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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.

Checks aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were, but you may still have to write one.

Get started with a checking account

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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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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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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

Balancing your checking account may sound dated, but it still makes sense.

Online checking accounts stand out for different features. Here’s our top picks.

Checks aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were, but you may still have to write one.

Young woman withdrawing money using phone at the ATM machine on the street in Budapest in Hungary.

Here are simple steps to take to avoid paying checking account fees.

Capital One Bank signage in New York City

Banks are cutting overdraft fees in response to consumers and regulators’ demands.

Two female fashion designers working together at their studio

Opening a business checking account isn’t as simple as opening a personal checking account. Here’s what to know.

Online bill pay can add convenience and security to managing your routine bills.

Depositing cash into someone’s account isn’t always possible, but there are options.

Knowing a savings bond’s value can help you decide whether to hold it or redeem it.

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.

Woman working with business document and laptop on the table

It’s a low interest rate environment, but there are ways to earn more on your money.

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.

Side view of father cooking food while daughter having apple in kitchen

These simple moves can help build a cash cushion.

Easy mornings and working from home for this couple

Savings yields topping inflation could let you hold onto your purchasing power.

The amount of money you should save each month will vary based on your goals. Here’s what to know.

Confused about finding an HSA? Use these tips to determine the best deal for you.

Federal Reserve Eccles Building illustration

The key benchmark has been as high as 20 percent — and as low as 0 percent.

Percent symbol with people holding money that is many dollar bills. Concepts of the banking system, rising interest rates, inflation, deflation, and savings.

How to proceed when your CD matures during falling rates.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing.

Rate cuts mark a new era for the Fed. Here’s what you should do as a consumer.

Women using digital tablet to check her finances at home office

For savers, here’s what to consider when the Fed raises interest rates.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell speaks from a podium

The Federal Reserve announced that it’s lowering interest rates following its Nov. 6-7 meeting.

Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve of the United States

Follow along as Bankrate’s experts break down the Fed’s next interest rate decision.

Walk away with stacks of cash just for opening a checking or savings account.

Close up of someone hands holding and counting American dollar banknotes in her hand

Most people know they should be saving a portion of their income, but they might not grasp all of the benefits of doing so. Saving is an important habit to get into for a number of reasons — it helps [...]

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