Of the 89 free accounts surveyed nationwide, only five pay interest. Banks continue to exact cruel revenge on people who bounce checks, too, no matter what kind of accounts they have. Some 90 percent of institutions surveyed tacked surcharges onto transactions performed by consumers who don't have accounts with them. Only 67.2 percent did two and a half years ago. And, by the way, many institutions charge their customers to use someone else's ATM machine.
Consumers are well-rewarded for some diligent comparison shopping.
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