In this post, I’ll take you through some of the best checking accounts available. Feel free to jump to the ones you’re most interested in!
Please note: I do not have any affiliation with the following banks. Bank offers are subject to change, so for the latest information on their products, always visit their official website.
Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab ranks among the most reliable checking accounts, and rightly so. It comes with the most benefits and is the account I personally use. The benefits include:
- Free foreign transactions
- Unlimited ATM reimbursements worldwide
- An APY (that’s Annual Percentage Rate)
- No minimum balance or monthly maintenance fees
If you regularly travel to different countries or need a checking account with the best advantages, you should look no further than the Charles Schwab checking account.
However, you need to get a Charles Schwab brokerage account to open a checking account with them. The brokerage account is entirely free, so you do not have to worry about fees or minimum balance requirements. All you have to do is create the account. After that, you do not have to use it.
The only disadvantage that comes with the Charles Schwab checking account is the low number of physical branches. While this is fine for most people, it can be a significant inconvenience for people who deal with foreign currencies regularly.
However, a Charles Schwab checking account should entice anyone who does most of their banking online or is lucky enough to have a branch near them.
Chime
If you’re looking for a checking account that does more than the ordinary, Chime is a great option. You get a mobile checking account that offers a number of benefits like:
- No maintenance fees
- Free overdraft protection up to $200 with SpotMe
- No transfer fees
- No foreign transaction fees
- No fees at any of the 60,000+ in-network ATMs
Additionally, you can receive your paycheck earlier by as much as two days and automate savings so that the account automatically pulls a specific amount from the deposits and allocates it to a separate savings account.
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Axos
Axos offers three different checking accounts, with each one coming with various benefits. The Essential checking account has various benefits such as:
- No API required
- No monthly fee
- No minimum balance
- No overdraft fees
- Mobile deposits
- Unlimited ATM reimbursements for US ATMs
You will, however, pay a 1% transaction fee for all foreign transactions. The only difference between the Essential and Rewards checking accounts is that the latter offers an APY of up to 3.30%. The Cashback checking account is similar to the Essential checking account, only that it requires an average balance of $1500 to get 1% cashback up to $2000 per month. If your average daily balance falls below that, you will earn .50% cashback. However, the cashback only applies to signature-based transactions, meaning that you have to run the debit card as credit.
HSBC
- You do not get an APY with Basic Banking and Choice checking accounts
- You will pay a 3% foreign transaction fee that applies to all checking accounts except the Premier World Debit
- The Choice Checking account charges a $15 monthly fee if you do not meet the minimum balance requirements
- Both Basic Banking and Choice checking accounts do not offer any ATM reimbursements
- You will pay a $2.50 fee for every transaction on out of network ATMs
- You will pay a $25 monthly fee if you do not meet the minimum balance requirements for the Advance checking account
- The Premier checking account requires a $50 monthly payment under the same conditions
- You must maintain a minimum balance of $5,000 with direct deposits or $10,000 for the Advance checking account
- The Premier checking account requires a minimum balance of $75,000 across all accounts
- The Advance checking account offers ATM reimbursements four times per statement, but in the US only exclusive of New York
Ally
Ally is one of the online-only banks that’s growing in popularity lately. Some of the pros that come with the Ally checking account include:
- Tiered APY up to .25%
- No monthly fee applies
- No overdraft fees
- Overdraft coverage up to $250 with CoverDraft
- You do not have to maintain a minimum balance
- Mobile deposits
- ATM reimbursements worth up to $10 per statement
The cons are listed below:
- A foreign transaction fee of up to 1% of the transaction
- Lack of physical branches
Although Ally has a reliable checking account, it is not comparable to Charles Schwab.
Capital One 360
- An APY of 0.10% on all balances
- No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
- No foreign transaction fees
- It only has a few branches in a few cities
- No ATM reimbursements
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Discover
- No monthly fees
- No minimum balance requirements
- Mobile deposits
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1% cashback on debit card purchases worth up to $3,000
- It offers no APY
- Discover has no physical branches
- You may have difficulty getting a Discover card accepted internationally
Chase
- No APY
- A $12 monthly fee which is nullified if you have $500 worth of direct deposits, a $1,500 balance at the beginning of every day, an average balance of $5,000 in both checking and savings accounts
- No minimum balance requirements
- No ATM reimbursements or foreign transaction fees
- 0.01% APY
- A $25 monthly fee is waived if you have an average balance of $15,000 across the checking and savings accounts or a Chase mortgage with linked payments
- ATM reimbursements four times per statement
- Fee charges are $25, monthly fee is waived for account holders with an average balance of $75,000 across the savings and checking accounts
- Has no minimum balance requirements
- Offers unlimited ATM reimbursements
USAA
Some of the perks of USAA checking accounts include:
- A 0.01% APY with $1,000 or more
- No monthly fee
- Although you spend $25 to open the account, you do not have to maintain a minimum balance after that
- ATM reimbursements up to $15 per statement, but you pay a $2 fee to USAA on every ATM withdrawal after the first ten statements
- People in the military do not have to pay an initial deposit and get a pre-filled 1199A
- Service members also receive payments a day early
They unfortunately do charge a 1% foreign transaction fee. USAA has physical branches in West Point, Colorado Springs, San Antonio, and Annapolis. Generally, you can easily find checking accounts where you are better than USAA. However, it may be an appealing option to people already doing a lot of business with USAA and that need to keep all their accounts in one place. For instance, they have one of the best car insurances.
What Is a Checking Account?
A checking account refers to a specific bank account that allows you to withdraw quickly and deposit the money required for your daily transactions. The transactions may include depositing a received check, taking out money using your debit card, or setting up direct deposits for your paychecks.
They are among the most liquid bank accounts, meaning that they allow you to access your money quickly. Although they allow for unlimited withdrawals and deposits, some have daily maximum limits, depending on the bank you use.
The primary purpose of checking accounts is to hold money in a safe place in the short term so you can easily access it when you need to cover different expenses.
Do You Need a Checking Account?
Various studies indicate that millions of people do not have checking accounts. Many people have developed a general distrust for banking institutions after the 2008 financial crisis. But having a checking account makes life a lot easier. Here are some of the reasons why you should have a checking account.
- A checking account allows you to get paid quickly. With many people living from paycheck to paycheck, getting paid on time is a priority. Having a checking account allows your employer to set up direct deposits so you get the money deposited directly into your account without any extra fees or time. In addition, you gain access to the funds immediately when they get into your account.
- It also offers security and protection since it leaves a paper trail. For example, if you get robbed while carrying cash, you cannot recover the money. On the other hand, a checking account allows you to access time-stamped transaction data that indicates how much money was in the account, a specific time, and where the money went.
- Access to online budgeting tools which give you more control over your finances.
- Ease of paying recurring bills.
- The convenience of using a debit card.
Are Online Checking Accounts Safe?
Banks and credit unions have a big responsibility to keep your accounts safe, with no doubts about the safety of your online checking account. All banks and credit unions use state-of-the-art complex security software and encryption methods to protect all accounts. You can quickly contact the bank you have an online checking account with for more information on how they protect your online checking account. Some banks also have insurance policies to safeguard balances above a specified amount so that you will have your money refunded in case of any losses.
You can improve the safety of your online checking account by protecting your cell phone and any devices used to access the account. Also, create strong passwords that no one can guess. Additionally, you should avoid using public computers to access online checking accounts since you may leave behind a trail of data that someone can use to access it.
Factors To Consider When Selecting a Checking Account
User Experience
When choosing a checking account, always consider the user experience. The ideal checking account should be accessible to anyone.
You should avoid any credit unions and localized options since most of them have geographic restrictions, although they come with several benefits. If you have a credit union in your area of residence, find out if they offer free checking accounts.
Most people bank online, but you may have to visit a physical branch in some cases.
Only online options may not meet your needs in such cases. Also, scrutinize the interface of the online banking portal to ensure that it makes it easy for you to complete your transactions without any complications.
Fees
Although you may come across some checking accounts that charge overdraft fees, the ideal checking account should not have any fees.
Some of the standard fees you need to avoid when treating a checking account include minimum balance, ATM fees, and maintenance costs.
While most of the checking accounts listed above come with cashback and APY offers, you are likely to get better cashback offers and higher APYs with your rewards cards and savings account, respectively.
In addition, the ideal checking account should not have any transaction fees or monthly fees.
Convenience
Ideally, try as much as possible to avoid checking accounts from banks and credit unions that only cover a specific region.
Credit unions offer a lot of benefits, but they only serve specific professions or areas.
In addition, you may have a preference for banking with a physical branch instead of doing all the banking online. Choosing a checking account from a bank with multiple physical locations allows you to do this.
Reputation
Right off the bat, we excluded several checking accounts from our list. Mostly from major banks like Bank of America and Wells Fargo.
While not every major bank is horrible, a few of them definitely are. Wells Fargo committed one of the largest banking scandals of all time. And the list of horror stories from Bank of America is seemingly endless.
Some big banks are decent (like Chase), but we didn’t even consider offers from Wells Fargo or Bank of America. No matter how good their accounts are, I recommend staying away.
Special Circumstances (cash and foreign currency use)
As much as we love doing everything online, there are two good reasons to choose a checking account that has fewer perks in order to have a bank with a physical branch nearby.
Large cash withdrawals or deposits:
If, for whatever reason, you deal with large amounts of cash regularly, you really need a physical branch.
If you need to withdraw more cash than a typical ATM can handle even once or twice a year, it’s worth getting a checking account at a local bank.
Foreign currency:
If you deal with foreign currency regularly, it’s immensely helpful to have a physical branch nearby.
For example, if you are a freelancer and get paid from foreign banks, you may need to go to a physical bank location to cash that check.
Another perk of having a local branch: exchanging foreign currency back into U.S. dollars. Having a local branch completely solves any leftover foreign currency problems you may have after taking an international trip. You can simply walk in, give them whatever you have left, and they deposit it into your account at a decent exchange rate. No need to deal with getting ripped off at the airport.
So if you’re dealing with foreign currency or large amounts of cash even a few times a year, it’s worth getting a checking account with a local branch, even if the perks aren’t as good. Hopefully, one of the banks on this list has a local branch near you. If you’re not sure, start with Chase, since they have branches all over the U.S.
FAQs About the Best Checking Accounts
What do you need to open a checking account?
To open a checking account with a US-based bank, you need the following:
- Social Security Number
- Government-issued proof of identity and legal residency or citizenship such as a driver’s license, passport, or state ID.
- Where applicable, a minimum initial deposit.
Which banks offer free checking accounts?
Many online-only banks, like Ally and Capital One, offer free checking accounts. However, traditional banks like Chase offer traditional checking accounts without any charges.
Do checking accounts earn interest?
Some checking accounts, especially those offered by online banks, offer interest on deposits. However, the amount of interest is usually small. If your goal is to save money over a long period of time, you should consider opening an account that offers higher interest rates.
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