A checking account has which of the following benefits

If you use check-cashing outlets or the piggy bank, you're missing out on the many benefits of managing your money with a bank account.

1. Bank accounts offer convenience
For example, if you have a checking account, you can easily pay by check or through online bill pay. It's also cheaper than buying a money order (and you'll have proof of bank statements that you paid your bills). If you get an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or debit card for the account, you can withdraw money easily or make payments at stores. A debit card is usually accepted for purchases anywhere credit cards are accepted.

2. Bank accounts are safe
Your money will be protected from theft and fires. Plus, your money will be federally insured so if your bank or credit union closes, you will get your money back. The maximum amount of money that can be insured is $100,000.

3. It's an easy way to save money
Many banks offer an interest rate when you put your money in a savings account. The interest will help your money grow over time. Be sure to shop around and check what fees are involved - you don't want to wind up paying more in fees than you are gaining in interest.

If you have a checking and saving account with the same institution, you can have your money transferred periodically from checking to savings, putting the money aside to help grow your savings.

4. Bank accounts are cheaper
Banks and credit unions generally offer their account holders free or low-cost services:

• Cashing checks:  Using a check cashing outlet really adds up. You can deposit and cash your checks at the institution where you have a bank account for free.
• Paying bills:  Without a bank account, you probably rely on check cashing outlets, telephone bill pay or money orders—all of which have attached fees—to pay your bills. With a checking account, you can write checks for free or pay online at a low cost.
• Transferring/wiring money:  If you use a money transfer company to wire money to another person’s account, you will pay a fee, usually a percentage of the amount of the transfer. Depending on the amount you want to transfer, this fee can be expensive. If you wire from your bank account to another person’s account, your bank will usually charge a flat rate that is generally lower than the money transfer company.
• Accessing cash:  When you need cash but don’t have a bank account, you may decide to use a credit card to get a cash advance from an ATM. The credit card company will charge you a transaction fee and interest. If you have a bank account and an ATM or debit card, you can access your money from your own bank’s ATM for free. Although you can access your money from any ATM, you will likely pay a transaction fee if you use an ATM other than your bank.

5.  Bank accounts can help you access credit
Banks and credit unions can help you access credit to acquire a home, a car, student or personal loan, because banks tend to favor existing customers, particularly those who manage their money well. Plus, going to small loan lenders that lend you cash quickly can be quite expensive because they charge lending fees and high interest rates.

While bank accounts are preferred over check cashers and piggy banks, banks will also have fees that you should be aware of. For example, banks will charge you if you use your debit card on an ATM that is not theirs. Also, depending on the type of account you have, you must maintain a minimum balance of a certain amount to avoid being charged. It's always best to shop around for the best product that fits your needs.

What Is a Checking Account?

A checking account is a deposit account held at a financial institution that allows withdrawals and deposits. Also called demand accounts or transactional accounts, checking accounts are very liquid and can be accessed using checks, automated teller machines (ATMs), and electronic debits, among other methods. A checking account differs from other bank accounts in that it often allows for numerous withdrawals and unlimited deposits, whereas savings accounts sometimes limit both.

A checking account is beneficial for anyone who wants to make frequent withdrawals or transactions from a bank account. Setting up a checking account is generally very easy: You can apply online, or visit a bank branch, and get a checking account within an hour.

Key Takeaways

• A checking account is a deposit account with a bank or other financial firm that allows the holder to make deposits and withdrawals.
• Checking accounts are very liquid, allowing for numerous deposits and withdrawals, as opposed to less liquid savings or investment accounts.
• The tradeoff for increased liquidity is that checking accounts don’t offer holders much, if any, interest.
• Money can be deposited at banks and via automated teller machines (ATMs), through direct deposit or other electronic transfer; account holders can withdraw funds via banks and ATMs, by writing checks, or by using electronic debit or credit cards paired with their accounts.
• It’s important to keep track of checking account fees, which are assessed for overdrafts. Some banks also require you to keep the account balance above a required amount.

Understanding Checking Accounts

Checking accounts can include commercial or business accounts, student accounts, and joint accounts, along with many other types of accounts that offer similar features.

A commercial checking account is used by businesses and is the property of the business. The business’ officers and managers have signing authority on the account as authorized by the business’ governing documents.

Some banks offer a special free checking account for college students that will remain free until they graduate. A joint checking account is one where two or more people, usually marital partners, are both able to write checks on the account.

In exchange for liquidity, checking accounts typically do not offer high interest rates (if they offer interest at all). But if held at a chartered banking institution, funds are guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) up to $250,000 per individual depositor, per insured bank.

For accounts with large balances, banks often provide a service to “sweep” the checking account. This involves withdrawing most of the excess cash in the account and investing it in overnight interest-bearing funds. At the beginning of the next business day, the funds are deposited back into the checking account along with the interest earned overnight.

Checking Accounts and Banks

Offering checking accounts for minimal fees, most large commercial banks use checking accounts as loss leaders.

A loss leader is a marketing tool in which a company offers a product below its cost or market value to attract consumers.

The goal of most banks is to attract consumers with free or low-cost checking accounts and then entice them to use more profitable offerings such as personal loans, mortgages, and certificates of deposit (CDs).

However, as alternative lenders such as fintech companies offer consumers an increasing number of loans, banks may have to revisit this strategy. Banks may decide, for example, to increase fees on checking accounts if they cannot sell enough profitable products to cover their losses.

Money Supply Measurements

Because money held in checking accounts is so liquid, aggregate balances nationwide are used in the calculation of the M1 money supply. M1 is one measure of the money supply, and it includes the sum of all transaction deposits held at depository institutions, as well as currency held by the public. M2, another measure, includes all of the funds accounted for in M1, as well as those in savings accounts, small-denomination time deposits, and retail money market mutual fund shares.

Using Checking Accounts

Consumers can set up checking accounts at bank branches or through a financial institution’s website. To deposit funds, account holders can use ATMs, direct deposit, and over-the-counter deposits. To access their funds, they can write checks, use ATMs, or use electronic debit or credit cards connected to their accounts. 

Advances in electronic banking have made checking accounts more convenient to use. Customers can now pay bills via electronic transfers, thus eliminating the need for writing and mailing paper checks. They can also set up automatic payments of routine monthly expenses and use smartphone apps for making deposits or transfers.

Don’t overlook checking account fees. There are things that banks won’t widely advertise to people who aren’t reading the fine print, including contingent fees like overdrafts.

Checking Accounts and Overdrafts

If you write a check or make a purchase for more than you have in your checking account, your bank may cover the difference.

What many banks don’t tell customers is that they’ll charge you for each transaction that causes your account to use an overdraft. If you have a $50 account balance, for example, and you make purchases using your debit card of $25, $25, and $53, you will be charged an overdraft fee—usually a hefty one—for the purchase that overdrew your account, as well as for each subsequent purchase after you’re in the red.

But there’s more. In the example above in which you made three purchases of $25, $25, and $53, you wouldn’t just be charged a fee for the last purchase. Per the account holder agreement, many banks have provisions stating that in the event of an overdraft, transactions will be grouped in the order of their size, regardless of the order in which they occurred. This means that the bank would group those transactions in the order of $53, $25, and $25, charging a fee for each of the three transactions on the day when you overdrew your account. Furthermore, if your account remains overdrawn, your bank also may charge you daily interest on the loan.

There is a practical reason for clearing larger payments before smaller payments. Many important bills and debt payments, such as car and mortgage payments, are usually in large denominations. The rationale is that it is better to have those payments cleared first. However, such fees are also an extremely lucrative income generator for banks.

Avoiding Overdraft Fees

Many banks offer a service called overdraft protection for checking account holders. This feature is essentially a line of credit that kicks in when a debit is presented to the account that it can’t cover. Overdraft protection supplies the funds, thus avoiding denial of the payment and a non-sufficient funds (NSF) fee. However, banks usually do charge a “courtesy fee” for each use of overdraft protection.

Outside of overdraft protection, you can avoid overdraft charges by choosing a checking account with no overdraft fees, or keeping money in a linked account.

Some banks will forgive one to four overdraft charges in a one-year period, though you may have to call and ask. For example, Chase Bank waives the fees for insufficient funds incurred on up to four business days in every 12-month period on its Sapphire Checking and Private Client Checking accounts.

Checking Account Service Charges

While banks are traditionally thought of as generating income from the interest they charge customers to borrow money, service charges were created as a way to generate income from accounts that weren’t generating enough interest revenue to cover the bank’s expenses.

In today’s computer-driven world, it costs a bank pretty much the same amount to maintain an account with a $10 balance as it does an account with a $2,000 balance. The difference is that while the larger account is earning enough interest for the bank to earn some income, the $10 account is costing the bank more than it brings in. The bank makes up for this shortfall by charging fees when customers fail to maintain a minimum balance, write too many checks, or, as discussed above, overdraw an account.

The market for checking accounts is now very competitive because there are many online-only banks that have very low overheads. This has led to no-fee checking accounts becoming more commonly available. Choosing a no-fee checking account can be effective in reducing the cost of everyday banking.

Even if your checking account has fees, there may be a way to get out of at least some of those fees on occasion. If you’re a customer of a large bank (not a small-town savings and loan branch), the best way to avoid paying nonrecurring fees is to ask politely. Customer service representatives at large banks are often authorized to overturn hundreds of dollars in charges if you merely explain the situation and ask them to cancel the charge. Just be aware that these “courtesy cancellations” are usually one-time deals.

Checking Account Features

Direct Deposit

Direct deposit allows your employer to electronically deposit your paycheck into your bank account, which makes the funds immediately available to you. Banks also benefit from this feature, as it gives them a steady flow of income to lend to customers. Because of this, many banks will provide free checking (i.e., no minimum balance or monthly maintenance fees) if you set up direct deposit for your account.

Electronic Funds Transfer

With an electronic funds transfer (EFT), also known as a wire transfer, it’s possible to have money directly transferred into your account without having to wait for a check to come in the mail. Most banks no longer charge to make an EFT.

ATMs

ATMs make it convenient to access cash from your checking account or savings after hours, but it’s important to be aware of fees that may be associated with their use. While you’re typically in the clear when you use one of your own bank’s ATMs, using an ATM from another bank could result in surcharges from both the bank that owns the ATM and your bank. However, surcharge-free ATMs are becoming increasingly prevalent.

Automated Teller Machine Definition

Cashless Banking

The debit card has become a staple for anyone who uses a checking account. It provides the ease of use and portability of a major credit card without the burden of high-interest credit card bills. Many banks offer zero-liability fraud protection for debit cards to help protect against identity theft if a card is lost or stolen.

Checking Accounts and Interest

If you choose an interest-bearing checking account, be prepared to pay plenty of fees—particularly if you can’t maintain a minimum balance. According to a 2021 Bankrate study, the average minimum balance required to avoid a monthly fee on an interest checking account was $9,896.81, up 31% from the year before.

This minimum amount is typically the combined total of all your accounts at the bank, including checking accounts, savings accounts, and CDs. If your balance falls below the required minimum, you’ll have to pay a monthly service fee. The average monthly service fee on interest-bearing accounts increased by nearly 5.5 percent since last year’s survey. The average maintenance fee on a checking account that earns interest totaled $16.35 a month.

Only a handful of banks provide free interest-bearing checking accounts with no strings attached. However, if you have a long-standing favorable relationship with your bank, you might get the fee on your interest-bearing checking account waived.

Checking Accounts and Credit Scores

A checking account can affect your credit score and credit report under certain circumstances, but most basic checking account activities—such as making deposits and withdrawals and writing checks—do not have an impact. Unlike credit cards, closing dormant checking accounts in good standing also has no impact on your credit score or credit report. And oversights that result in checking accounts being overdrawn do not appear on your credit report as long as you take care of them in a timely manner.

Some banks do a soft inquiry, or pull, of your credit report to find out if you have a decent track record of handling money before they offer you a checking account. Soft pulls have no impact on your credit score. If you’re opening a checking account and applying for other financial products, such as home loans and credit cards, the bank is likely to do a hard inquiry to view your credit report and credit score. Hard pulls reflect on your credit report for up to 12 months and may drop your credit score by as much as five points.

If you apply for checking account overdraft protection, the bank is likely to pull your credit since overdraft protection is a line of credit. If you fail to restore your account to a positive balance in a timely manner following an overdraft, you can expect the incident to be reported to the credit bureaus.

If you don’t have overdraft protection and you overdraw your checking account and fail to restore it to a positive balance in a timely manner, the bank may turn your account over to a collection agency. In that case, that information also will be reported to the credit bureaus. 

How to Open a Checking Account

There are agencies that keep track of and report your banking history. The official name of this report card on your bank accounts is a consumer banking report. Banks and credit unions look at this report before they will allow you to open a new account.

The two consumer reporting agencies that track the vast majority of bank accounts in the United States are ChexSystems and Early Warning.

When you apply for a new account, these agencies report whether you have ever bounced checks, refused to pay late fees, or had accounts closed due to mismanagement. 

Chronically bouncing checks, not paying overdraft fees, committing fraud, or having an account “closed for cause” can all result in a bank or credit union denying you a new account. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), if your checking account was closed due to mismanagement, that information can appear in your consumer banking report for up to seven years. However, according to the American Bankers Association, most banks will not report you if you overdraw your account, provided you take care of it within a reasonable period.

If there is nothing to report, that is good. In fact, that’s the best possible outcome. It means that you have been a model account holder.

Being Denied a Checking Account

If you haven’t been a model account holder, you can effectively be blacklisted from opening a checking account. Your best course of action is to avoid problems before they happen. Monitor your checking account and make sure that you check the balance on a regular basis to avoid overdraft charges and fees. When they occur, make sure you have sufficient funds to pay them—the sooner, the better.

If you are denied, ask the bank or credit union to reconsider. The opportunity to speak with a bank officer is all it takes sometimes to get the institution to change its mind.

You can also try opening a savings account to build a relationship with the financial institution. Once you are able to get a checking account, it can be tied to this savings account to provide do-it-yourself overdraft protection. 

Even if you have legitimate blots on your record, it’s important to know how your data is tracked and what you can do to fix a mistake or repair a bad history.

Tracking and Correcting Your Data

Under the FCRA, you have the right to ask the bank or credit union which of the two verification systems they use. If a problem is found, you will receive a disclosure notice, likely informing you that you will not be able to open an account and why. At that time, you can request a free copy of the report that was the basis for your denial.

Federal law allows you to request a free banking history report once per year per agency, at which time you can dispute incorrect information and ask that the record be corrected. The reporting services also must tell you how to dispute inaccurate information.

You can and should dispute incorrect information in your consumer banking report. It may seem obvious, but you should obtain your report, check it carefully, and make sure it is accurate. If it is not, follow procedures to get it corrected and notify the bank or credit union. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) offers sample letters to dispute inaccurate information in your history.

When you contact one of the reporting agencies, be aware that it may try to sell you other products. You are not obligated to buy them, and declining them should not affect the outcome of your dispute.

You may be tempted to pay a company to “repair” your credit or checking account history. But most credit repair companies are scams. Besides, if the negative information is accurate, the reporting services are not obligated to remove it for up to seven years. The only way that it can be legitimately removed is if the bank or credit union that reported the information requests it. Therefore, you might be better served to try to repair your relationship with the institution on your own.

Some banks offer cash-only prepaid card accounts for people who can’t get traditional accounts. After a period of good stewardship, you may qualify for a regular account.

Many banks and credit unions offer other types of second-chance programs with restricted account access, higher bank fees, and in many cases, no debit card. If you are a candidate for a second-chance program, make sure the bank is insured by the FDIC. If it’s a credit union, it should be insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

Is a checking account a debit card?

A checking account is not a debit card. A checking account is a deposit account at a financial institution that allows for withdrawals and deposits of cash. Checking accounts serve as a person’s primary day-to-day resource of funds, where cash can be withdrawn or deposited and various payments can be made. Today, most checking accounts come with a debit card that is linked to the checking account. The debit card can then be used to make electronic payments or cash withdrawals from an automated teller machine (ATM).

What are the different types of checking accounts?

Some of the different types of checking accounts are regular (basic) checking accounts, premium checking accounts, student checking accounts, senior checking accounts, interest-bearing accounts, business checking accounts, and rewards checking accounts. Each of these comes with different features, or different limits on certain features, such as minimum deposit amounts, number of transaction fees, ATM fees, and overdraft protection.

What is the difference between a checking account and a savings account?

A checking account is meant to be used for daily cash needs. It is the primary source of funds for an individual where cash can be withdrawn for spending or payments. A savings account is an account that is meant to be used for saving rather than spending. Savings accounts also come with the ability to earn interest on money deposited in the account, whereas a checking account does not. Most savings accounts also come with limited withdrawal amounts per month, whereas a checking account has limitless withdrawals.

The Bottom Line

A checking account is a highly liquid type of transaction account with a bank or other financial firm that allows the holder to make deposits and withdrawals. Checking accounts are designed to be used daily, allowing for numerous deposits and withdrawals, as opposed to less liquid savings or investment accounts.

The tradeoff for increased liquidity is that checking accounts don’t offer holders much, if any, interest or other benefits. Money can be deposited in your checking account at banks and via ATMs, through direct deposit or other electronic transfer. You can withdraw funds via banks and ATMs, by writing checks, or by using electronic debit or credit cards paired with their accounts.

It’s important to keep track of checking account fees, which are assessed for overdrafts. Some banks also require you to keep the account balance above a required amount. No-fee checking accounts are becoming more common, and choosing one of these may help you reduce the cost of everyday banking.

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