What should I ask a bank?

Attagirl! You are giving the bank BUSINESS by parking your money with them. So make sure to ask them out loud all the questions they’d rather sneak into tiny fine print.

Easy Account Management

• What are all the things I can do with the bank’s app or site?

Sneaky Fees

For savings accounts:

• What’s the interest rate? (no interest rate if your account is checking)

• Do you restrict how many times per month I can take money out? (usually no restriction if your account is checking) If YES, what is the penalty if I do it more often than that?

For checking accounts:

• If I withdraw cash at an ATM, is there a fee?

For both accounts:

• Do I have to keep a minimum balance in this account? If YES, what is the penalty if I accidentally spent too much and dip below that?

• Are there ANY OTHER fees you charge for this account that you haven’t told me?

• If yes, tell them you’re a student and ask if they’ll waive it. ALWAYS ASK.

“Cross-Selling”

Just like Sephora wants you to buy skincare AND makeup, banks make Big Money the more things you “buy” from them (open more accounts, get their credit card, take out a loan), so be ready for them to “cross-sell” you more of their stuff. This isn’t “bad” per se, you just need to know what they mean for YOU.