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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

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Chief Financial Analyst

Sarah Foster

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Principal U.S. Economy Reporter

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Senior Economic Analyst

Latest articles

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Let’s explore why you might want a checking account you can’t write checks from.
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Learn about common checking terms, from bounced checks to outstanding checks.
Apples and oranges
Opening a checking account is easy. Finding the right one is the hard part.
Knowing how to read your bank account statement can nip problems in the bud. Here’s our guide.
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We have a few suggestions on how to help your teenager learn personal finance and what you can teach them.
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Age and region are also factors in how much consumers pay in checking fees.
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Single people and young families tend to have significantly less saved.
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The APY percentage shows how much an account earns per year. Here’s what you need to know.
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Comparing savings rates can ensure you get the best return on your savings.
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Sixty percent of households feel behind on their emergency savings in 2023.
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Despite inflation and expenses, there are ways to increase your emergency savings.
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Get the latest rates on top-yielding money market accounts.
Mom preparing financial paperwork at home while her child draws next to her
Single people and young families tend to have significantly less saved.
Close up of woman's hand typing on computer keyboard in the dark against colourful bokeh in background, working late on laptop at home
A new CFPB rule will make it easier for people to transfer their data between banks.
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The APY percentage shows how much an account earns per year. Here’s what you need to know.
Ghost of Halloween uses a laptop to surf the Internet
Don’t let the fear of saving leave you in the dark. Avoid these 10 savings mistakes.
Whimsical illustration of a hand putting a quarter into a miniature but realistic high end safe. As if it were a piggy bank
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A new Bankrate study reveals where infant care is the most and least affordable in the U.S.
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