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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.
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.

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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.

Checking

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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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

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Principal U.S. Economy Reporter

Mark Hamrick

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Senior Economic Analyst

Latest articles

woman doing headstand
Your bank accounts have two separate balances: the current balance and the available balance. Here’s the distinction.
Business owner talking on phone.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering a switch to business checking.
Woman standing in front of an ATM
Withdrawing cash at an out-of-network ATM? Be prepared to pay more than ever.
Woman paying at the gas pump
Debit cards are inherently less secure than credit cards, especially at these spots.
Credit: Images by GettyImages; Illustration by Bankrate
That string of numbers at the bottom of your check is really important. Find out why.
Illustration of an old-fashioned alarm bell ringing , hovering over a cell phone.
Mobile apps make managing your money a snap and mobile alerts can help protect it.
Young woman using the ATM
Knowing your ATM withdrawal limits can make a sudden need for cash easier to handle.
Photo of person taking photo of check with design element included
There’s a right way to handle old checks. The wrong way can cost you.
Compare the best high-yield savings rates as of September 15, 2025.
Illustration of coins with a headline that reads best high-yield savings accounts today
Compare the best high-yield savings rates as of September 12, 2025.
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.
Illustration of bag with dollar sign on it and allow in background, headline reading today's best high-yield savings rates
Compare the best high-yield savings rates as of September 11, 2025.
illustration with piggy bank and arrow in background with headline saying today's top savings rates
Compare the best high-yield savings rates as of September 10, 2025.
Mother and daughter putting money in piggy bank
Knowing how these accounts work, and how they differ, can help better your finances.
Illustration of stack of money with headline that says best high-yield savings interest rates
Compare the best high-yield savings rates as of September 9, 2025.
Fed rate hike to curb inflation, wooden block with FED and up-down arrows icon. Central banking system and interest rate changes.
We look back at how banks handled rate cuts in 2024, and what to expect in 2025.
President Joe Biden in the Oval Office
Biden may want to hold off on raising taxes as the economy recovers — for now.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks at post-meeting press conference
For consumers, the pros and faults of today’s low-rate world will prevail for months, if not years, to come.
Rapidly spreading coronavirus has left markets jittery
There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, but the economic hardship won’t be over anytime soon.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at post-meeting press conference.
The economy is nowhere close to being out of the woods.
Commuters arrive at South Station in Boston wearing masks.
Even with the economy staging a recovery, many Americans are earning less than before the pandemic.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) talks with reporters.
It’s an “in case of fire, break glass” kind of moment.
Sen. Angus King (I-ME) sets up a sign alongside a bipartisan group of Democrat and Republican members of Congress as they announce a proposal for a Covid-19 relief bill.
If passed, the Senate’s proposal would be the first major relief plan since March.
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