I just opened a new attorney trust account at this Santander branch in Ewing, NJ. I did not have an appointment, but was still able to sit down with their Vice President and Branch Manager, John Webb, with ten minutes of walking in. I consider that a win.
It seems that these administrative tasks are becoming more complicated and time consuming. We were together at his Covid screened desk for more than 30 minutes as he worked through all the computer screens required for starting the account. Federal regulations are concerned with the legitimacy of the business and the source of funds. So, it wasn't Me. Webb's fault that so much information was demanded. Too, we were fortunate that I already had other accounts with the bank, and he was able to go into his data base for background data, like my federal ID number. Of course, I trust their cyber security is strong and regularly updated to protect my important data from ha king eyes.
The account is up and running today and ready for use. I updated my IOLTA registration with the state supreme court as required, and am good to go. Whatever issues there were with the old account seem not to have been transferred to the new one.
That's a relief. I appreciate they way John Webb took care of my business. read more