank. Annmarie (loan officer) was awesome and very helpful. She understood our needs and provided the best option for us. After our application was submitted, we received a call from another staff (Denise) who processed and was our primary contact for the loan. She provided excellent customer service and follow-up. She made sure our documentations submitted properly and notified us immediately throughout the process. Our interactions from the beginning, middle, and to the end of closing (Mohammed) were the deciding factor for banking with Fremont Bank. We gave it a thumbs up because of their friendly staff and truly no cost loan process. read more

Recently I completed a cash out refinance from Fremont Bank for my bay area property. I locked a 15 yr rate. when the appraisal come out they increased the rate due to my LVR from 60 to 62%. Several times, i requested that I don't need the refinancing with new rate and need my $795 deposit back which they were so hesitant and arrogant. I did several business with Fremont bank since mid 90s. I felt like they are NOT appreciating / value their existing & future customers anymore. May be management changed. who knows! read more

We had a Fremont rep cold call our office in late September for commercial banking. The rep also informed us they did residential loans so I said I'd be interested. I contacted the finance rep Elizabeth and it took until mid October for her to get back to me after the original rep follow up with me a couple of times and had to prompt her (Elizabeth) to follow up. I had virtually all my ducks in a row and a FICO score of 800. They quoted me a 3.625 no fee rate which was great so I agreed to proceed and paid a $450 application fee. Elizabeth wouldn't lock my rate because I had a security freeze on my credit file and it she couldn't/wouldn't lock until all three credit files were on file. Finally after having to call & call to follow up my file was approved but they bumped my rate up to 4% even though their website indicates 2.99% 15 year fixed no fee & 3.625% 30 year fixed no fee loans. I seriously believe they are false adversiting and using deceptive business practices. I will be going thru Costco finance with a 3.5% no fee loan. Word to the wise to anyone considering using them. DON"T PAY THE APPLICATION FEE UNTIL THE RATES ARE LOCKED. read more

I just did my third refi with Fremont Bank and I must take time to praise Elizabeth Moreno perhaps the most professional and easy person I've worked with. I will admit that I had a bit of frustration with Fremont as people in their loan department contacted me twice asking me to supply information that had already been gathered by Elizabeth . . . I was really shaking my head . . . but a couple phone calls to Elizabeth were all it took to get the ball rolling again. She was proactive, took on work above and beyond what was required of her and made sure that my loan was taken care of quickly and easily. Calls to Elizabeth made me so comfortable with the whole process; I have and will continue to recommend her specifically to my family and friends looking to get a loan or to refinance their current loan. read more

My husband and I had been thinking about refinancing our home for about six months, off and on. We tried our old broker, and Wells Fargo, Chase and, finally on the recommendation of my sister-in-law, Fremont Bank. My husband bikes by their Townsend office daily, and decided to stop in quickly on his way to work. He made contact right away with Elizabeth, who was so helpful and friendly. She got the ball rolling immediately, offered more competitive rates than any other institution out there, was attentive and held our hands when they needed holding. From the day of first contact (Feb 15) to the day the loan funded (March 28), all e-mails were returned quickly, all questions answered quickly. Every person involved was knowledgeable and professional. We are very happy customers! read more

I did two separate refis with Fremont Bank back in October of last year. The first loan process took a couple of months and the other dragged for 6 months which is finally done. Don't really know if its lack of experience by the bank in handling trust titles. Fremont is fortunate to have Elizabeth and Palwasha who stood by and followed through with all the hoops I had to go through to finish the process Both did an outstanding job and if it weren't for their tenacity, outstanding customer service and great character I would have taken the business somewhere else. They are a good asset to Fremont Bank. As far as Fremont's system, they need to do a lot of work to make it convenient for clients to go through the refi process. Perhaps more practical but yet knowledgable underwriters that can undergo complicated applications. Waiting 6 months to get a loan processed is not ideal. read more

I would just like to say that Fremont Bank has changed my life and has saved my retirement years, I was able to Refi my home with them and they made the process so easy, it started with a young lady named Judy Tran who explained the process with me and said if I had any problems I was to let her know and I shouldn't have any problems being approved (relaxed). My loan officer Patricia Sanchez called me and from then on my process was really nice, I told her I'm not that great on the computer but she calmed me down and walked me through the process. I'm old school I'm not use to doing something like this without looking into someone's eyes!! It's a new world thank you Fremont Bank!!! read more