That $18 is probably just the cost of checks, too. I have never paid for a checking account, but one of the reasons why is that the "free" stuff requires a min

That $18 is probably just the cost of checks, too. I have never paid for a checking account, but one of the reasons why is that the "free" stuff requires a minimum balance (Wachovia --> Wells Fargo) at a lot of banks. I have had an eTrade bank account since around 1997 when I signed up with Telebank, and have been very happy with them, too. They refund all ATM fees, and it's easy to keep it adequately funded via scheduled transfers from my primary bank (which conveniently also holds my mortgage), and since my employer uses eTrade to service its ESPP and Options programs, it's convenient to make trades there, too.