Checking accounts are essential assets that most people are often required to have since they’re where their personal financial life will be centered. With them, you can pay your bills safely and make most of your monetary transactions.
It’s also possible to withdraw money on an ATM or write checks. You can open a checking account in a bank or a financial union. The best account should have little to no fees, a great variety of free ATMs, excellent customer service, and the possibility of earning an APY on your balance.
We’ve selected and created a list with the top checking accounts for 2020. Check them out below.
1) Chime
Chime is one of the best online checking accounts in the market. They don’t charge overdraft fees, monthly account fees, and foreign transaction fees. New members will also receive a Visa debit card that they can use free of charge at MoneyPass ATMs. Another great benefit of this online checking account is there isn’t a minimum account balance requirement to keep it open. They also make it easier for you to start an emergency fund since you can transfer up to 10% of each paycheck to a savings account (0.50% APY – over 10X the national average!). You can also choose to round up the amount to the next dollar in each purchase you make with your Chime Debit card and have it automatically transferred to savings.
2) Axos Rewards Checking
Axos Bank doesn’t charge monthly maintenance fees, overdraft, or non-sufficient fees on their rewards checking account.
There are no monthly balance requirements, but you have to have a minimum of 50 dollars to open a new account.
You can also earn up to 1.25% APY on your account balance. Clients can use their app to deposit checks and manage their accounts online.
Applying is easy and quick; all you’ll only need is a valid ID and your social security number.
3) FNBO Online Checking Account
With the FBNO Online Checking Account, you can earn a reasonable interest rate on your balance, which is now at 0.65% APY. It may not seem like a lot, but it’s more than the national average.
Opening an account is easy, and it takes as little as one dollar. In addition to the interest rates, they also offer free online bill pay and an optional low regular APR Visa debit card. There are no monthly service fees.
You can also benefit from free incoming wires, and stop payments. There are over two million ATM locations nationwide where you can withdraw money from without having to pay fees. The First National Bank of Omaha is the largest privately held bank in the U.S. and has been in business for over 150 years.
4) Discover Checking Account
Discover is one of the few banks that offer the benefit of 1% cash back on debit purchases (on up to $3,000 monthly) to checking account holders.
On top of that, they don’t charge maintenance fees or fees on card replacements, standard check, stop payment orders, insufficient funds, deposited item returned, account closure and many other services. In addition to that, it also offers free access to over 60,000 ATMs all over the U.S.
Keep in mind that you will have to do most of your transactions online since there is only one physical branch in Delaware.
5) Simple Checking Account
Simple offers a free checking account and online bill pay. With this account, you won’t need to worry about minimum balance requirements, since there are none. It’s also ensured by the FDIC.
You’ll also get a free debit card, access to a network of 40,000 ATMs. With the Simple Protected Goals account, you can set automatic transfers to avoid accidental spending and earn up to 2.15 APY, depending on how much money you deposited.
6) Charles Schwab
With the Charles Schwab High Yield Investor Checking account, you will get 0.15% APY on your balance, without having to pay monthly fees and with no minimum amount to open.
You’ll also be given a free Visa debit card that you can use internationally with zero transaction fees and free standard checks. Your money is safe in this account since the FDIC insures this account on up to $250,000.