Skip to Main Content

Checking

Maximize your checking: Compare high-yield checking accounts, no-fee checking accounts and more.

Explore checking basics

Person using phone to do mobile check deposit
Here are some key factors to consider when searching for the best checking account.
person standing next to bike and looking at phone
If you overdraw your account frequently, then overdraft protection could be a good way to avoid hefty overdraft fees.
close up of hands signing a check
Checks aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were, but you may still have to write one.

Get started with a checking account

Checking

Types of checking accounts

Whether you’re making payments online, using a debit card, or writing a physical check, a checking account is a necessity for most people. Here are some of the most-widely available types of checking accounts offered at banks and credit unions.

Arrow Right Icon
Checking

Available balance vs. current balance

Learn about the two separate balances you may see when looking at your bank account.

Checking

Checking account fees

Learn about the different kinds of checking account fees and what you can do to avoid them.

Image for Bank account alerts to protect your money
Checking

Bank account alerts to protect your money

Explore the types of bank account alerts you can set up to help you stay informed about your finances whenever and wherever you are.

 

Arrow Right Icon

Experts in all things banking

Our expert reporters and editors bring the news and analysis you need—backed by data and firsthand experience.

About Bankrate
Stephen Kates headshot

Stephen Kates, CFP Arrow Right Icon

Bankrate Financial Analyst

Sarah Foster

Sarah Foster Arrow Right Icon

Principal U.S. Economy Reporter

Mark Hamrick

Mark Hamrick Arrow Right Icon

Senior Economic Analyst

Latest articles

Spend money, pay bills, write checks or make fund transfers with a checking account.
Family looking at their finances.
Early access to direct deposited funds can make managing your budget a bit easier.
close up of hands signing a check
Checks aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were, but you may still have to write one.
Young woman withdrawing money using phone at the ATM machine on the street in Budapest in Hungary.
Here are simple steps to take to avoid paying checking account fees.
close up of hands writing a check
Consumers without a bank account face hurdles when trying to cash a check.
This old-school way of paying is still in demand. Here’s everything you need to know.
A young man uses an ATM.
Over time, ATM fees have climbed. Here’s what you need to know.
Young woman using the ATM
Knowing your ATM withdrawal limits can make a sudden need for cash easier to handle.
An image of a pink piggy bank standing on top of a green and white striped rocket with smoke coming out of the end of the rocket.
Here’s everything you need to know about high-yield savings accounts.
Whimsical illustration of a hand putting a quarter into a miniature but realistic high end safe. As if it were a piggy bank
Comparing savings rates can ensure you get the best return on your savings.
Illustrated by Bankrate
Big banks pay just 0.01% APY while online banks offer 4% or more. Your $10,000 could earn over $800 more over two years.
Person looking at smartphone
The best account to save your money will vary by your goal.
A woman and daughter work together
A savings account can be a great tool to teach your child about money. Here are a few of our favorites.
Mature woman helps her daughter study for exam
High-yield savings rates fluctuate over time. Let’s explore what causes that.
Man watering plants
Interest is the price you pay to borrow money or the cost you charge to lend money.
Woman online banking with a tablet
How Reg. D impacts your savings account and why it pays to check with your bank.
Couple talking while standing on cliff by sea during sunny day
Even the small victories add up over time when you’re living on a fixed income.
Pedestrians pass in front of a Capital One Financial Corp. bank branch in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, July 19, 2018. Capital One Financial Corp.
Consumers value the convenience of sticking with their existing banks over changing.
An image of the Stretch app on a phone
Here’s why this challenger bank sees a need and an opportunity to win over a demographic that the financial system has ignored.
Watering the plants
The savings account has always been a time-tested standby. Here’s why it still matters.
A senior man works on his laptop.
Like cleansing your body with a special diet, purge your debt and start saving with a budget.
A man at home makes a phone call.
Talk your way out of a charge — or get someone else to do it for you.
This window may even prevent bank failures and insolvency. Here’s how it works.
The Varo mobile bank app
Meet the alternative solution to low-balance bank days.
The trusted provider of accurate rates and financial information
Wall Street Journal
Usa Today
New York Times
Cnn
Bloomberg
Abc