These online banks, credit unions and traditional banks all offer free checking accounts – Clark Howard

Fees: No monthly fees

ATMs: 43,000+ Allpoint ATMs. You can use any Allpoint ATM in the country for free and be reimbursed up to $10 for fees charged at other banks’ ATMs. The reimbursement is good once per statement cycle.

Fees: No monthly fees, no overdraft fees and no ATM fees

ATMs: Simple Bank has no ATMs but a partnership with STAR opens 55,000 locations to customers. No fees, although the ATM company may charge you.

Account name: Free Interest Checking Account

Requirements: No minimum balance requirement after $100.00 to open

Account names: Two checking accounts: USAA Cashback Rewards Checking and USAA Classic Checking

Requirement: No minimum balance requirement after $100 to open account.

ATMs: Free ATM use at more than 60,000 USAA-preferred locations.

USAA Bank does not charge a fee for the first 10 ATM withdrawals, but there is a $2 fee for each subsequent withdrawal except when made at a USAA Bank-owned ATM. USAA Bank also refunds up to $15 in other banks’ ATM usage fees for transactions at ATMs around the country.

Fees: No monthly service fees

ATMs: No fees from more than 2 million ATM locations (other banks and ATM operators’ may apply surcharges).

Requirement: A $100 minimum deposit is required to open a new account

Fees: The $15 monthly fee is waived if customers maintain a minimum average monthly balance of $5,000 or set up a direct deposit of $200 or more per month, or keep at least $50,000 in combined E*TRADE Bank deposits.

ATMs: Unlimited ATM fee refunds across the U.S. (The ATM owner may impose a fee).

Fees: No monthly fee

ATMs: Access to more than 60,000 no-fee ATMs around the U.S.

Discover Bank Cashback Debit also features First Fee Forgiveness, which credits your account once a calendar year for insufficient fund fees. Cashback Debit also offers no-fee check reorders.

Another option for free checking is with credit unions. Here are some of the top credit unions that offer free checking accounts:

Credit Unions that offer free checking accounts

Fees: No monthly service fee

ATMs: More than 80,000 surcharge-free ATMs,  Out-of-network ATM fee rebates up to $20/month.

Alliant will rebate ATM fees up to $20 per month per membership account when you use your Alliant Visa Debit Card to make a deposit, withdrawal, transfer or balance inquiry.

Fees: No monthly fees

ATMs: The credit union affiliated with Delta Airlines has 29 branches around Georgia.

Account name: First Tech offers three checking accounts: Dividend Rewards Checking, Carefree Checking and HSA Checking.

Requirement: $1 minimum to open account

Fees: No monthly fees. Only the Dividend Rewards Checking account has unlimited ATM fee rebates.

ATMs: Customers have free access to more than 30,000 co-op ATMs.

Account name: Two types: Free Checking Account and Dividend Checking

Requirement: No minimum balance required for Free Checking Account, but Dividend Checking mandates at least a $2,500 daily balance.

Fees: No monthly maintenance fees for Free Checking, but Dividend requires $10 monthly fee if daily balance falls below $2,500.

ATMs: More than 6,800 co-op shared branch locations as part of the AllPoint Network.

Your third (and least attractive) option for free checking is with brick-and-mortar, or traditional, banks.

Money expert Clark Howard is not a fan of these banks, in part because of all of the hoops — think minimum deposit, minimum balance and direct deposit requirements — you have to jump through to get “free” checking.

Still, if you insist on doing business with a big name that has multiple branches, here are some options:

Brick-and-mortar (traditional) banks that offer free checking

Fees: No monthly fees

ATMs: 39,000 fee-free ATMs in the Allpoint network and using Capital One-branded machines. You won’t be reimbursed if you use out-of-network ATMs.

Requirement: A daily balance of $1,500 or more.

Fees: $12 monthly service fee. The fee can be avoided if you have $500 direct deposits or a daily balance of $1,500.

ATMs: $2.50 fee for using non-Chase ATMs. Fees from the ATM owner still apply as well. Access to 16,000 ATMs at 5,000+ branches.

Requirement: No minimum balance required

Fees: $12 monthly service fee can be waived if customers make one qualifying direct deposit per statement period and one qualifying bill payment per statement period or maintain a $1,500+ combined average monthly balance in eligible linked accounts.

ATMs: More than 60,000 fee-free ATMs around the U.S.

Account name: Fifth Third Free Checking

Requirement: No minimum deposit to open your account and no minimum balance required

Fees: No monthly service charge. A $5 monthly fee will be accessed if account goes dormant for 12 months.

ATMs: Access to 50,000 fee-free partner ATMs. Partner networks include  Allpoint, Presto! and 7-Eleven ATMs. $2.50 fee for non-partner ATMs.

Account name: KeyBank Hassle-Free Account

Requirement: Minimum opening deposit of $10, but after that no minimum balance requirement.

Fees: No monthly maintenance service charge

ATMs: 1,200+ branches, 1,500+ ATMs

KeyBank, which has nearly 1,200 branches in 27 states, has the additional perk of having no overdraft or non-sufficient funds fees.