Save Money on Your Checking Account

--If you're paying for the use of your own money by paying fees to maintain a checking account, look for a bank with no-fee checking. Many banks offer no-fee checking if you keep a minimum balance in a savings account or maintain a minimum combined balance in your savings and checking accounts.

--Get information from several banks and choose the one that best fits your habits. If you always dip below the minimum balance, it does no good to have "free" checking, since you'll incur a fee if your balance goes below the minimum. Potential Money Savings: $96-120/yr.

You can save quite a bit of cash when you give a thought to the cost of banking: monthly checking account fees, ATM fees, bounced-check fees, etc. You can shave banking expenses, which will save you money. It’s easier to save the cash you already have than to find ways of earning more.

Save Money on Your Checking Account

--If you're paying for the use of your own money by paying fees to maintain a checking account, look for a bank with no-fee checking. Many banks offer no-fee checking if you keep a minimum balance in a savings account or maintain a minimum combined balance in your savings and checking accounts.

--Get information from several banks and choose the one that best fits your habits. If you always dip below the minimum balance, it does no good to have "free" checking, since you'll incur a fee if your balance goes below the minimum. Potential Money Savings: $96-120/yr.