This article has been just updated: January 18, 2024

Your checking account is your financial hub, allowing you to easily pay bills and make purchases. If you’ve been using a Chase checking account for some time, you might be wondering if it’s still the best checking account in December 2024. To help you answer this question, we’ve researched multiple popular checking accounts and picked 7 best options for you to consider.

 

Chasing Lower Fees

chase bank

There are several things Chase customers don’t like about their checking accounts. To start with, Chase is one of the largest card issuers in the United States, and its customer service isn’t exactly personal. The company’s BBB rating is just 1 star, and its Trustpilot score isn’t much better.

While it’s a great thing that Chase offers more than 5,100 branches, they’re making customers go to a branch for the smallest reasons, and setting an appointment isn’t exactly a hassle-free process, with seemingly random identity confirmation text messages complicating things for no good reason.

Then there are Chase’s monthly fees. If you have a Chase Premier Plus Checking or a Chase Sapphire Checking account, you have to pay $25 every month unless you maintain a balance of over $15,000 or over $75,000 respectively across linked Chase accounts. If you have a Chase Total Checking account, your monthly fee is $12, unless you have $500 or more in monthly direct deposits, $1,500 minimum daily balance, or keep at least $5,000 across Chase accounts.

Overdraft charges are similarly high for all checking accounts except for Chase Sapphire Checking, which doesn’t charge for up to four overdrafts within 12 months.

As you can see, there are quite a few reasons to look for a Chase alternative in December 2024, and making the switch isn’t nearly as difficult as you might think, provided you know how to choose a checking account.  

 

How to Choose a Checking Account

A checking account is a fantastic everyday financial tool that gives you limitless access to your money, allowing you to withdraw, transfer, and receive funds as needed. This is what separates checking accounts from saving accounts, which allow you to earn a good yield on your savings but limit your ability to access your money.

When choosing a checking account, always pay attention to the following:

  • Fees: With so many checking accounts to choose from, there’s really no reason to settle for a checking account with high fees. If you’re a Chase customer, you’re most likely already used to high fees, so your situation can only improve.
  • Customer support: Sign up bonuses may convince customers to open an account, but excellent customer support is what makes them stay. Indeed, there’s nothing worse than being loyal to a bank for many years, only to discover that your loyalty doesn’t mean anything to them.
  • Branch and ATM accessibility: The number of branches and ATMs is extremely important when choosing a checking account, but what matters the most is how accessible they are to you. For example, even though Chase has over 5,100 branches, they are located in only 23 states. If you live in a state where Chase hasn’t established a presence yet, you’re out of luck.
  • Online and mobile access: Any bank that hasn’t yet fully embraced the potential of online and mobile banking should be avoided. Having direct control over your transactions from anywhere and at any time is something you won’t be able to live without once you get used to it. Other benefits of online and mobile banking include automated account alerts, paperless statements, the ability to instantly transfer money between accounts, and the ability to conveniently pay bills.
  • Reputation: Would you give money to someone you don’t trust? You wouldn’t, of course. Similarly, you should never give money to a bank whose reputation doesn’t precede him, and it doesn’t matter what the bank’s insurance policy is.
 

Top 7 Best Checking Accounts Dec 2024

1. Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking Account

Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking Account

Designed for Schwab investors, the Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking account is our favorite Chase alternative in December 2024 because it offers unlimited ATM fee rebates worldwide, doesn’t come with account minimums or monthly fees, and gives you 0.15% APY on your account balance. Schwab’s customer service is on a different level compared with Chase, and the company, which is now ranked among the largest banks and brokerage firms in the United States, has been around since 1971, so you know that you can trust it with your money.

2. Chime Spending Account

chime spending account

Founded in 2013, Chime is a relatively young branchless bank that entirely revolves around online and mobile banking. With a Chime Spending account, you get unlimited cash withdrawals at over 38,000 fee-free MoneyPass ATMs and over 30,000 cashback locations. Locating a suitable ATM is easy thanks to the Chime mobile app, which offers a whole host of useful features to help you manage your finances, including real-time transaction notifications, daily balance alerts, fee-free overdraft, and instant card blocking. If you’re wondering how to deposit money to an account with a branchless bank, the answer is simple: just deposit cash at over 90,000 retail locations with Green Dot.

3. Bank5 Connect High Interest Checking

Bank5 Connect High Interest Checking

Just like Chime, Bank5 is an online bank with no monthly fees and paperless statements. It boasts a solid ATM network, higher savings rates than many traditional competitors, and a mobile-friendly platform to help you manage your finances. By making purchases with the Bank5 Connect Visa debit card, you can earn attractive cashback at popular stores and restaurants, which is just one of many ways how you can save money with a Bank5 Connect High Interest Checking account. To earn an annual percentage yield of 0.76%, all you need to do is keep at least $100 in your account.

4. Discover Checking Account

Discover Checking Account

It pays off to spend a lot of money with a Discover Checking account because you can get 1% cashback on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases. For example, spending $2,000 with your Discover debit card earns you $240 a year, which is not an insignificant sum of money. Since there are absolutely no monthly maintenance fees to worry about, you can make this your secondary checking account and use it together with your Chase account. Discover lets you withdraw money from over 60,000 non-fee ATMs in the US, and you can easily discover how many of them are in your location with its ATM finder.

5. Capital One 360 Checking

Capital One 360 Checking

Capital One is ranked 10th on the list of largest banks in the United States by assets, and its popular checking account offers a great banking experience characterized by high interest rates, low fees, and flexible overdraft options. We especially like the option to deposit checks using a smartphone and the Capital One Mobile app. The app works great both on Android and iOS devices, and lets you securely send money to friends and family using Zelle, report fraud, make auto and home loan payments, redeem rewards for statement credit, and view and export statements, among other things.

6. USAA Federal Savings Bank Classic Checking Account

USAA Federal Savings Bank Classic Checking Account

The USAA Federal Savings Bank Classic Checking account is great for military families, offering access to several attractive financial products, over 60,000 ATMs, and refunds of up to $15 a month on other banks’ ATM fees. USAA doesn’t charge its customers any monthly maintenance fees, so your funds will remain the same even if you stop using your account for a while. To open a USAA Federal Savings Bank Classic Checking account all you need is US military affiliation and $25 for the initial deposit. Just don’t expect impressive interest rates because you won’t get them, but that’s the case with almost all checking accounts.

7. Ally Bank Interest Checking

Ally Bank Interest Checking

Using a smartphone to pay bills is one thing, but making financial transactions with the help of Amazon Alexa is something else entirely. Yes, with the Ally Bank Interest Checking account, you can transfer money with your voice, and do it without monthly maintenance fees. You can also use any Allpoint ATM in the US for free. If you have to withdraw from a non-Allpoint ATM, you can rest assured knowing that Ally (formally GMAC, an acronym for General Motors Acceptance Corporation) will reimburse up to $10 per statement cycle for fees charged.

 

Conclusion

As you can now hopefully see, there are many excellent checking accounts to choose from in December 2024, so there’s no reason to stick with your old Chase account if it doesn’t work for you anymore. At the very least, you can get a second checking account to complement your Chase account since most checking accounts listed in this article have absolutely no monthly maintenance fees.  

FAQ

Several banks offered competitive alternatives to Chase, including Ally Bank, Capital One 360, and Simple Banking. These institutions were known for their user-friendly online platforms, low fees, and high APYs on checking accounts. For more details, visit Ally Bank or Capital One.

Online banks usually offer higher interest rates, minimal fees, and 24/7 customer support. Their efficiency often leads to better rates and savings for customers due to lower overhead costs compared to traditional brick-and-mortar institutions.

Yes, many alternative banks provide ATM fee reimbursements. Banks like Charles Schwab and Ally Bank are known for offering unlimited ATM fee reimbursements worldwide.

Yes, some checking accounts, such as those offered by Discover Bank or Aspiration, have cashback and rewards programs for debit card purchases.

To set up direct deposit, you’ll typically need to provide your employer with your checking account number and the bank’s routing number. Most online banks have a simple process to follow, often accessible through their mobile app or website.

When choosing a checking account, consider features like no monthly maintenance fees, free online bill pay, mobile check deposit, and strong customer support. Interest-earning potential and ATM accessibility are also important.

Yes, mobile banking with reputable institutions is secure, as they use encryption and other security measures like two-factor authentication to protect users’ information and transactions.

Many banks, such as Ally Bank and Simple, offer the ability to open joint checking accounts with ease through their online platforms.

Some banks, like Chime and Varo, offer overdraft protection features without charging interest or hefty fees.

Yes, most online banks offer the convenience of remote check deposit through their mobile banking apps, allowing you to deposit checks with just a photograph.

Some banks, including Chime and Varo, allow customers to access their direct deposits up to two days early, which can be advantageous for budgeting and cash flow.

Many alternative checking accounts have no minimum balance requirements or are very low, catering to a broader range of customers.

Yes, one of the primary benefits of these alternative banks is the ability to open a checking account completely online, often in just a few minutes.

To switch, you’ll need to open the new checking account, transfer your money from Chase, update your direct deposit and automatic payments, and then close your Chase account.

These banks typically provide comprehensive customer service through phone, email, and online chat, with many offering 24/7 support.

It’s common for banks to offer sign-up bonuses as an incentive, although these promotions change frequently. It’s always a good idea to check current offers during the account opening process.

While most online banks operate primarily online, some, like Capital One 360, have a limited number of brick-and-mortar branches or cafes.

Alternative checking accounts often have lower fee structures, many offering fee-free accounts with no monthly maintenance fees or foreign transaction fees.

Services like traveler’s checks or foreign currency exchange vary among alternative banks; however, many online-based banks do not offer these services directly and may recommend third-party services instead.

Yes, closing a checking account is typically a straightforward process. You’ll need to withdraw your funds and follow the bank’s closure procedure, which is usually outlined on their website.