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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.

Checking

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

Spend money, pay bills, write checks or make fund transfers with a checking account.
close up of hands writing a check
Consumers without a bank account face hurdles when trying to cash a check.
Outside view of a bank with American flag
Learn the key characteristics of certified checks and how they differ from other types of payments.
woman sitting on her couch and looking at her phone and credit card
Knowing your limit before making a purchase can help you make smarter decisions.
Young Woman Checking Her Finances At Home
Finding the account number on a check is easy — if you know where to look.
This old-school way of paying is still in demand. Here’s everything you need to know.
close up of hands signing a check
Checks aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were, but you may still have to write one.
Writing on check
Compare prices on paper checks before you place your next order.
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.
Shoppers checking out at Costco
Nearly 3 in 10 adults would be at a loss if they suddenly needed to cover a costly expense.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at a press conference
Here’s what the Fed said on interest rates and the economy.
Discover card
That includes their checking, savings, money market and CD accounts. Here are the details.
Federal Reserve seal
Is it still too soon for the Fed to cut rates?
President Donald Trump talking
Here’s why Fed officials are so concerned about the trade war right now.
Man in manufacturing plant
But the revision was less than economists thought it would be.
Digit app
For 99 cents per withdrawal, users can move money from their account into another within minutes.
Man paying with credit card
With the best job market in decades, the Fed is wondering why there isn’t more inflation.
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