Checking Account FAQs & Basics

When an Online Business Checking Account Makes the Most Sense Learn about the key advantages of online business checking accounts and how they could be the better fit for your growing business. Simon Zhen Lance Cothern Business Prepaid Debit Cards: How They Work You’ve likely seen or heard of a personal prepaid debit card. You can load it with... Lance Cothern How to Choose a Business Checking Account As a business owner, you likely use many tools to manage your business. You may... Should I Give a Business Debit Card to an Employee? See what you should consider before giving a business debit card to an employee for a bit of autonomy when paying for business expenses. Lance Cothern Can You Use a Personal Checking Account for Your Business? Learn about the dangers of using a personal checking account for your business finances and how you can better separate your own finances from your business. Lance Cothern Lance Cothern 8 Business Checking Account Fees to Watch Out For Business owners have plenty of expenses to pay to keep their companies... Aja McClanahan Rewards Checking Accounts: High Interest Rates & Earn Cash Back For many consumers, a checking account acts as the financial hub of all money... How Online Checking Can Replace Your Traditional Checking Account Learn how you can replace your traditional checking account with an online checking account and benefit from lower fees and interest earnings. Simon Zhen Which U.S. Banks Offer Foreign Currency (Multicurrency) Accounts? Find out which U.S. banks offer foreign currency accounts -- also known as multi-currency accounts -- to personal banking customers. Lance Cothern Thomas (TJ) Porter ACH vs. Wire Transfers: Compare Speed, Cost and Security There are many ways to move money between accounts at different banks. You can... Valencia Patrice Higuera Do Banks Offer Notary Services? Is It Free? At some point in time, you might need to get a document notarized. To do so,... Legal Processing Fees: Why Do Banks Charge Them? Learn about the legal processing fees charged by banks when there are legal orders on the account such as garnishments, levies, and child support payments. Thomas (TJ) Porter Counter Checks Fees Compared at the Top U.S. Banks Find out how much banks will charge for counter checks, which are available at branches when you need a temporary personal check urgently. Kevin Mercadante Kevin Mercadante Pending Balance vs. Available Balance: Which Amount is Most Accurate? You may have noticed that your bank account reflects two balances. The first is... Kevin Mercadante How to Write a Check Properly to Avoid Rejected Payments Many payments today are being made electronically and it seems checks are... How to Tell If a Check is Real or Fake Learn how to tell if a check is real or fake as part of a scam based on these obvious signs. Avoid losing money to this common type of fraud. Thomas (TJ) Porter How to Find Your Bank's Routing Number Learn how to find the correct routing number for your bank account. See the list of routing numbers at the top U.S. banks based on your state. Valencia Patrice Higuera Thomas (TJ) Porter How to Get a Copy of Canceled Checks There are rare occasions when you want to see a past check that was issued from... Simon Zhen What is a Checking Account?: A Quick 101 Guide A checking account is a deposit account offered by financial institutions to make... Prepaid Debit Cards vs. Checking Accounts: Which is Better? Compare the differences between reloadable prepaid debt cards and checking accounts to find out which one offers the better fees and features that you seek. Thomas (TJ) Porter What's the Difference Between a Checking Account and a Money Market Account? While a checking account and money market account have some similar features, learn how they differ so that you pick the right account for your financial goals. Thomas (TJ) Porter Thomas (TJ) Porter Compare ACH Transfer Fees at Top U.S. Banks There are many ways that you can transfer money between bank accounts and the ACH... Thomas (TJ) Porter How to Pick an Online Checking Account Your checking account is the center of your financial life. All, or nearly all,... What Are Paper Statement Fees? Find out what paper statement fees are as they relate to checking accounts and learn how you can avoid paying this fee yourself. Kevin Mercadante 5 Signs You Need a New Checking Account Find out how your checking account could be hurting your finances and what you should look for in the best checking account for you. Lance Cothern Valerie Ashton What to Do When the ATM Eats Your Check After an Unsuccessful Deposit ATMs are historically very reliable machines, with billions of dollars in... Valencia Patrice Higuera The Difference Between Certified Checks and Cashier Checks Cash or a personal check aren’t recommended for some large purchases, such as the... Should You Use the Same Bank for Your Personal and Business Checking Accounts? Find out whether it is a good idea to use the same bank for your personal checking account and your business checking account. Compare the pros and cons. Thomas (TJ) Porter How to Cash a Check at Walmart Learn all about cashing a check at Walmart, including the information that you need to provide. Find out the fees and limits that apply. Simon Zhen