With today’s tight economy, the last thing you want is to be spending your money on exorbitant fees tacked on to your checking account. Instead of paying to use a checking account, consider opening a free checking account offered at one of the following banks.

ING Direct

ING Direct is an online-only bank that offers free checking. When you bank with ING you won’t be visiting a local branch, but instead all transactions are done online. You will still receive a debit card linked to your account and you have access to ATMs nationwide. You can make deposits into the account through direct deposit, another bank, or you can mail checks to the main office where they will be deposited.

Bank of the West

Bank of the West is one of the few brick and mortar banks that still offers free checking without any stipulations. Unfortunately, this is not a nationwide bank and is only located in 16 states in the western half of the U.S.

USAA

USAA bank offers free checking, but this bank option is also not for everyone. USAA bank is only available for those who serve in the military and their families. This does preclude much of the population, but those who have the opportunity to bank with USAA can take advantage of the free checking which is increasingly hard to find.

Ally Bank

Like ING Direct, Ally Bank is an online only bank that is known for offering free checking. There is also no minimum balance needed to open an account. Ally accounts can be accessed by internet, telephone, or ATMs located nationwide.

The majority of banks today offer a hybrid sort of free checking. That is, you won’t be charged a service fee as long as you maintain a minimum balance or deposit a certain amount into your account each month. The concept of totally free checking isn’t completely gone, but it may seem harder to find these days, especially among brick and mortar institutions. The best way to guarantee free checking is to sign up with one of the many online banks that offer free checking as one of their perks.