Shop around. Like everything else, banks are struggling too. With all the banks consolidating, competition is getting smaller and fees are getting bigger. Shop around to find the best fit for you. Pay special attention to monthly or annual fees, check fees, ATM fees, teller fees, you name it, there may be a fee.

Forget the bank! Credit Unions generally offer better services for less fees. Check into your local credit unions and see if you qualify to be join. If you plan on buying a car or home, you’ll probably get a better finance rate than a bank.

Avoid ATMs. Try to avoid ATM’s that aren’t part of your banking institution. I don’t know about you but it drives me nuts to pay $2 (often more these days) to access my own money!