One of the biggest travel tips I try to pass on to people is also convenient when not traveling: Getting yourself a Charles Schwab checking account.
Automatic, 100% ATM fee reimbursement
Charles Schwab refunds ALL of your ATM fees – no qualifiers. Any country, any amount, anytime.
Sure, maybe if you’re pulling out $20 several times a day at an ATM owned by your brother, you might get your account shutdown.
Otherwise, you get 100% of it back automatically at the end of each month. No fuss.
Quick story: I accidentally paid a $47.70 service fee at a wacky ATM in Mexico last year. It was reimbursed in full, automatically, along with all my other ATM fees for that month. We’ve pulled out money In 20+ countries and never had a single reimbursement issue.
No account minimums or service fees
I don’t really have to explain this one.
The catch(es)
There are two things of note in terms of downsides:
- All banking must be done online. This means any money that flows into the account must come from an electronic source. For most people, this shouldn’t be the end of the world because of things like direct deposit payroll and mobile deposits for checks. However, anyone that deals with a lot of cash may want to have a separate bank account with physical locations.
- Charles Schwab will pull your credit when applying for the account. Many may not care about this much, but those who want minimal hard pulls on their credit reports should be aware of this.
What about that $100?
Use this referral link to earn $100 when signing up for a new Charles Schwab checking account. Unlike most referral programs, the referrers don’t get anything. You get $100. I get nothing (except knowing you’re getting a good deal). Enjoy!