--- title: Best Bank Accounts for When You're Broke description: Here are the best checking accounts to use if you have little to no cash, from big banks to credit unions. authors: - name: Megan Leonhardt url: https://money.com/author/megan-leonhardt/ at_money_since: 2016 articles: 204 covers: - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Economy and Politics - Education - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Personal Finance - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology social: - https://x.com/Megan_Leonhardt former_staff: true - name: Kaitlin Mulhere role: Editor url: https://money.com/author/kaitlin-mulhere/ bio: Kaitlin Mulhere is an editor at Money.com. Since joining in 2015, she’s written and edited about a variety of personal finance topics, including banks, credit, student debt, saving strategies and more. education: University of Florida at_money_since: 2015 articles: 217 covers: - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes social: - https://twitter.com/KMulhere - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlin-mulhere-64503048/ published: '2017-10-23T04:01:17.000Z' modified: '2020-07-07T11:26:54.000Z' section: Banking tags: - Banking - Banks - Best Banks 2017-18 - best checking accounts - Money's Best Banks word_count: 485 canonical: https://money.com/best-checking-accounts-2017-broke/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We may earn a fee if you click on the links below. Compensation does not determine ranking. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Empty pockets](https://img.money.com/2017/10/171022-best-banks-broke.jpg) It can be tricky to maintain a steady balance in your checking account—especially if you pay a high rent or have a car payment due at the end of the month. And yet a majority of banks will charge you a fee if your checking account dips below a certain threshold—often set at a couple of thousand dollars. But you’re not alone if your checking account balance doesn’t stay above your bank's required minimum. The median balance for U.S. households is less than $3,000, according to the latest Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances. And for those under 35, the median is even lower—just $1,200, [ValuePenguin reports](https://www.valuepenguin.com/banking/average-checking-account-balance). If you fall below the required minimum, you'll probably wind up paying. Of the over 400 checking accounts that Money and [Bankrate.com](http://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/rates/) evaluated, the average monthly maintenance fee was $9.50. So if you can't keep enough money in your account to top the minimum, you could be looking at upwards of $100 in unnecessary monthly checking account fees every year—even if you can avoid additional charges for out-of-network ATM withdrawals and overdrafts. (A separate [Money-Bankrate poll](http://www.bankrate.com/banking/best-banks-in-america/) found that people think they pay an average $13.92 in fees each month.) - [**See all of Money's Best Banks winners**](https://money.com/tag/best-banks-2017-18/) To help you keep more money in your pocket, Money this year rounded up the best checking accounts that charge no monthly maintenance fees, as well as low out-of-network ATM and overdraft fees. ## **Big Bank: KeyBank** If you’re looking for a big traditional bank with a wide footprint, but without paying big monthly fees, KeyBank is a winner. **Branches:** Over 1,200 in 15 states (AK, CO, CT, ID, IN, ME, MA, MI, NY, OH, OR, PA, UT, VT, WA). Also 1,500 ATM locations nationwide **Best Checking Account:** Hassle-Free Checking Monthly Fee: $0 Outside ATM Fee: $2.50 Overdraft Fee: $0 Interest: None ## **Credit Union: Alliant Credit Union** Alliant has the benefits of a credit union, but with branches in several big states. It's also easily accessible online. **Branches:** 12 in four states (CA, CO, IL, TX) plus the District of Columbia [**Eligibility:**](http://www.alliantcreditunion.org/help/who-is-eligible-to-join-alliant) Donate at least $10 to Foster Care for Success or work for one of 250 partner companies. **Best Checking Account:** High Rate Checking Monthly Fee: $0 Outside ATM Fee: $0, plus refunds $20 of ATM surcharges. Overdraft Fee: $25 Interest: 0.65% if you sign up for e-statements and have at least one monthly electronic deposit (including direct, ATM, or mobile deposits). ## **Online Bank: Bank of Internet USA** If you can survive without a branch experience, you can get a great deal by using an online bank. Bank of Internet USA was also Money's pick for best online bank. **Branches:** None **Best Checking Account:** Rewards Checking Monthly Fee: $0 Outside ATM Fee: $0, plus refunds all surcharges from other ATMs Overdraft Fee: $0 Interest: 1.25% if you set up direct deposit and use your debit card at least 15 times a month ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/best-checking-accounts-2017-broke/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Banking", "item": "https://money.com/banking/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Checking Accounts", "item": "https://money.com/checking-accounts/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Best Bank Accounts for When You're Broke" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/best-checking-accounts-2017-broke/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/best-checking-accounts-2017-broke/", "name": "Best Bank Accounts for When You're Broke", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2017-10-23T04:01:17.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/best-checking-accounts-2017-broke/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/best-checking-accounts-2017-broke/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2020-07-07T11:26:54.000Z" }, { "@type": "Article", "headline": "Best Bank Accounts for When You're Broke", "articleSection": "Banking", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2017/10/171022-best-banks-broke.jpg", "width": 3888, "height": 2592, "caption": "171022-best-banks-broke" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Megan Leonhardt", "url": "https://money.com/author/megan-leonhardt/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/megan-leonhardt/#author", "email": "megan.leonhardt@moneymail.com", "sameAs": [ "https://x.com/Megan_Leonhardt" ] }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kaitlin Mulhere", "url": "https://money.com/author/kaitlin-mulhere/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/kaitlin-mulhere/#author", "description": "Kaitlin Mulhere is an editor at Money.com. 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