Banking Advice | BankingAdvice.com » checking account

Watch Out for Your Bank’s New Checking Account Fees

walter — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:22:17 +0000

When new laws were passed in 2011 to reduce the fees that banks could charge for certain debit card transactions, the hope was that the changes would be passed along and result in lower fees to consumers. Instead, many large banks have instituted new account fees in order to recoup their lost income. Keep in mind that your bank can change the terms of your checking account upon 30 days advance notice. So when you receive a letter from your bank, review it carefully to make sure that you won’t be subject to any unexpected new fees going forward. Here are...

Advice on How to Protect Your Banking Account from Unauthorized Use

walter — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:27:27 +0000

Banking accounts, and especially checking accounts, are the backbone of most people’s finances. We usually deposit our paychecks into our checking accounts and then use that checking account to pay our bills, and to fund our savings and investment accounts. But like other modern financial accounts, particularly in the age of the Internet, our checking accounts are vulnerable to attack from thieves and vandals. If someone has your checking account number, plus some other personal information about you, then they might be able to access not only the funds in your checking account, but potentially the funds in your other...

How to Find a Truly Free Checking Account

walter — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:43:00 +0000

We’ve all read about the changes to the financial industry over the past few years. Perhaps we’ve even experienced some of these changes ourselves firsthand in the form of increased fees for common banking services, as well as new fees for common products. New and increased bank fees seem to be proliferating across just about every type of product. Even products that were commonly available for no charge just a few years ago are becoming harder to find these days without fees. Even the free checking account, which used to be a standard offering at nearly every bank, seems to...

How to Compare Checking Accounts and Find the Best One for You

walter — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:15:25 +0000

Did you know that the checking account dates all the way back to the early 1500s? It has come a long way since then, but it’s still based on the same idea: the bank holds the depositor’s money and distributes it on demand. Today’s banks are much more complex than they were back then, and so are checking accounts. They come with various features and fees, and are often combined with other types of accounts. A single bank may offer numerous types of checking accounts, and some individual banks offer features that can’t be found elsewhere. All of these options are...

Is Money Market Checking Right for You?

walter — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:23:48 +0000

A checking account often represents a person's first step into the world of banking. It is a wonderful tool for managing your money, and it makes paying bills and making purchases convenient because you don't need to carry cash. But one thing the average checking account won't do is earn you money. Depending on your bank and the type of account, you may actually have to pay monthly or per-check fees. Even if you have free checking, wouldn't it be nice to earn some interest on the money in your account instead of it just sitting there until you...

How to Make the Most of Your Checking Account

walter — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:44:17 +0000

For many of us, the basic checking account is the backbone of our personal financial system. We generally deposit our paychecks into our checking accounts, pay our bills from the checking account and use our checking accounts as a short term (and sometimes not so short term) place to safely store our money. Getting the most of your checking account can help you avoid unnecessary fees, unexpected expenses and help you manage your daily finances better. Making the best of your checking account also means you’ll have a better grasp of your finances and will be able to respond quickly and...

Getting Your Teenager A Checking Account

admin — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:26:23 +0000

There is an ongoing debate as to when a teen should set up a checking account. Some experts state that checking accounts should begin at adolescence, while others say the last year of high school is more appropriate. Regardless of when you decide to assist your teen in opening a checking account, doing so is the first step on the road to financial responsibility. Here is some advice on how to get your teen started in banking responsibly. If you have taught your child to learn how to balance a checkbook utilizing your own checkbook as a model,...

Free Checking Accounts

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:47:14 +0000

If you have a checking account wherein you can write as many checks per month as you like, there are no fees associated with writing the checks, you receive interest, and there is no minimum required to open an account – this is the best free checking account you can have, right? The only downside to a free checking account is that if a check bounces, you have to pay the fee. You may be able to avail yourself of such an account at your local Savings and Loan or at a commercial bank. These days, most commercial banks offer incentives...