Free Checking Accounts With No Strings Attached

You don't have to bypass traditional banking to get a good deal. These nationally available bank and credit union accounts have no monthly fee, no minimum-balance requirement and no requirements for direct deposit or other transactions. Plus, some of them pay interest.

Alternatives to Traditional Banks

Alliant Credit Union Free Checking includes access to 80,000 surcharge-free ATMs. Customers outside the credit union's jurisdiction can join by making a $10 donation to Foster Care to Success and depositing $5 in a savings account.

Ally Bank Interest Checking pays 0.40% on balances of less than $15,000 and 0.75% on larger balances. Fees are minimal; you won't be charged to order checks, receive a wire transfer or obtain a cashier's check. Ally reimburses withdrawal charges from ATM owners.

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Capital One 360 Checking pays between 0.20% and 0.85%, depending on your balance, and includes free access to more than 38,000 Allpoint ATMs in the U.S.

Balances of less than $250,000 in Incredible Bank checking accounts earn 0.88% interest (0.45% for higher balances), and Incredible reimburses owner ATM fees. Make sure to sign up for electronic statements to avoid a $15 monthly charge for receiving paper statements.

USAA Secure Checking reimburses up to $15 per month in ATM charges from other banks. You can make up to ten withdrawals from non-USAA ATMs monthly with no charge from USAA ($2 per withdrawal thereafter).

Lisa has been the editor of Kiplinger Personal Finance since June 2023. Previously, she spent more than a decade reporting and writing for the magazine on a variety of topics, including credit, banking and retirement. She has shared her expertise as a guest on the Today Show, CNN, Fox, NPR, Cheddar and many other media outlets around the nation. Lisa graduated from Ball State University and received the school’s “Graduate of the Last Decade” award in 2014. A military spouse, she has moved around the U.S. and currently lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and two sons.