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Bank
|
Minimum Balance Required
To Avoid Service Charges
|
Maximum Penalty For Failure
To Maintain Minimum Balance
(per month)
|
Save Up To:^
(per year)
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BancorpSouth
|
$800
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$8.00
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$96
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Amouth
|
$500 or $1,000 Avg.
|
$8.00
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$96
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Regions
|
$750
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$10.00
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$120
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Colonial
|
$500
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$7.00
|
$84
|
|
Flag
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$500
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$9.00 plus 35¢ for each check paid over 20!
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$192
|
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Suntrust
|
$500 or $1,500 avg.
|
$8.00 plus 20¢ per check/debit!
|
$221
|
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CB&T
|
$500 or $1,000 avg.
|
$7.00 plus 30¢ per debit!
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$271
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Capital City
|
$500 or $1,000 avg.
|
$12.00
|
$144
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Capital City
|
$800 or $1,500 avg.
|
$12.00 plus 30¢ per check!!
|
$288
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CharterBank's Totally
Free Checking*
|
NO MINIMUMS
|
NO SERVICE CHARGES
|
Switch To CharterBank and
Save Up To $288 or More!
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Bank
|
Service Limitations
|
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Amsouth
|
Must have direct deposit and cancelled checks not returned!
|
CharterBank's
Totally Free
Checking*
|
FULL SERVICE CHECKING WITH NO MINIMUMS OR
SERVICE CHARGES!
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Bank
|
Minimum Balance Required
To Avoid Service Charges
|
Maximum Penalty For Failure
To Maintain Minimum Balance
|
Save Up To:^
(per year)
|
|
BankcorpSouth
|
$1,000
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$8.00 plus 20 ¢ per check, ATM, ACH or POS over 40!
|
$125
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AmSouth
|
$5,000
|
$15.00
|
$180
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Regions
|
$5,000
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$12.00
|
$144
|
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Colonial
|
$1,000
|
$8.00
|
$96
|
|
Flag
|
$1,000
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$10.00 plus 35 ¢ per debit!
|
$338
|
|
Flag
|
$1,000
|
$7.00
|
$84
|
|
Flag
|
$1,000
|
$14.00
|
$168
|
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Suntrust
|
$1,000 or $2,000 Avg.
|
$9.00 plus 20 ¢ per debit!
|
$233
|
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Suntrust
|
$2,500 or $5,000 Avg.
|
$10.00 plus 20 ¢ per debit!
|
$245
|
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CB&T
|
$1,000 or $2,500 avg.
|
$10.00 plus 30 ¢ for each debit!
|
$307
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Capital City
|
$3,500 avg.
|
$15.00
|
$180
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Capital City
|
$3,000 avg.
|
$15.00
|
$180
|
CharterBank's Low
Minimum Interest
Checking*
|
JUST $400
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ONLY $6.00
|
Switch To CharterBank and
Save Up To $314 or More!
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Bank
|
Interest
|
Monthly Charge
|
Per Check Charge
|
Free
Checks
|
Probable Cost:^
(per year)
|
|
BancorpSouth
|
Zero
|
$8.50
|
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NO
|
$128
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BancorpSouth
|
Zero
|
$3.50 plus 25 ¢ per check, ATM, ACH or POS over 15!
|
NO
|
$106 and cancelled checks not returned!
|
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AmSouth
|
Zero
|
$6.00 plus 50 ¢ per check over 8!
|
NO
|
$157
|
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Regions
|
Zero
|
$4.00 plus 35 ¢ per check!
|
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NO
|
$145
|
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Colonial
|
Zero
|
$3.50 plus 30 ¢ per check over 10!
|
NO
|
$91 and cancelled checks not returned!
|
|
Flag
|
Zero
|
$5.00
|
50 ¢ per debit over 10!
|
NO
|
$205
|
|
Suntrust
|
Zero
|
$3.50
|
35 ¢ per debit over 5!
|
NO
|
$169
|
|
CB&T
|
Zero
|
$5.00
|
50 ¢ per debit over 15!
|
NO
|
$175
|
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CB&T
|
Zero
|
$10.00
|
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NO
|
$146
|
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Capital City
|
Zero
|
$3.75
|
50 ¢ over 7!
|
NO
|
$136
|
CharterBank's
No Minimum
Interest Checking
|
YES
|
JUST $4.00
|
NONE
|
YES
|
We Pay You! Your
Interest Will Exceed
Service Charges
or We Will
Recommend
Totally Free Checking*
|
CharterBank's
Economy
Interest Checking*
|
YES
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FREE
|
ONLY 20 ¢
|
NO
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Bank
|
Qualifying
Age
|
Interest
|
Other Requirements
|
|
BancorpSouth
|
65
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Zero
|
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BancorpSouth
|
50
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Yes
|
Must keep $500 minimum or pay $8.00!
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AmSouth
|
62
|
Zero
|
Must keep $500 minimum or $1,000 average or pay $8.00, but low price checks are free!
|
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AmSouth
|
62
|
Zero
|
Must pay $6.00 plus 50 ¢ per check over 8, but low cost checks are free!
|
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Regions
|
50
|
Zero
|
Must keep a $750 minimum or pay $8.00!
|
|
Regions
|
50
|
Yes
|
Must keep $5,000 in low rate deposits or $20,000 in CDs or pay $15.00!
|
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Colonial
|
50
|
Zero
|
|
|
Colonial
|
50
|
Yes
|
Must keep $1,000 or pay $8.00!
|
|
Flag
|
N/A
|
Zero
|
|
|
Suntrust
|
50
|
Yes
|
Must keep $1,000 minimum or $2,500 average or pay $7.00!
|
|
Suntrust
|
50
|
No
|
Must keep $1,000 minimum or $2,500 average or pay $6.00!
|
|
CB&T
|
50
|
Yes
|
Must keep $50 minimum or $100 average or pay $1.00!
|
|
Capital City
|
48
|
No
|
Must have Electronic Funds Transfer. Must pay $5.00 per month to obtain cancelled checks!
|
ChaterBank's 50+ Free
Interest Checking*
|
JUST 50!
|
YES!
|
NO STRINGS ATTACHED!
|
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*
|
Customer purchases checks.
Offer good on personal accounts only.
Minimum opening deposit is only $50.
|
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^
|
Competitive pricing information was obtained directly from banks
through diligent effort during the week of July 30,2001. For
illustrative purposes, accounts with minimum balance requirements
or no per check charges were assumed to average 40 checks per
month; accounts without minimum balance requirements and with
per check charges were assumed to average 20 checks per month.
All accounts were assumed to have four teller transactions, four
automatic teller machine withdrawals, four automated clearing
house withdrawals,and four point of sale purchases.
The price of checks was assumed to be $12 for 200. Some banks
pay higher interest rates on larger balances; some banks allow
minimum balance requirements to be met with alternative,
linked, or combined balances. Some banks use interest
forfeiture as an element of pricing; for those banks the
minimum balance was assumed to be the point of interest
forfeiture and the opportunity interest rate was assumed to
be 2.00%. All accounts were assumed not to have direct
deposit. Some banks may have introductory offers including
first order of checks free or discounted; comparisons are
for on-going costs. Prices shown are for the checking service,
although some banks may include other services in their
checking prices. Compared accounts are standard checking
accounts (cancelled checks returned) without regulatory
limitations on the number of checks which may be
written. All savings figures are annualized.
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