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WHY IT'S A WINNER

First Citizens is a midsize bank with a broad geographic footprint and a relatively friendly ATM policy. The Premier Checking account also offers a 0.25-percentage-point discount on HELOCS.

Caveats

Both checking and money market yields are relatively low. And if you don’t meet the balance or direct-deposit minimum, your next best choice is the bank’s non-interest-bearing Select Checking account.

Branches

566 branches in Arizona, California, Colorado, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia

Standout Account

Premier Checking

Maintenance fee: $16
How to waive the fee: Keep a $5,000 combined balance or direct deposit of at least $4,000 a month.
Outside ATM fee: $0 for first five each month
Interest on $5,000: 0.01%

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