[wdfifteen]

I just went through it, and it is a pain in the ass.
The thing is, I changed to a new bank when we moved out of this area 8 years ago. Now that we have moved back, I started doing business with the same bank I had been using previously. They know me, which helps.

But changing all the auto payments and auto deposits has been a real time suck. If our current bank had had a branch 12 miles away, it would have been MUCH easier. With all the options for electronic banking, there is no need to actually visit the bank very often, and a 12-mile drive once a month or so isn't bad.

As stated above, it is a good idea to keep the old account active for 6 months or so. The only downside to this for us was the fact that the bank would honor any payment request for $10 or less, and then charge you for an overdraft if you don't have the funds. So make sure ALL of your recurring payments are canceled or transferred before you keep that minimum in the account.