Is there still such a thing as free checking (or is it now just fee checking)? There are still some ways to get free checking, but you may have to jump through some hoops to get it. Some banks make you have direct deposit or keep a minimum balance or tie the account into your mortgage to give you a free account. There are also senior (Over 50 or 55) free checking accounts and free online checking accounts. Here is a link to compare free checking accounts
:
http://www.findabetterbank.com/
So maybe there is some free checking after all (after the hoops of course).