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.

woman 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.

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.

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.

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.

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, CFA

Chief Financial Analyst

Sarah Foster

Principal U.S. Economy Reporter

Mark Hamrick

Senior Economic Analyst

Learn more

Latest articles

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.

Man in coffee shop using laptop with a card in his hand.

The rule provides a framework for settling unauthorized debit-card transactions.

Here are easy actions you can take to avoid the fee of get it waived.

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

Withdrawing cash at an out-of-network ATM? Be prepared to pay more than ever.

Convenient access to your cash often comes at a price — and sometimes it’s a very high one.

Not all checking accounts are created equal.

Person Putting Coin In Piggy Bank At Table

Savers can still earn yields on deposit accounts that are outpacing inflation, even as some yields have decreased recently as banks anticipate a likely Federal Reserve rate cut in September. One such option [...]

How Reg. D impacts your savings account and why it pays to check with your bank.

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.

woman managing personal banking and finance at home

Working as a freelancer requires a new approach to saving money. Here’s how.

No matter your age, these tips can help you improve your financial situation.

Whether you hope to buy a home or just rent for a while, a solid savings plan is the key to finally moving out of your parents’ house.

Someone watering a plant that grows cash

Here’s how much $100,000 in a high-yield savings account can earn you.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell speaks to journalists at a post-meeting news conference

Fed officials will have decide how much of a slowdown they want to see before calling it quits on rate hikes.

The Fed’s job is often to make the difficult choice between low unemployment or low inflation.

People walk past the New York Stock Exchange

Recessions bring discomfort at best — and financial pain at worst.

Interest rates are trending higher. Here are a few reasons to be happy about it.

Picture of cartons of eggs in a grocery store

Some Americans may be getting stung by inflation that’s even higher than the national rate.

Make 2023 the year you get serious about saving for your goals with these 10 tips.

Illustration of hand reaching into a computer

More than 1 in 4 pay checking account fees worth $288 a year, on average.

image of calculator and christmas tree ornament

Here’s how you can start paying off that holiday debt and building up your savings.

The trusted provider of accurate rates and financial information

Checking

Explore checking basics

Get started with a checking account

Types of checking accounts

Experts in all things banking

Compare top-rated banks

Review our top banks of 2024

Latest articles