- Ask Me
- My Money Plan
- Banking Right
- Buying A Home
- Buying Cars
- Credit Cards
- Financial Advisors?
- Insurance
- Investing Right
- Loans Done Right
- Money Scams
- Paying For College
- Paying Off Debt
- Refinancing
- Retirement
- Salaries
- Social Security
- Taxes Done Right
- Your Money

What Are Typical Checking Account Fees?

Checking account fees are usually charged by banks to account holders in exchange of the security and convenience they provide for the account owners' money. While these charges are typical in any bank service, most clients are being caught off-guard and are only made aware of such when the monthly statement arrives. This is because most of these charges are in fine print and people do not really tend to read such as this could be time-wasting and inconvenient. However, in most cases, reading the fine print is most important in knowing all the details of the bank's charges, as well as other conditions that may catch clients by surprise.

People open checking accounts mainly for convenience in paying their necessities, especially those that involve large transactions. It also provides good and insured security over their funds. Checking account fees naturally come with these benefits. There are checking account options investors can consider, carrying various interest rates, charges and earnings. Regardless of what type of checking account, there are checking account fees that need to be considered in order to minimize unnecessary expense for penalties and other charges.

One example of such checking account fees is the overdraft fee. An overdraft fee means that there is not enough funding to maintain the required balance in the account. People who live by the paycheck are most prone to this problem. Because they need the whole amount fro their regular expenses, there is nothing left to serve as the maintaining balance as required by the bank. Experts say that it is best to link the checking account with an existing savings account. The savings account will fund the maintaining balance and would also cover checks with insufficient funds, thus avoiding payment of penalties and charges and saving lots of money in the long run.

Most banks also offer debit cards that come with a checking account. These debit cards also provide a way for the banks to earn per transaction. Depending on the type of checking account, checking account fees may vary, and may be bigger for higher-yielding rewards checks. Debit cards charge a certain amount for every use, and it would take some by surprise when the monthly statement arrives. While being able to access the funds from a checking account via ATM or paying with a debit card seems to be convenient, it entails additional charges and checking account fees that might caught most account holders unaware.

Other checking account fees such as maintenance fees and monthly fees are still being charged by some banks. Some even require depositors to maintain a large sum of deposits in order to avoid paying these charges. It should be noted that some of these checking account fees are disadvantageous to depositors and should be assessed carefully before opening an account. A checking account and all its details should be studied carefully, especially the fine print which contains the banks other conditions.

It is best to give the time and effort to do a comprehensive research on the checking accounts one prefers and the checking account fees that come with it. It also helps to improve spending habits and being more cognizant in complying with the bank's conditions in order to avoid penalties and other avoidable charges. With such background knowledge and after a thorough study, one can better manage his or her finances and make the checking account work best in securing and growing one's money.