those who are struggling can't have a checking account.

[DesertFlower]

i got a notice from wells fargo (where i keep a small balance) that starting next month there will be a $7.00 charge unless i keep a balance of $1500 or have at least $500 a month in automatic deposits.

there's a lot of people who can barely get by and now this. money orders are expensive too.

i hate banks. there evil.

[undeterred]

1. You can get one at a credit union with a smaller minimum.

You can't get accounts very easily if you have messed up on checking and savings accounts in the past, though, and then you are stuck doing everything in cash. Think about how inconvenient and dangerous that is in todays world.

[Shandris]

2. Check out PNC if they're in your area.

Still no charge for checking (knock on wood). Also includes Debit (is that even a selling point anymore? I haven't bank-shopped in a decade).

[DesertFlower]

4. we have our accounts in Amtrust bank.

we have free checking with interest. however their branches are far from where we live and they now charge $5.00 if you use another bank's ATM. what we've been doing is depositing money in wells fargo from Amtrust and then withdrawing the cash saving us the $5.00. guess will have to make the long drive to the bank to get cash.

wells fargo used to be our main bank but they suck so a few years ago we moved everything to Amtrust. they always give the highest interest which isn't very much these days.

we're okay financially. i'm just concerned for those who are not.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Do you have a debit card that you use? My credit union is over 1200 miles away. I go to

the local grocery, Petsmart, or Walgreens and make a purchase. I then use my debit card and get cash back with no fee.

[DesertFlower]

11. i do. i did that for a while. i like to use my discover

card for shopping because we get cash back.

[AndyTiedye]

3. Don't Go Coach

Got a credit union nearby?

[DesertFlower]

12. the credit union is almost as far as the bank. lol.

[Gregorian]

5. I just got my Chase "bill". Either I keep $15,000 in checking, or pay $20 per month!

Fucking A! This is insanity.

Now I have money, but it's not in the bank. I have $200 in my accountjust to keep it alive. Well, that's 10 months beforeI havenoaccout at all. It looks like I have no spacebar either.

Fascists.

[TBF]

6. Unless your branch is different you can also meet the requirement by

having a $500 direct deposit each month. But, yes, it is criminal as far as I'm concerned.

[Johonny]

9. and they'll pay you 0.01 % interest on that money

WTF you force me to keep my money there and then give me way less interest on it than my saving account. Then everytime I go in ask me if I want to move money to my savings account. Hello I'm not keeping that money in my checking because I love low interest. They want to screw me either way. Chase the bank that makes Bank of America seem friendly and inviting.

[DesertFlower]

13. my mom had chase and i was on

the account. i used them for a while. then they decided i had to keep a certain amount in. that was a few years ago. closed that account.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Find a small, locally owned bank or credit union. Stop using the big 5 banks.

[lpbk2713]

10. A couple of years ago i closed out an account ...

that I had used regularly for about thirty years. BAC bought out the bank and started nickel & diming me.
I dropped them like a bad habit and went to a credit union. Best move I ever made.