BB&T Bank, which stands for Branch Banking and Trust, is running a $100 checking account promotion where you get $100 for opening a BB&T Free checking account and then setting up a Direct Deposit or making 3 online bill payments. Your $100 bonus is deposited within 4 weeks of satisfying one of the conditions. The BB&T Free checking account has no minimum balance requirement though the minimum opening deposit is $50. There are no maintenance fees.

You can read more about the promotion here (promotion code is AFJAP). This promotion expires June 6th, 2010 so you have to act quickly (it was extended beyond the original expiration date of April 2010).
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If you were to build your personal finances from the ground up, the checking account would be the first “product” you’d pick. If you’ve ever drawn your financial network map, you’ll remember that the checking account is the spoke in your primarily hub-and-spoke layout. Your paycheck is deposited into your checking account, your savings accounts are linked to your checking account, and when it’s time to pay credit cards or the mortgage, chances are the money comes from your checking account.

So if you were to rebuild your personal finances or build it from scratch, the first step is finding a checking account that fits your needs. For me, I need a checking account to be free, have plenty of ATMs, and no minimum balance. If your bank doesn’t offer that as a minimum, I’d find one that does.

So how do you find the best free checking account?

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