At first blush the user environment for Fidelity isn't very intuitive. Although I like the fact it doesn't log me out when I close the page, I can definitely see that being a problem if someone uses a communal computer. Outside of that, the customer service has been superb, and I've even had a few pleasant surprises.

If you're like me and get most of your income through PayPal, Fidelity definitely seems to be PayPal friendly. It only took about 2 days to attach my Fidelity account to PayPal, and all deposits have gone through in just two to three days. On top of that, the Fidelity Visa Gold Check Card has a couple nice perks.

Although customer service says it can only be used as a debit card, the paperwork I received with the card states otherwise. In my experience if it has Visa on it you can use it as a credit card anyways, but I'm still going to double check. In addition, I also get Warranty Manager Service for purchase protection, auto rental discounts with Avis and special coverage at no charge, roadside assistance, travel and emergency assistance, and worldwide travel accident insurance.

There is of course a lot of fine print with all of these extras, but the auto rental discounts and special insurance provisions have the least red tape. You get a special discount code to use, and if there are any problems, the instructions say to have them call Visa card services. The roadside assistance costs $59.95 per call and is pretty limited, but it could turn out cheaper than paying every year for something like AAA.

I haven't really looked into the other services, but just about everything is provided at no additional charge. Overall, I'm very pleased. Switching to Fidelity turned out to be a very smart move.

You can find out more about Patricia Mayo and her other projects at Mayobrains.com or ComHacker.org.