---
title: Best for Military
description: Military families can relocate often and spend long periods overseas. Here's why USAA Federal Savings bank's checking account is best.
authors:
  - name: amondalek
    url: https://money.com/author/amondalek/
    at_money_since: 2015
    articles: 3
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published: '2016-10-25T16:59:38.000Z'
modified: '2024-05-08T04:12:21.000Z'
section: Banking
canonical: https://money.com/collection-post/best-military-checking-accounts/
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/).

![161019_bb_standalone_military](https://img.money.com/2016/10/161019_bb_standalone_military.png)

Service personnel and their families tend to relocate periodically and spend long periods overseas. To identify the best checking account for these users, Money sought low out-of-network and foreign-transaction fees, plus other perks for active and former military. —*[Megan Leonhardt](https://money.com/author/Megan-Leonhardt) and [Alicia Adamczyk](https://money.com/author/Alicia-Adamczyk)*

USAA Federal Savings Bank

**WHY IT WINS:** [USAA](https://www.usaa.com/inet/pages/bank_checking_main?akredirect=true) outperforms other military offerings with a mix of benefits: no maintenance fee and easily waived ATM fees, plus discounts on student loans, a free credit score each month, and alerts for changes in your credit. The first 10 outside ATM withdrawals a month are free— particularly important for a service member deployed overseas, away from USAA’s ATM network—and USAA will reimburse up to $15 each month in outside ATM surcharges.

**CAVEAT:** Interest is below average for brick-and-mortar checking. There is just one branch, in San Antonio. If you’re not going to avail yourself of the loans or other perks, you can avoid foreign-transaction and ATM fees with our pick for Foreign Travelers, Capital One 360 Checking.

**ACCOUNT TERMS:**  
***Secure Checking***  
• Minimum to open: $25, waived for new recruits.  
• Maintenance fee: $0  
• Foreign-transaction fee: 1%  
• Outside ATM fee: First 10 withdrawals per month free, then $2; up to $15 a month in other surcharges reimbursed.  
• Interest: 0.01%

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