Good, Cheap, Canadian Chequing
 

So, the bank I have started charging me service fees.

I don't like service fees. I don't like minimium balances.

So it looks like I'm gonna be looking for a new bank.

PC Financial looks insanely good. Any other accounts offer:
1> No fees for debit/cash withdrawls (from a major bank chain's machines)
2> Internet banking
3> No fees for online bill payments
4> Decent integrated savings account

ING direct offers a decent savings account, but I don't know if they offer the other feature's I'm looking for in Canada.

Anybody have advice?

I just stuck with that CIBC total account. I've worked for a few of the banks, and it just seems to be the least hassle. NO BANK will ever get you a great deal, and if you go to a no name bank or credit union you miss out on some of the things like email money transfers (which are the easiest damned thing in the world) and Paypal integration.

If you just want a straight up joe blow account, for interac and such, PC financial may be your bet, I don't know enough to say (although I'd love to go through their small print).

To me, 20 bucks a month I THINK ( memory is shite ) and I never have to worry about a thing. unlimited everything. Add to that the CIBC Investorline, and CIBC savings, and I'm in. For now anyways.

CIBC savings gives crappy rates -- 0.5% to 1% lower than I can get elsewhere.

120$/year is 120$/year too much for debit/cash withdrawls. At 2% post-inflation interest/year, over 20 years, that'll cost... 2900$

Email transfer charges 1.5$ per use. Practically, moving money to someone else we mutually trust is as easy as paying their credit card (doable online without the 1.5$ charge). For small transfers, that's unacceptable friction. For larger transfers to non-corperate targets, the rare time I do them a cheque sounds acceptable.

ING Direct is not a full service bank that offers regular chequing or savings accounts. The ING Investment Savings Account requires your existing bank's chequing account to move money in and out of it. It does, however, give you the opportunity to earn 3.5% on your savings while still having full access to it. Just bear in mind that it can take 1 or 2 business days for the money to move to and fro.

It's going to be extremely hard to find a bank that won't charge you anything without requiring a minimum balance. I'm actually surprised that you lasted this long if you are at a major bank. PC Financial would probably give you one of the best deals because it's a discount bank designed for Loblaw's customers. It is actually a joint venture with CIBC. The reason why it's so cheap is because, like ING, there are no branches to maintain. But at least you can get a chequing account at PC (with no fees, I think, so long as you maintain a credit balance).

If you want my opinion, in your case, I would recommend just going with PC Financial, just bear in mind you won't have the services of bank tellers like the major banks have.

Ditto on PC Financial. I've got it and it does all that shizzat that you were talking about, no catches.

I had a legacy account with acceptable terms at an existing bank. Recently I noticed they seem to have changed the terms on me, and I started getting charged service fees.

This isn't acceptable -- so I'll be moving my business elsewhere (including my investments, savings accounts, etc).

If maintaining the physical branches is expensive, they should charge for physical bank services, not the cheap-to-provide internet and electronic services. Honestly, the rates being charged look like the acts of a monopoly or cartel, rather than competition.

I am simply looking for a bank that charges competative rates.