Paying for a Checking Account
I am looking for a new bank since I am moving in about a week to start my new religion job, about 90 minutes away. I went looking around at new banks, and many actually want me to pay for checking. Maybe I am behind the times, but I have always had a free checking account, and find the idea of paying for one silly.
One good thing about capitalism is that (outside a few major industries like oil), there is always a competitor wanting to give you something for less than the other competitor. So after shopping around, I ended up going with National City. They offer free checking, a free check card, a reward point system, and a fifty dollar bonus if you start direct depositing in their account (which I do anyway for convenience). This blows away the checking package of the competing banks in the town where I am moving, many that wanted to charge me for checking.
The local bank here has started charging fees for just about everything. I am not a customer at this bank, since I am a member of a credit union, but Jennifer is. They now charge for having a debit card, talking to someone on the phone, and so forth. I told Jennifer that if she gets charged one lone fee, she should go to National City. I like the idea of supporting the local hometown bank, but seeing as how neither Jennifer nor I are rich, we don’t need nickel-and-dimed …err… dollared-and-five-dollared, by a bank.
