There’s a Bank Account for Every Stage in Life. Here’s How to Find Yours
What do you want out of your bank? Really?
The 21-year-old working her way through college has different needs from the 33-year-old whose career is taking off — or the 40-something who’s really settling in financially.
Luckily, it’s 2019, and banking is a whole new ballgame. A bank isn’t just a bank anymore. There’s a bank out there to fit every lifestyle, financial situation and age. These are a few of our favorites — we bet we can find one that’s perfect for you.
Grow Your Savings More Than 20x Faster
If you’re saving some money for your future, that’s great! But if your savings are in a typical bank account, chances are your money isn’t growing as quickly as it could be.
But there’s a legitimate way to grow it a lot faster than the average person — more than 20 times faster.
It’s with a mobile banking app called Varo. The FDIC reports that the average savings account pays a paltry .08% APY*, but when you open an online checking and savings account with Varo, it will pay you more than 20 times that amount on your savings account.
Oh, and there are no monthly fees.
We know opening a new bank account isn’t exactly everyone’s idea of fun, but Varo makes it easy. You can open an account with just a penny, and more than 750,000 people have already signed up.
This is one of the easiest things you can do for your financial future.
Perfect for: You’re in your 30s or 40s. Your career is moving along nicely. You’re probably not living paycheck to paycheck, and now you want your money to work for you. You want it to be earning interest and getting you closer to that nicer car, first house or dream vacation.
*https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/resources/rates/
Make Payday Come to You
If getting paid early^ and earning up to a $350* bonus sounds like your kind of win, this might be the easiest money you make all month.
Chime® is giving new members up to $350 when they open a Chime Checking Account and receive qualifying direct deposits. Earn $100 with a $200+ direct deposit in your first 30 days, another $100 the next month, and $150 in your third month — that’s the full $350 bonus.
It only takes a few minutes to get started, and you could even get paid up to two days early with direct deposit^. Chime makes your funds available as soon as it receives it.
You can spend, save, and track everything right from the Chime app. It’s a simple way to earn extra cash and keep your money working for you.
Open a Chime Checking Account and claim your bonus of up to $350*.
Perfect For: The early-20-something who is living paycheck to paycheck. Do you get paid on the 15th but your rent and phone bills are also due that day? Chime can help you out by making your paycheck available a little ahead of time.
Cash In With Big-Time Sign-up Bonuses
If a bank wants your business, what’s in it for you? How about a little love up front? A sign-up bonus is a great way for a bank to get your business and an even better way for you to earn some extra money.
Chase gets it.
Visit this Chase Total Checking® page* to apply online, or enter your email address to get a unique coupon to take with you to open your account at any Chase branch.
This coupon expires on May 1, 2019, so you’ll need to complete the application before then.
- Get a $200 bonus when you open a new Chase Total Checking® account and set up direct deposit.
- Get a $150 bonus when you open a new Chase Savings℠ account, deposit a total of $10,000 or more in new money within 20 days, and maintain a $10,000 balance for 90 days. You’re not required to open the savings account to earn the $200 Chase checking bonus.
- This offer is available in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
Perfect for: Those of you who are in your 40s and starting to get ahead. You may have built up a little nest egg or emergency savings. Hey, we get it. Not everyone has $10,000 sitting around right now. But you will, someday. You will.
Get Paid Ahead of the Game
Life doesn’t always wait for payday.
Your car breaks down. You have a sudden dentist bill (don’t ask). Your toilet… ew! Don’t talk about it. Just get it fixed. Fast!
When you can’t wait for payday, wouldn’t it be nice if your bank would give you a little advance?
MoneyLion does just that. If you sign up for a free MoneyLion Core membership, you’ll get a zero-fee checking account — no minimum balance, monthly service or overdraft fees. And sure, it’s an all-digital bank, but you’ll have free access to more than 55,000 IRL ATMs.
When you set up direct deposit, you can tap into up to $250 of your paycheck before payday with 0% interest.
Perfect for: Anyone in your 20s or early 30s. Even if you’re doing OK, you may not have emergency savings stashed away yet. It’s OK. You’ll work on it. In the meantime, wouldn’t it be nice to have a bank that has your back in a pinch?
*Checking offer is not available to existing Chase checking customers, those with fiduciary accounts, or those whose accounts have been closed within 90 days or closed with a negative balance. To receive the $200 checking bonus: 1) Open a new Chase Total Checking account, which is subject to approval; 2) Deposit $25 or more at account opening; AND 3) Have your direct deposit made to this account within 60 days of account opening. Your direct deposit needs to be an electronic deposit of your paycheck, pension or government benefits (such as Social Security) from your employer or the government. After you have completed all the above requirements, we’ll deposit the bonus in your new account within 10 business days. You can only receive one new checking account-related bonus per calendar year. Bonus is considered interest and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT.
Account Closing: If your checking account is closed within six months after opening, we will deduct the bonus amount at closing.
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. The Chime Visa® Debit Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A. pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. The secured Chime Visa® Credit Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A. pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted. Please see the back of your Card for its issuing bank.
MyPay® line of credit provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A. MyPay services provided by Chime Capital, LLC (NMLS ID 2316451).
Chime is recommended by more of its users in the 2024 Qualtrics® NPS study when compared to top national banks and select fintechs. THE #1 MOST LOVED BANKING APP is a Registered Trademark of Chime Financial, Inc.
* Terms apply. Limited time only, must open the new account and complete qualifying activities to earn 3 individual rewards, up to a max of $350.00, as described at https://www.chime.com/policies/newmemberofferv3.
1 Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date.
2 Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and over the counter advance fees may apply except at FCTI® ATMs in a 7-Eleven® or Speedway, or any Allpoint® or Visa® Plus Alliance ATM participating in the Allpoint network.
3 SpotMe® on Credit is an optional, no interest/no fee overdraft line of credit tied to the Secured Deposit Account. SpotMe on Debit is an optional, no fee service attached to your Chime Checking Account (individually or collectively, “SpotMe”). Eligibility for SpotMe requires $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to your Chime Checking Account each month.
Qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their Chime Checking Account and/or their Secured Deposit Account up to $20 in total, but may be later eligible for a higher combined limit of up to $200 or more based on member’s Chime account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. Your SpotMe Limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app. You will receive notice of any changes to your SpotMe Limit. SpotMe for Credit and SpotMe on Debit share a single SpotMe limit. Your SpotMe Limit may change at any time, at Chime or its banking partners’ discretion. Although there are no overdraft fees, there may be out-of-network or third-party fees associated with ATM transactions or OTC cash withdrawal fees at retailers. SpotMe won’t cover non-card transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, or Chime Checkbook transactions. SpotMe Terms and Conditions.
4 With a qualifying direct deposit, earn 1.5% cash back on eligible secured Chime Visa® Credit Card purchases. Please refer to the Secured Chime Visa® Credit Card – Cash Rewards Program Addendum for details and more information on rotating cash back categories.
5 On-time payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Late payment may negatively impact your credit score. Chime will report your activities to Transunion®, Experian®, and Equifax®. Impact on your credit may vary, as Credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors including the financial decisions you make with other financial services organizations.
6 Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and OTC advance fees may apply. View The Bancorp agreement or Stride agreement for details; see back of card for issuer.
7 Money added to Chime Card™ will be held in a secured deposit account as collateral for your Chime Card, and you can spend up to this amount. You can use money deposited in your Secured Deposit Account to pay off your charges at the end of every month.
8 You must notify your financial institution immediately of any unauthorized use. For specific restrictions, limitations and other details, please consult your issuer.
9 To be eligible for Chime+™ status, you must receive a qualifying direct deposit to your Chime Checking Account in the preceding 34 days. Certain products marketed as Chime+ benefits have additional eligibility requirements. While some Chime+ benefits may have associated fees, none of these fees are mandatory to access Chime+ benefits or to maintain Chime+ status. See Chime+ Terms and Conditions for details.
10 To be eligible for MyPay, you must receive qualifying direct deposits to your Chime Checking Account in the preceding 36 days as set forth in the MyPay Agreement. A qualifying direct deposit is a deposit from an employer, payroll provider, gig economy payer, government benefits payer, or other permitted source of income by Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) or Original Credit Transaction (“OCT”). Your MyPay Credit Limit and Maximum Available Advance may change at any time. MyPay is a line of credit and available limits are based on estimated income and risk-based criteria. Eligible members may be offered a $20 – $500 Credit Limit per pay period. Your Credit Limit and Maximum Available Advance will be displayed to you within the Chime app. MyPay is currently only available to eligible Chime members in certain states. Other restrictions may apply. See Bancorp MyPay Agreement or Stride MyPay Agreement for details.
11 Top three national bank ranking according to the Federal Reserve Statistical Release based on domestic assets; number of ATMs self-reported by Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo – June 2025.
12 To apply for a Chime Card, you must also open a Chime Checking Account.
13 Chime Visa® Credit Card holders – Deposits and debit refunds go to your Checking Account, then transfer to your Chime Card Secured Deposit Account – other than Chime Card cash deposits at retailers, which go to your Chime Card Account, then transfer to your Secured Deposit Account. Funds are moved from your Secured Deposit Account to your Checking Account to facilitate outbound transfers and debit purchases. Your Available balance is the money you can spend with your Chime Card or Checking Account. See account agreements and statements for details.
14 Chime will report the following activities, as applicable, to TransUnion®, Experian®, and Equifax®: amount past due; payment status of the last paid-off balance; how long you’ve had your card; current statement balance; last balance payment date; and highest balance before paying it off.
Editorial Disclosure
This content is not provided by the bank advertiser. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the bank advertiser. This site may be compensated through the bank advertiser Affiliate Pro.
Tyler Omoth is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder who loves soaking up the sun and finding creative ways to help others. He likes banks that have cookies, but that means something different for online banks. Catch him on Twitter at @Tyomoth.
