When you’re attending college, you’re going to want to place your money somewhere, besides under your bed.  Since you’ll most likely be 18 years or older, you’ll be eligible for a checking, or savings account.  This is a great way to start off your adult financial future.  You’ll be able to pay bills, and use your debit card for credit card purchases.

Finding the perfect checking account isn’t easy, but if you do your homework, you should be able to find an account that suits your needs.  But, before we start, let me show you what you need to look for in a checking account.

• It needs to have low fees.
• Make sure the bank is near by.
• Has perks and benefits.
• Needs to be FDIC insured.

If the checking account you’re looking at has most of these features, you’re on the right path.  Now, let me show you exactly how you can find a free checking account that you can take advantage of.

Explore for a bank

If you don’t know what kind of banks you have in your immediate area, you will want to do a quick Google Maps check.  Simply put in your address, and look for banks in a 15-20 mile radius.  If you already know what banks are in your area, that’s great.

Write down 5 banks

The next step that you want to take is to write down five banks that interest you.  This can range from family credit unions, to powerhouse banks like Citi Bank, etc.  Once you have the 5 banks written down, you’ll want to compare apples to apples.

Compare the savings and checking accounts

Now that you know of the five banks, you’ll want to explore each checking account to see if it will work for you.  See what each one offers in terms of fees, checks, etc.  Hopefully by the time you compare the five banks, you’ll have a better idea on what will be best for you.

Most banks in this market are fairly competitive.  I would highly recommend you find one that’s built for a college student.  Make sure that there are low minimum balances, as well as no maintenance fees, because these can add up a lot over time.