Awesomely Free Online Checking Accounts
For the longest time I had to pay monthly fees for my checking account with my brick-and-mortar bank account. I mean how stupid is that? They were charging a student about $15 a month in fees. That sucks. So finally I left and got myself a free checking account with ING Direct.
Below are options for awesome and free checking accounts:
PerkStreet Financial
PerkStreet has a really unique offer– cash back reward checking accounts. Some programs/spending areas allow you to earn as much as 5% cash back on your purchases. That’s simply amazing. You can earn roughly 2% on all purchases when you keep up a specific balance on your account. Essentially PerkStreet is where those who want rewards, without the risk of a credit card, are turning to.
Quick note: don’t let the cash back feature become an excuse for spending money. Please be conscious of your spending. You also need $25 to open an account here. You don’t have to worry about a minimum balance or monthly fees on the bright side.
Click here to sign up for an account with PerkStreet.
ING Direct Electric Orange
I currently do most of my online banking with ING Direct’s Thrive checking account here in Canada. It’s easy to use, customer service is great, no monthly fees, and no minimums. I’ve literally had zero issues with them thus far.
You get an account opening bonus ($25) which is a nice little treat as you get started with online banking. This is the perfect account for all 20-somethings looking to get into online banking.
Click here to sign up for an account with ING Direct.
Ally Bank Interest Checking
Ally Bank is fairly new to the world of free online checking accounts. The cool part here is that it’s another checking account that pays interest (not the greatest, but what you can do?). There are no ATM fees. When you do get charged they refund all money. You also get unlimited checks. This may not seem like much but my previous bank would charge me $35 for this. Insane, huh?
You can open an account with zero down and enjoy the luxury of no balance minimums or monthly fees.
Click here to sign up for interest checking with Ally Bank.
EverBank
I’ve been told that EverBank is ideal for rate chasers. They offer superb rates for the first three months of your checking account. I also saved this one for last because you need a balance of $5,000 to have no fees with this account. I believe that the goal is to accept fewer customers, and to treat these few customers like royalty.
The two main benefits of this checking account that I spotted included: check deposit by scanner and unlimited check writing..