The easy way to avoid debit card fees

I have my main checking account with BECU and mainly use their ATMs and other fee-free ATMs in their affiliated CO-OP Network.

Mostly this works to avoid fees, but occasionally ... My lovely wife and I were headed to a movie in North Bend, where I thought I could quickly track down a fee-free ATM. Not so! The movie was about to a start, so I wound up paying a $3.50 ATM fee to Bank of America. Harrumph.

I had previously received a debit card and checkbook issued by my brokerage, T.D. Ameritrade, but I hadn't been using either. I started carrying the debit card, since they reimburse me for ATM fees, and started using it now and then when I don't go right by a BECU ATM.

This is very satisfying .. I'm no longer stuck hunting for an ATM at short notice trying to avoid those fees.

Schwab also does this with its debit card, and I know there are other remote banks and brokerages that do too. Get one of these for yourself today and stop paying ATM fees!