Despite signs of slowing demand, the U.S. construction industry continues to face a significant labor shortage. Contractors across the country continue to report difficulty hiring, especially for skilled trades positions. Industry surveys suggest that nearly 80% of contractors are struggling to fill open roles, pointing to structural issues — including an aging workforce…
Co-founder and CEO Erik Allebest shares the moves that helped the company come out on top—and where it goes from here.
Amidst a credit score war, Experian has thrown the latest punch.
The data and technology company will now offer VantageScore 4.0, a credit scoring model, for free to its mortgage clients in the United States.
“Experian is dedicated to fostering a more competitive mortgage landscape, creating a safer and sounder market, and expanding access to homeownership for a wider range of consumers,” Experian CEO Brian Cassin said in a press release Tuesday. “Making VantageScore 4.0 more easily accessible and widely available for the mortgage market accelerates the adoption of VantageScore 4.0 among mortgage lenders.”
Access to the model will give lenders time to evaluate the benefits of VantageScore, a joint venture of Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, during the underwriting process.
If Experian does charge for VantageScore 4.0, it will be offered for at least a 50% discount compared to what Fair Isaac Corp. charges for its FICO score, the company said. Equifax announced last week that it will offer the scores for $4.50 through the end of 2027.
FICO rolled out a
Experian’s response is one of many since Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte announced in July that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will
Pulte’s action was
The public feud between advocates of the two metrics has since flared up, with the American Enterprise Institute claiming that VantageScore’s
The move to offer VantageScore 4.0 for free marks another step in Experian’s support of Pulte’s incentive to make the credit scoring industry more competitive and mortgages more affordable, the company said.
“True to our culture of innovation, this latest move provides lenders with choice and flexibility, while advancing fair and affordable access to financial resources for more consumers,” Cassin said. “We remain committed to helping deliver real progress in credit score competition and driving more financial opportunity for Americans.”
![[Targeted] Signup for Venmo Credit Card & Get Double Rewards (6% Back On Top Category)](https://globalinvestmentstrategy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Screen-Shot-2021-06-04-at-4.13.40-PM.png "[Targeted] Signup for Venmo Credit Card & Get Double Rewards (6% Back On Top Category)")
Update 10/14/25: Available again. Hat tip to 007
Update 9/9/22: More targeted now for double cashback for 6 months. Offer valid through 9/30/22. (ht greenzoolu2)
Update 7/11/22: This offer isn’t available publicly anymore, but some people are getting targeted emails with this offer. (ht Shingo)
Update 10/16/21: They’ve removed the $10,000 cap now. Updated below.
Update 8/9/21: Can now sign up by August 15th. Hat tip to veeRob
Update 6/9/21: added a direct link below. Also added $10,000 category limit, below.
Direct Link to offer
You’ll end up getting 6% on your top category, 4% on your second top category, and 2% everywhere else.
Lots of people are seeing this offer – not sure if it’s showing for everyone in the Venmo app or it’s targeted to select users via email. The 2% everywhere isn’t very exciting, but 6% and 4% could be interesting, e.g. if you spend a lot on restaurants or grocery stores you can get 6% on that top category with no limit for almost 7 months with no apparent limit.
As noted in the card details, only the following categories are eligible to get the Top Category rate: Dining & Nightlife, Travel, Bills & Utilities, Health & Beauty, Grocery, Gas, Transportation, Entertainment.
Hat tip to reader temp and wade
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There’s no reason for a student checking account to charge monthly fees. There are plenty of options to get a free college student bank account with all the perks you’d expect from a full-service account.
Being a student doesn’t mean you have to go without the conveniences of a checking account because you believe fees will eat up all of your money. Banks are well aware that students often don’t have a lot of income or savings. They create checking accounts tailor-made for small balances and features students want.
And they’re playing the long game: While small student checking accounts aren’t money-makers, banks are betting that you’ll stay with them after graduation, when your income is much higher.
So, with that said, after analyzing dozen of student checking and fee-free banking options, here’s our picks of the best ones.
These accounts combine low or no fees, national accessibility, and solid mobile options. The best choice depends on how you bank. See our methodology below and scroll down for the full list of student checking account options.
Note: The College Investor’s Best Student Checking Account picks are not provided or endorsed by any financial institution. We’re don’t allow any brand to “pay” to be listed at the top of our picks. It’s why we can show you bank accounts you won’t find on other sites. Some offers may be advertising partners.
|
Bank or Account |
Monthly Fee |
Free ATM Access |
Best Feature |
Bonus Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Key Smart Checking® Account |
$0 |
40,000 |
Fee free and offers automatic overdraft protection. |
Up To $300 |
|
PNC Virtual Wallet |
Up to $25/mo* |
30,000 |
Built in budgeting tools. |
Up To $400 |
|
Chime® |
$0 |
60,000 |
Early direct deposit and no overdraft fees. |
None |
|
Current |
$0 |
40,000 |
Rewards program. |
None |
|
Chase College Checking℠ |
$12* |
15,000 |
Large physical branch network. |
$125 |
|
Cash App |
$0 |
ATM Refunds |
Easiest money transfer to friends. |
None |
|
Axos Essentials Checking |
$0 |
ATM Refunds |
Completely free checking. |
None |
|
Crew |
$0 |
ATM Refunds |
Family budgeting tools and control. |
None |
|
Step |
$0 |
30,000 |
Easily integrated high-yield savings account. |
None |
|
USAA |
$0 |
ATM Refunds |
Free checking for military dependents. |
None |
*Waived with qualifying activities
KeyBank offers the Key Smart Checking® Account. This checking account is a free, non-interest-bearing account that has no minimum balance requirement, offers automatic overdraft protection from a linked KeyBank savings account, paper checks, and more!
They are very mobile friendly, have access to over 40,000+ KeyBank and Allpoint® ATMs nationwide. The only downside for college students may be their footprint.
Plus, right now they are offering a great bonus offer! You can earn a $300 cash bonus when you open a Key Smart Checking® account online by October 17, 2025 and complete qualified activities.
To qualify, you must do the following:
Your $300 cash bonus will be deposited into your account within 60 days of meeting requirements. Accounts must not be closed at the time of gift payment.
Learn more about Key Smart Checking® here.
Read our full KeyBank review here.
|
Key Smart Checking® |
|
|---|---|
|
Min Opening Deposit |
$10 |
|
Min Balance Requirement |
$0 |
|
Monthly Fee |
$0 |
|
ATM Access |
40,000 Free ATMs |
|
Availability |
AK, CO, CT, ID, IN, ME, MA, MI, NY, OH, OR, PA, UT, VT, WA |
|
Promotions |
Up to $300 |
Earn up to a $300 bonus!
PNC Virtual Wallet has three primary features: Spend (checking), Reserve (earning interest on checking), and Growth (savings). In a nutshell, it’s a checking account with an interest-earning option.
To avoid the $7/month fee in the basic Virtual Wallet checking account, you’ll need to do $500/month in qualifying direct deposits, maintain a $500 balance, or be at least 62 years old. Most college students should be able to maintain a $500 balance!
And right now, they have a promotional offer where you can earn up to $400 when you complete qualifying activities. Offer valid through November 17, 2025. Member FDIC.
Earn $100 with a new PNC Virtual Wallet and you establish total qualifying direct deposits of
$500 or more to the new Virtual Wallet within the first 60 days.
Earn $200 when you establish total qualifying direct deposits of $2,000 or more to the new
Virtual Wallet with Performance Spend within the first 60 days.
Earn $400 when you establish total qualifying direct deposits of $5,000 or more to the new
Virtual Wallet with Performance Select within the first 60 days.
Read our full PNC Bank review here.
|
PNC Virtual Wallet |
|
|---|---|
|
Min Opening Deposit |
$0 |
|
Min Balance Requirement |
$0 |
|
Monthly Fee |
Up to $25/mo *Waived with qualifying activities |
|
ATM Access |
30,000 Free ATMs |
|
Availability |
Nationwide |
|
Promotions |
Up to $400 |
Earn up to a $400 bonus!
Chime® was one of the original free mobile banking apps that revolutionized mobile banking. They started with a mobile-first mindset, and also wanted to keep fees as low as possible.
Chime really started its focus on college students when it launched – being mobile first across the board.
As such, they have a top notching free checking account if you’re okay with a mobile only platform. Chime has no physical locations, and all of their banking is done online – in the app.
Why I Like It: Free mobile banking.
Learn more about Chime Checking here. Check out our Chime Review here.
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. While it uses partner banks to provide banking services, your FDIC-insurance protection may be limited. Read this article from the FDIC to understand the risks of using a non-bank company.
|
Chime |
|
|---|---|
|
Min Opening Deposit |
$0 |
|
Min Balance Requirement |
$0 |
|
Monthly Fee |
$0 |
|
Earns Interest |
1.25% APY⁴ |
|
ATM Access |
60,000 ATMs nationwide⁵ |
|
Availability |
Nationwide |
|
Promotions |
None |
Current is a leading mobile banking app that has been endorsed by a huge range of personaliities, including YouTuber Mr. Beast. It makes banking convenient and easy – it’s that simple.
Current offers both a free and premium version – but the free product is solid checking account that you should consider. It offers no minimum balance requirements, no overdraft fees, fee-free ATM withdrawals at over 40,000 ATMs, and 1x points for cash back!
Plus, you can get up to 4.00% APY on balances up to $6,000 by adding money to your Savings Pods and enabling the Interest feature.
You can upgrade to premium if you want even more perks.
Check out our Current Review here.
Why I Like It: Free mobile banking.
Learn more about Current Free Checking here.
Current is a financial technology company, not a bank. While it uses partner banks to provide banking services, your FDIC-insurance protection may be limited. Read this article from the FDIC to understand the risks of using a non-bank company.
|
Current |
|
|---|---|
|
Min Opening Deposit |
$0 |
|
Min Balance Requirement |
$0 |
|
Monthly Fee |
$0 |
|
Earns Interest |
4% APY on balances of up to $6,000 |
|
ATM Access |
40,000 Fee-Free ATMs Nationwide |
|
Availability |
Nationwide |
|
Promotions |
None |
The Chase College Checking℠ account is one of the best checking accounts designed for students. Students have $0 Monthly Service Fee while in school up to the expected graduation date provided at account opening (five years maximum) for students 17-24 years old or $12 Monthly Service Fee ($15, effective 8/24/2025).
And right now, you can get $125 as a new Chase checking customer when you open a Chase College Checking℠ account and complete 10 qualifying transactions within 60 days of coupon enrollment! That’s awesome!
Chase College Checking℠ has $0 Monthly Service Fee while in school up to the expected graduation date provided at account opening (five years maximum) for students 17-24 years old.
This offer is good until 10/15/2025.
Read our full Chase Bank review here.
Why I Like It: A great account opening bonus for a student checking account, with one of the largest, most well known banks in the United States.
Learn more about Chase College Checking℠ here.
|
Chase College Checking℠ |
|
|---|---|
|
Min Opening Deposit |
$0 |
|
Min Balance Requirement |
$0 |
|
Monthly Fee |
$12* (waived when requirements met) |
|
Earns Interest |
No |
|
ATM Access |
15,000 ATMs nationwide |
|
Availability |
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV |
|
Promotions |
$125 Bonus |
Earn a $125 bonus!
A lot of people only think about Cash App as a money transfer platform, but over the last few years it has evolved into a full service banking product, with accounts, and even tax prep!
Cash App offers a free checking account that has a Visa debit card. It doesn’t charge monthly fees, inactivity fees, or foreign transaction fees. If you have $300 or more in direct deposits each month, you’re also eligible for $50 in free overdraft coverage!
If you’re away at college, it’s also really easy for a parent or friend to transfer you money to your Cash App acocunt.
If you use Cash App Taxes to file your tax return, and elect to have your tax refund deposited to your Cash App account, you can get your tax refund up to 6 days early!
Check out our Cash App Banking Review here.
Why I Like It: Free banking, money transfers, investing, and even taxes!
Learn more about Cash App Banking here.
Cash App is a financial technology company, not a bank. While it uses partner banks to provide banking services, your FDIC-insurance protection may be limited. Read this article from the FDIC to understand the risks of using a non-bank company.
|
Cash App |
|
|---|---|
|
Min Opening Deposit |
$0 |
|
Min Balance Requirement |
$0 |
|
Monthly Fee |
$0 |
|
Earns Interest |
No |
|
ATM Access |
3 ATM Refunds Per Month |
|
Availability |
Nationwide |
|
Promotions |
None |
Axos Bank is a lesser known bank nationwide, but they do offer nationwide free checking! However, where Axos Essentials Checking really shines is in its access to ATMs.
Furthermore, there is no real requirements to maintain free checking at Axos. They have no monthly maintenance fees, no minimum balance requirements, no overdraft fees, and more!
This isn’t directly a college student checking account, but it’s simply a great checking account option.
Why I Like It: No monthly maintenance fees and unlimited ATM fee reimbursement.
Read our full Axos Bank review here.
Learn more about Axos Essentials Checking here.
|
Axos Essentials Checking |
|
|---|---|
|
Min Opening Deposit |
$0 |
|
Min Balance Requirement |
$0 |
|
Monthly Service Charge |
None |
|
Earns Interest |
No |
|
ATM Access |
Unlimited via Reimbursement |
|
Availability |
Nationwide |
|
Promotions |
None |
Crew has becoming one of our favorite apps for family and student checking accounts because of how easy it is to setup accounts for the entire family and make sure that everything is linked up. Also, they don’t nickel and dime you on fees, which is a huge plus.
Crew is great for spending, budgeting, and having a high yield savings account!
Read our full Crew review here.
Learn more about Crew Banking here.
Why I Like It: A family banking option with great checking and savings built in.
Crew is a financial technology company, not a bank. While it uses partner banks to provide banking services, your FDIC-insurance protection may be limited. Read this article from the FDIC to understand the risks of using a non-bank company.
|
Crew |
|
|---|---|
|
Min Opening Deposit |
$0 |
|
Min Balance Requirement |
$0 |
|
Monthly Maintenance Fee |
$0 |
|
Earns Interest |
Up To 3.7% |
|
ATM Access |
Thousands of ATMs |
|
Availability |
Nationwide |
Step used to be focused on being a starter checking account for teens. But over the last few years, those teenagers have grown up – and now Step is doubling-down on being a great college student checking account.
Step has two plans. Their basic account is free, and this account still delivers up to 3% cashback on eligible purchases, up to 4% APY in their savings account, and of course, it’s FDIC insured.
They also have the Step Black account, which is $99 per year. This account bumps up the cashback to 8% on eligible purchases, more FDIC insurance, and offers exclusive perks.
Read our full Step review here.
Learn more about Step Banking here.
Why I Like It: A great student checking account with a high yield savings option.
Step is a financial technology company, not a bank. While it uses partner banks to provide banking services, your FDIC-insurance protection may be limited. Read this article from the FDIC to understand the risks of using a non-bank company.
|
Step |
|
|---|---|
|
Min Opening Deposit |
$0 |
|
Min Balance Requirement |
$0 |
|
Monthly Maintenance Fee |
$0 |
|
Earns Interest |
Up To 4% |
|
ATM Access |
Thousands of ATMs |
|
Availability |
Nationwide |
Banking services provided by Evolve Bank & Trust, Member FDIC
USAA Classic Checking is a great choice for free checking if you qualify to have a USAA Account. USAA limits membership to servicemembers and DOD employees and their families, so that could be a bar to entry for some.
USAA used to brand their checking as a student checking account, but now it’s just it’s same USAA Classic Checking with some special pages for college students.
If you do qualify for USAA, then their USAA Classic Checking is a great product, with no fee checking, free checks, online BillPay, and ATM free reimbursements.
Why I Like It: Free checking, free checks, great mobile app for those that qualify for USAA.
Learn more about USAA Classic Checking here.
|
USAA Classic Checking |
|
|---|---|
|
Min Opening Deposit |
$25 |
|
Min Balance Requirement |
$0 |
|
Monthly Fee |
$0 |
|
Earns Interest |
Up to 0.01% APY as of August 1, 2019 |
|
ATM Access |
Up To 10 Free ATM Withdrawals |
|
Availability |
Nationwide for USAA Members |
|
Promotions |
None |
Students are typically new to the banking system. They might not have much income. They also might not have a job yet (for direct deposit), or have other accounts at the bank.
As such, they have unique requirements that we wanted to share, so that you can see how we based our criteria for the best student checking accounts.
In order to be one of the best student checking accounts, we put the following criteria in place:
We compared more than 20 student checking options across national banks, credit unions, and fintechs. Each pick offers:
We prioritize banks that are transparent, easy to open online, and designed for college students under 25.
I’ve been writing and reporting on college student banking and investing products since 2009. I personally have shared my story and use of banking products, and I created this list with the goal of making sure that other young adults are getting great products and services at no (or very little) cost.
When creating this list, I’ve spent well over a hundred hours going through our existing product and service reviews in the banking space, along with my knowledge of banking products from my decade of experience. I’ve tested, tried, or used every product on this list, along with many of their competitors that didn’t make this list.
Furthermore, our compliance team reviews the accuracy of any rates on this list every weekday.
Can I open a student checking account without a parent?
Yes, if you’re 18 or older. Minors typically need a joint account with a parent or guardian.
What happens after graduation?
Most banks convert your student checking into a standard checking account. Review whether you can keep the account fee-free by meeting direct deposit or balance requirements.
Are mobile-only banks safe?
Yes, as long as the bank is FDIC-insured or partners with an insured institution.
Can I have two checking accounts?
Yes, some students keep one local account for cash and one online account for when traveling or at school.
Do student accounts earn interest?
Some do – usually at modest rates (0.10–0.25%). If you want to earn more, open a high-yield savings account.
These are the best free college student checking accounts right now.
You might also want to look at these key resources:
And remember, these accounts are usually only free while you’re in college. At that point in time, some of these accounts will convert into other products, which may or may not charge fees. Plan accordingly!
The College Investor is dedicated to helping you make informed decisions around complex financial topics like finding the best checking account. We do this by providing unbiased reviews of the top banks and checking accounts for our readers, and then we aggregate those choices into this list.
We have picked checking accounts based on our opinions of how easy they are to use, their costs and fees, any interest rates and bonuses provided, and a variety of other factors. We believe that our list accurately reflects the best free student checking accounts in the marketplace for consumers.
Chime
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.
⁴ The Annual Percentage Yield (“APY”) is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed APY is accurate as of June 1, 2025. No minimum balance required. Must have $0.01 in savings to earn interest
⁵ ATM disclosure: Out-of-network ATM withdrawal fees may apply except at MoneyPass ATMs in a 7-Eleven, or any Allpoint or Visa Plus Alliance ATM.
Editor: Colin Graves
Reviewed by: Richelle Hawley
The post Best College Student Checking Accounts Of October 2025 appeared first on The College Investor.
Amazon is preparing to cut as much as 15% of its human resources staff, with additional layoffs likely in other divisions, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.
Two sources told Fortune that Amazon’s human resources division—known internally as PXT or the People eXperience Technology team—will be hard hit, but that other areas of Amazon’s core consumer business are also likely to be affected. It couldn’t be learned how many employees in total Amazon plans to let go, nor the exact timing of the cuts.
The company laid off relatively small numbers of employees earlier this year in areas such as its consumer devices unit, its Wondery podcast division, and in Amazon Web Services.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel declined to comment.
Amazon’s PXT division, which reports to senior vice president Beth Galetti, has more than 10,000 employees worldwide, and includes a large recruiting team, plus technology staff and other traditional HR roles.
The new cuts come as Amazon continues to look for ways to lower employee costs while investing aggressively in AI products and infrastructure – both for internal use and to sell to enterprise customers. The company has said it intends to spend upwards of $100 billion in capital expenditures this year, as it builds out its cloud and AI datacenters.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy already oversaw the largest layoffs in company history from late 2022 into 2023, when the company cut at least 27,000 corporate jobs, which accounted for a high single digit percentage of the company’s office jobs. Many other Big Tech companies also slashed their headcounts around that time as the pandemic receded and consumer demand trends changed.
Now, many employers are looking to harness the power of AI—initially for mundane and repetitive tasks and eventually for more complicated jobs—to reduce the need to maintain the same level of human staffers on their payrolls.
Jassy himself is one of them. The CEO fired a bit of a warning shot to his own employees in June, when he encouraged them to welcome this new AI-powered era.
“Those who embrace this change, become conversant in AI, help us build and improve our AI capabilities internally and deliver for customers, will be well-positioned to have high impact and help us reinvent the company,” he wrote in a companywide email that was also published on Amazon’s corporate blog.
At the same time, Jassy also made a point to note that there won’t be room on the bus for everyone: “We expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company.”
Jassy, who succeeded Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in the CEO job in 2021, has earned a reputation as a cost-cutter (though to be fair, he inherited a company that many say had become wasteful and bloated in some areas). Amazon executives regularly require managers to hit a certain percentage goal for unregretted attrition, or URA – essentially a percentage of employees that the company would be OK losing, whether through voluntary departures, being “managed out,” or through formal layoffs. But sources told Fortune that these cuts are being discussed differently internally than the typical URA process.
While Amazon plans these layoffs of corporate roles, the company announced its typical holiday hiring spree of warehouse staff on Tuesday. This year, the company will hire 250,000 seasonal employees across its US warehouse and logistics networks.
Amazon’s stock price is down about a little more than 1% this calendar year, but 15% higher than it was 12 months earlier. The company will report earnings later this month.
Are you a current or former Amazon employee with thoughts on this topic or a tip to share? Contact Jason Del Rey at jason.delrey@fortune.com, jasondelrey@protonmail.com, or through messaging apps Signal and WhatsApp at 917-655-4267. You can also contact him on LinkedIn or at @delrey on X, @jdelrey on Threads, and on Bluesky.
Social Security touches the lives of nearly all American retirees. Yet, many people misunderstand even the basic concepts behind this government program. For the Nationwide Retirement Institute’s latest annual Social Security Survey, around 1,800 adults were asked about their attitudes and knowledge regarding Social Security. As part of the survey, participants were asked to answer 15 true-or…
“It’s a nationwide issue,” Sykes said. “The condo association fees across the country continue to elevate, because they have to take care of their costs when it comes to maintenance and inspections that are required. What I’m really noticing is they’re going with higher insurance deductibles. Higher insurance deductibles mean they get cheaper insurance, which is not always good for their tenants.
“That’s the way they’re trying to offset some of those condo association fees and also put more money in reserves for something happens, like they have a hurricane. They’re actually hurting the owners of the property. Because when the owners of these condos are trying to sell, fewer people are buying because most people need financing.”
It’s not just condos that are in crisis. Sykes said in many cases, townhomes also fall under condo associations. He wishes there could be changes to financing and insurance guidelines that could help more people get the loans they need.
“Townhomes are typically under a condo association as well,” he said. “Even if they say they’re a townhome complex, a lot of times they’re a condo association that’s tied to that. If there could be a fix on this, and if there were (new) guidelines for financing. Obviously, it’s at 5% but what we really need is, for instance, if you get a flood policy on a home or a condo that’s part of the association, you’re getting that condo’s flood policy.
“If you need a little bit more, the individual owner can get a supplemental flood to offset that. It would be neat, and it would help a lot with the affordability issues across the country if you could get a rider. I don’t know if it’s ever doable, but you know, everything starts with conversation.”
