You won't get a great deal on a car if you just walk into a dealer and plunk your money down. Likewise, you won't get a great banking deal unless you do a little research and bargaining. For example, many banks offer checking free if you are a shareholder or if you set up a direct deposit of your paycheck. Use the Internet to shop for bank services. Likewise, most banks have their own websites these days.
Banking online can make the chore easier.
To begin with, electronic bill paying saves you much of the monthly hassle of paying your bills. And if you couple online banking to a personal-finance management program, such as Quicken or Microsoft Money, you'll also have automatic budgeting and personal finance functions at your fingertips. You can even bank without a bank. A number of competitors offer accounts that resemble bank services. Setting priorities 2.