the Price of Combination Checking and Savings Accounts

I have a checking account with a national bank chain, and I recently opened a savings account with them as well. Although these services are free, they are not poor in quality!

I am extremely satisfied with my bank. I have held a checking account with them for 8 years, and I have never had a problem on the bank's end. In the few instances when I have been forced to dispute a charge, the bank has always been extremely helpful and accommodating. The folks at my local branch are also very friendly, helpful, and kind; they genuinely care about me as a person in addition to appreciating my business.

I do most of my banking online, and I think that the bank has a great online interface which makes it easy to me to manage my accounts. There are a number of features that I don't use, such as automated bill pay, but I'm sure that other customers appreciate them.

I opened the savings account with them because they offered me a great interest rate for signing up online. Although my savings account is quite new, I've been very satisfied thus far; the bank even sent me a present by way of thanks!

Many people are under the mistaken impression that free checking is a poor service riddled with restrictive terms. This is not actually the case, although it can be if you don't do your homework.

When you open a bank account, think about the services you need: do you want online banking? Access to ATMs all over the country? The ability to easily transfer funds? A physical branch to visit? The potential to take out loans/credit cards through your bank?

Take the time to collect basic information on all your local banks so that you can make an informed choice, and ask for word of mouth recommendations about banking services; some national banks, for example, are notorious for hidden fees and generally poor service.