The airedale in the lobby should have been a sign...

When I moved to Washington, I transferred my checking-account money to Wachovia. Among the area's plethora of choices, how did I select this bank in particular?

o The convenient proximity of a Saturday-hours branch to my apartment
o The glowing endorsement from friends (and, in fact, Wachovia's tellers have been unfailingly pleasant and knowledgeable in the four years I've dealt with them - keep that in mind, CITI overlords!)
o The pretty, rich blue logo with the elegant swoops

And there was the Airedale puppy in the lobby, standing by that Saturday morning - within the actual bank lobby itself - patiently allowing its fuzzy head to be petted.

How very sweet, I thought.

Little did I know that dog must have been the company's top financial advisor.