Hats off to three banks that haven’t succumbed to the temptation to lower the rates or reach of their high-yield checking accounts this spring or summer.
Bank of the Sierra, Patriot and Ouachita Independent are still paying more than 4% and offering their reward checking accounts, as they’re often called, nationwide.
Of course you’ve got to live [...]

Small banks and some not-so-small banks have jumped on the rewards checking bandwagon over the last several months.
They offer high rates on checking accounts – many over 5% APY – and all you have to do is follow a few simple rules to cash in on the deal.

But suddenly that high rate goes down along [...]

Bank of the Sierra is one of the few remaining banks that offers a high-yield reward checking program that actually pays a high yield – and takes nationwide applications.

On balances up to $25,000 it’s paying 4.51% APY – one of the best available, and more than you can earn on most deposit accounts. It [...]

This high-yield checking account doesn’t offer one of the best rates.
Centennial Bank in Orem, Utah, is paying 3.00% APY on the Smart Checking Account through its online division, CBDirect.com.
But unlike almost every other high-yield checking account around, there’s no $25,000 or $50,000 limit on how much money you can have on deposit and earn that [...]

Bank of America will pay you $75 to open a new checking account and another $25 if you use it to pay two bills online within 30 days.
Some banks, most recently Chase, make you jump through a few more hoops to qualify for this kind of bonus.
But the Bank of America offer doesn’t require [...]

Interest rates have been drifting lower for high-yield or reward checking accounts, just as they have for every type of bank account.
But if they work for you, they’re still paying the highest rates around. (If you’re unfamiliar with these, take a look at our ABCs of high-yield checking accounts.)
We think Ouachita Independent Bank, which has [...]

Here’s another way to earn a cash bonus for opening a new checking account.
Sign-up at BBVA Compass Bank and get a 5% rebate on gas, grocery and utility bills paid by check card.
New customers can qualify for up to $50 in rebates a month, and the offer runs through August. So open an account now, [...]

If you’re thinking about a new checking account, there are two perks to pursue:

A high interest rate with a high-yield checking account — if you’re willing to put up with all the rules.
Or a cash bonus for signing up.

Wainwright Bank, with 11 branches in the Boston area, is the latest to make such an [...]

Here’s another chance to get a cash bonus when you open a Chase Checking account.
This offer isn’t quite as good as the $150 Chase Bank bonus we wrote about a couple of weeks ago.
But you don’t need a hard-to-find “coupon code” to take advantage of this deal.
Just open a new checking account, make [...]