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

Explore checking basics

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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.
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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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Latest articles

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There’s more than one way to bank. Here are the reasons to consider banking locally.
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There’s no need to pay for a checking account when many banks offer free checking.
woman sitting on her couch and looking at her phone and credit card
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Woman paying at the gas pump
Debit cards are inherently less secure than credit cards, especially at these spots.
Women using tablet
Online checking accounts stand out for different features. Here’s our top picks.
Woman accessing her checking account at home on a laptop
Not paying fees and an easy way to bank should all be priorities. Here are some of our favorites.
Young Woman Depositing Check With Smartphone
The amount of time can vary from check to check.
woman doing headstand
Your bank accounts have two separate balances: the current balance and the available balance. Here’s the distinction.
Financial manager meeting with couple in bank branch office
Get the latest rates on top-yielding money market accounts.
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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Person on laptop computer
The APY percentage shows how much an account earns per year. Here’s what you need to know.
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Subscriptions are easy to lose track of, but these apps can help restore order.
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Half of Americans say they’ll use their stimulus money to pay bills.
Additionally, most investors intentionally left their investments alone as volatility increased.
A woman uses a Wells Fargo ATM.
There’s no need to go overboard and hoard cash.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at press conference
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Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange react to news
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The latest Fed move just might put retirees in a pinch.
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The fed funds rate could quickly approach zero this year, experts said.
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