Another Option For Free Checking Accounts

If most of your money is in investments like mutual funds, you might want to consider using your broker's cash-management account as your primary checking account. In past posts I've reviewed the checking accounts at Fidelity and Schwab. This CNNMoney.com article has a short review of using this option if you want to ditch your bank:

Most major brokerages offer cash-management accounts that function exactly like bank checking: You can set up direct deposit, get an ATM/debit card, write checks, even pay bills online.