My credit union requires I have a savings account with $5.00. The overdraft fee is $30. There are no recurring costs outside of that. Both checking and savings accounts earn interest - much less for the checking account - rather than costing me money.

I don't know about the credit check part; I set up with my parents years ago so that may have exempted me as I didn't have any credit history at the time.

> There aren't many any more...

...in the US.

In the UK its the opposite; the majority of checking accounts are free, some premium accounts charge a fee but generally come with rewards.

Overdrafts; there are fees for unarranged overdrafts, but its reasonably trivial to arrange a limit and this is generally fee-less (naturally you pay interest; mine is 1.2% calculated daily)

ATMs are largely free regardless of who your bank is.

In France they sure aren't free. Banks even charge a monthly fee for a debit card in addition to a monthly account maintenance fee. Of course banking in the France is stuck in the 1980s with many banking transactions requiring an actual visit to your specific bank branch and a consultation with your personal banker.

Interesting; my perspective (working in the finance industry) has been that European banks are ahead of the curve with technology and, importantly, technology for customers. It sounds like maybe not?