Cathleen Miller

I am not a cheap person, but there is something galling about coming home from a trip to learn that I’ve spent the equivalent of my plane ticket on ATM charges—simply for the privilege of withdrawing my own money. Some banks charge as much as $3.50 per transaction.

When I was preparing for my current extended escape, I knew these fees would mount to levels that could put a serious crimp in my budget, so I did a good deal of research to see what my banking options were and found an unbelievably good deal.

If you travel extensively it’s definitely worthwhile to open an account at First Republic Bank as I did. With a $500 opening balance you can start a checking account that permits you FREE unlimited access to over 650,000 ATMs worldwide. First Republic not only waves their own fees, it will even cover the fees any other bank charges you to use their cash machines. And if you maintain a balance of $2,500 or more, you’ll get this offer without even paying a monthly service charge.

This great offer does not come at the expense of decent service. Let me tell you, I hate banks, but I love First Republic, not only for saving me a fortune, but for the excellent service they offer. They also have one of the best online banking web sites of any financial institution I’ve used. Again, for FREE, I can check my account balance, transfer money from my savings account, use their bill payment feature, and even see copies of the checks that have cleared my account. This has given me enormous peace of mind to travel and not worry about my finances.

And First Republic handles banking the old-fashioned way. No voice mail queues that are answered by someone in their North Pole office when you’re trying to reach your little branch in San Francisco because you’re in a jam. When you open an account, you are assigned a personal banker, and you can call him or her directly with your questions and needs.