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

Explore checking basics

A woman uses mobile banking while eating.
From no fees to online bill pay, here are the must-have checking account features.
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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.

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Checking

Available balance vs. current balance

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

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Checking account fees

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

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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.

 

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Experts in all things banking

Our expert writers and editors bring you timely news and reliable information - backed by data and first-hand experience.

About Bankrate's team
Greg McBride

Greg McBride, CFA Arrow Right Icon

Chief 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

Woman standing in front of an ATM
Withdrawing cash at an out-of-network ATM? Be prepared to pay more than ever.
Hand touching buttons on a ATM keypad
Convenient access to your cash often comes at a price — and sometimes it’s a very high one.
An older couple reviews a bill.
Tired of paying fees? Here are seven ideas to get around paying them.
A brick and mortar bank building on a sunny day
There’s more than one way to bank. Here are the reasons to consider banking locally.
Woman paying at the gas pump
Debit cards are inherently less secure than credit cards, especially at these spots.
Young woman using the ATM
Knowing your ATM withdrawal limits can make a sudden need for cash easier to handle.
Man handing cloths to cashier
Overdraft protection can be a helpful and convenient tool to avoid paying a steeper overdraft fee.
Man folds his hands in front of his face
Your banking past has come back to haunt you. Here’s how to ask for a second chance.
Business colleagues having a conversation
These options are great places to stash money from a bonus, inheritance and more.
Illustration of cash under a beach umbrella
Here’s how much $10,000 in a high-yield savings account can earn you.
female soldier and her husband use a banking app to check the state of their finances
Bank account budgeting tools make it easy to track your personal finances.
Man using tablet in coffee shop
Inflation can eat away at your purchasing power, if you’re not keeping up with it.
A man works on his laptop.
Several banks are offering high-yield savings accounts well above 4 percent APY.
Image of a large money bag in a shopping cart in front of a red downward pointing arrow.
More than half of Americans also say the U.S. economy is on the wrong track.
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.
Financial manager meeting with couple in bank branch office
Get the latest rates on top-yielding money market accounts.
Design element with Jerome Powell
Bankrate’s experts are reacting live to the Fed’s latest interest rate decision.
Jerome Powell, chair of the US Federal Reserve, during a news conference following a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.
The Fed has now gone six months without cutting interest rates.
Spend money, pay bills, write checks or make fund transfers with a checking account.
Fed Chair Powell Holds News Conference Following FOMC Rate Decision
This Fed communication tool is important, but be cautious when interpreting it.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
The Federal Reserve announced that it’s holding interest rates steady following its March 18-19 meeting.
Man using laptop in kitchen
Consider these four factors when choosing the right high-yield savings account.
woman working on laptop at home
Here’s everything you need to know about opening a bank account online.
Business colleagues having a conversation
These options are great places to stash money from a bonus, inheritance and more.
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