Skip to Main Content

Checking

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.
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 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

A customer withdraws cash from an ATM.
Here’s why early direct deposit may work better for those looking to get paid in advance.
Person on a cellphone holding a credit card
There are various ways to earn rewards and maximize financial gains with a rewards checking account.
A middle aged adult woman happily balancing her checkbook
Here’s what separates a share draft account from a checking account.
Mother and daughter smiling at smartphone
Let’s explore why you might want a checking account you can’t write checks from.
Customer writing cheque at bank counter
Learn about common checking terms, from bounced checks to outstanding checks.
senior woman looking at paperwork in front of a computer
Age and region are also factors in how much consumers pay in checking fees.
person looking at american express digital checking account on phone
American Express launched a digital consumer checking account for card members.
A senior woman goes on her smartphone.
There’s no need to see a teller at the bank when you can perform these tasks on your smartphone.
Daughter and father using mobile phone
Several banks continue to offer savings accounts well above 4 percent APY.
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.
Daughter and father using mobile phone
Several banks continue to offer savings accounts well above 4 percent APY.
Man working on laptop and cellphone simultaneously
If you’ve been thinking of getting a longer-term CD, you may want to make a move.
Woman watering plants.
Check out the latest CD rates from Bankrate’s weekly survey of banks and thrifts.
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.
The trusted provider of accurate rates and financial information
Wall Street Journal
Usa Today
New York Times
Cnn
Bloomberg
Abc