the Price of Combination Checking and Savings Accounts

I opened a combination checking and savings account at a community bank. The service is much more personal than most larger banks, and I love being able to actually know the names of the managers and tellers. It's a basic non interest bearing checking account, and the savings account had a very small (like .25%) annual rate. It also includes a nice bill pay service that I've never had trouble with.

The employees have almost all been attentive and very helpful. The manager actually sometimes remembers my name, and I do not have a lot of money in my account. I've accidentally overdrawn my account once or twice, and they actually did refund the overdraft fees. Bbasically, I don't pay for anything, and I get great service. The only real complaint is the interest. Many larger banks offer decent rates of return on free savings accounts. I don't have enough money to really make this worth switching, but if I did it may convince me to take my business elsewhere.

Always make sure that you understand the bank's policy regarding fees. Do they charge a fee when you use another bank's ATM? What about overdraft fees. Also, if possible get a taste of the online banking system before you choose a bank because you really want to make sure it's easy to navigate if you're planning on using it.