Best Checking Accounts of 2018

A checking account is an indispensable part of your financial activity. Yet, with so many banks offering lucrative deals, choosing a bank to open an account with may be a tricky affair. The ideal checking account gives you the lowest fees, free ATM facility, and sometimes, even interest on your money. So, if you are unsure about the best options in the market, here is a roundup of the most preferred checking accounts in 2018.

• Discover Bank
  Discover is a name synonymous with credit cards. However, what most of you may not know is that this bank also offers some pretty good deals on checking accounts. You may earn 1% cashback on up to $3,000 in qualifying purchases every month on your debit card. Additionally, there is no monthly maintenance fee, no fees for online bill pay, and no minimum balance that you need to maintain. With over 60,000 ATMs nationwide, you will not have to worry about paying any fees for using non-network machines. The Discover checking account charges very less and offers complete value in return.
• Capital One
  The Capital One 360 checking account is, by far, one of the most popular choices for its convenient blending of online and on-site banking. With around 760 branches in New York, Louisiana, Washington D.C., and Texas, it has one of the biggest banking networks in the country. The three features which really make a strong case for Capital One are its policies of no monthly maintenance fee, no minimum balance, and no ATM fees. Moreover, the overdraft protection facility too is an absolute winner—you may make free transfers from your savings account or your line of credit. The annual percentage rate (APR) too is at 11.50%; so you pay 3 cents for every $100 of a negative balance.
• Chase
  If your main requirement is a bank with a huge network of walk-in branches and ATMs, then head straight to Chase. With over 5,100 branches and 16,000 ATMs across the country, Chase does boast some of the best customer services among banks in the country. There is even a lucrative sign-up bonus of $200 along with an additional $150, if you also open a savings account at the same time. However, Chase charges a monthly fee of $12 for its checking account facility. This fee is waived if you maintain a daily minimum balance of $1500 or receive at least $500 in direct deposits through the month. You may also opt for the Chase Premier Plus checking account and earn interest on your money.
• Bank of America
  In the rare occurrence that Chase is not available where you live, you may always go to Bank of America. It offers fraud protection on your debit card, custom alerts, secure sign-in, and mobile deposits, all of which justify the monthly fee of $12. This monthly fee is waived for qualifying students who open checking accounts. Bank of America also offers Erica, a virtual assistant, who helps keep banking at your fingertips. Bank of America does charge for paper statements, but you may opt out of it. Instead, you may go paperless online and print a statement for free, from the website, whenever required.
• Santander Bank
  Santander Bank makes it to this list for its special Student Value Checking account facilities. With zero monthly maintenance charges and a minimum balance of only $10, this is the perfect bank for a student opening his or her first checking account. One of the best features of this account is that it allows free incoming wire transfers, even from foreign countries. This is really great news for foreign students. The $3 charge for paper statements may be simply avoided by opting to go paperless online. The bank’s fee for using non-network ATMs is $2, which is much more affordable than what most banks charge.