List what you need the account to do
Do you deposit cash? Need a branch? Pay bills from the account? Move money between accounts a lot? Want a separate savings bucket? Answer those first, then compare checking with checking and savings with savings.
Read the fee schedule, not the ad
Monthly maintenance, minimum balance rules, out-of-network ATM charges, and overdraft terms are where accounts differ. Estimate a year of fees based on how you actually bank.
Confirm who holds the money
Look the institution up on FDIC BankFind. If a fintech app sweeps your deposits to partner banks, read which banks, how the money is split, and whether balances you already hold there eat into the same coverage limit.
Now put it to use
Take these questions to the comparison and see which company answers them best.
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