Guess the old jokes of getting a toaster for opening a checking account are going be ancient history with this offer from
Citibank. That’s right, open a checking account for first time customers with Citibank and they’ll give you an iPod mini to take home! Well, kind of. They actually mail you the iPod mini 90 days after your first two bill pays (see the strings attached
below). But you only have a couple weeks left as this offer ends December 31st.

Now of course there are strings attached to this incredible deal. You must open a Regular Checking account with the Citibank EZ
Checking pricing package (which is free with direct deposit or if you maintain a $1,500 balance), deposit $2,500, and pay two bills a
month with the account for one year. Your first bill each month is free. Reading the fine print, you find that if you do not
fulfill any of these obligations within the year, you have to reimburse Citibank the $249 for the iPod mini. Ouch.

Since you have to cough up something (I don’t know how much) for the second bill, the iPod really isn’t free. But, even
with all the fees added up, it can’t even equal half the cost of an iPod mini, so it’s still a good deal and you are getting some
service out of the bank. Speaking to Citibank directly today, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve heard, so I think I’ll be applying
online for this account. You can also call them to open an account if you so choose. Either way, all you need is $2,500 and an ATA
Routing number.

After I’ve done my deed, I’ll chuckle every time I see a toaster now. It’ll be nice to inform people that I got a free iPod mini.
Actually the iPod mini will be for my wife and we’ll be a his-and-her iPod couple. :) Aaaah.