Checking

Opening a checking account is a major financial milestone. It provides a secure way to store your money and allows for easy, efficient access to and transfer of your hard-earned dollars. In this program, we talk about the basics of checking accounts. You'll learn why checking accounts are important, how they're helpful, and some of the benefits they provide. We also discuss how to choose the right account for you, how to access your account, and how to understand the fees associated with it.

Don't you just love reading the fine print, all of the minute legal details of terms and conditions? Nope. Nobody reads the fine print. Seemingly everything has fine print and none of it seems to make sense. But there are some important facts in there, particularly when it comes to a checking account agreement, that you want to pay attention to. Those are the things we'll cover in this course. We'll discuss minimum balance requirements, overdraft conditions, and other stipulations to be aware of.

This is a how-to course on using your checking account. We'll go over making deposits and withdrawals, either in a bank or using an automatic teller machine, or ATM. We'll discuss ATM safety and what you need to be aware of when using an ATM. We'll go over making purchases and how to use your debit card. We'll also cover the components of a check and how to properly fill one out. Lastly, we'll touch on keeping a check register and managing your accounts electronically to monitor your budget.

Online and mobile banking tools offer customers convenience and flexibility in common, day-to-day transactions. In this program, we'll talk through the different tools offered and how you can use them to your advantage. These include alert services, electronic statements, and budgeting software. We'll also discuss the associated risks with these tools and how you can keep your information secure.

In this course, we go over different types of checking accounts so you can decide which type is most appropriate for your life. These include basic and joint accounts, commercial and business accounts, and online versus brick-and-mortar bank accounts. The key to finding the right checking account is to do your research and shop around. This video, along with reading the fine print and talking to customer service associates, will help you make an informed decision about where to put your money.