Which checking account product is right for you or your business?

At First Carolina Bank, we have a variety of checking account products that are uniquely designed to fit your or your business’s banking needs. To dive deeper into just what makes these accounts work for you, I sat down with two of our retail team members: Robin Hundley, Reidsville Branch Supervisor, and Emily Pugh, Wilmington Universal Banker.

PERSONAL ACCOUNTS

Hundley says that the primary item to consider when choosing between First Carolina’s three personal checking accounts is the balance you intend to keep in the account, as the products have varying levels of minimum balance requirements.

An example she offered is that if you plan to primarily use the account to receive direct deposit paychecks and pay bills but keep the majority of your funds in a higher interest-bearing account, our Convenient Checking product is right for you, as it is our most streamlined account and does not have a minimum balance requirement.

If you plan on keeping a higher balance in the account, either Value Checking or Carolina Checking may be a good option for you. Both accounts are interest-bearing, with Value Checking having a lower balance requirement. Carolina Checking has the highest balance requirement in addition to the most complimentary features, and Hundley says it is the one she recommends if you are planning on opening a money market or CD in addition to the checking account, as the combined balances will allow you to take advantage of those additional benefits.

BUSINESS ACCOUNTS

Much like with personal accounts, Pugh says that balances are the initial driving factor in picking a business account product, but your business’s transaction level is also important. She stated that our most popular business account is our Small Business Checking product, which, despite its name, is not just for small businesses. It has no minimum balance requirement and enables your business to process up to 200 transactions per month.

If you are looking for more monthly transactions or are going to hold a higher balance in the account, our Business Checking account will work well for you.

Pugh suggests our Commercial Checking account for the highest-transaction and highest-balance businesses as well as those who know coming in that they will want to use treasury management products like Remote Deposit Capture and online ACH.

If you work with a church or a non-profit, we also have an account specifically designed for you—Community Business Interest Checking—that earns interest on a lower minimum balance requirement and allows for up to 350 monthly transactions.

If you are still unsure where to start, our basic personal and business account products—Convenient Checking and Small Business Checking—are “an open door to do everything,” Pugh noted. Those accounts still feature free debit cards, online and mobile banking, Bill Pay, mobile banking, notary services, and financial planning with our wealth management team. And, if you ultimately decide that you would like to convert to a different product, “we’ll help you,” Hundley emphasized. “We will build that relationship and that trust and help you.”

For more specific details regarding our checking account products, visit our Personal Checking page or our Business Checking page, or stop by your local branch today!