Get a $750 Welcome Deposit for eligible new customers who open an 
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SunTrust Bank promises to make banking affordable and easy for students by nixing monthly maintenance fees and featuring student-focused benefits. Learn more about SunTrust Essential Checking for Students: the good, the bad and our impressions.
SunTrust Student Checking Promotions?
SunTrust Bank doesn’t typically offer sign-up bonuses for their Essential Checking for students. They do offer bonuses for their consumer Checking accounts pretty much throughout the year. See current SunTrust Checking promotions here. Another bank that offers a good bonus offer with its Checking account is Chase. Read about the Chase College CheckingSM and it’s bonus offer.
MoneysMyLife Top Offer Picks  With 16,000 ATMs and 5,100 branches throughout the United States, Chase Bank is second only to Wells Fargo with regards to the total number of branches. This makes the bonus offers from Chase extremely popular, and they always have several promotions to choose from. Full Review.
 Get a $750 Welcome Deposit for eligible new customers who open an HSBC Premier checking account with qualifying activities.Get a $350 Welcome Deposit for eligible new customers who open an HSBC Advance checking account with qualifying activities. Member FDIC. Apply online for a new TD Bank Checking account to earn either a $300 bonus for the TD Premier Checking account ( $2,500 in direct deposits required), or a $150 bonus for the TD Convenience Checking account ($500 in direct deposits required). This is a limited time offer. Full Review  Barclays has two great card offers that should interest many who are looking for a solid travel rewards credit card.The Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard® has a 60,000 miles sign-up bonus worth $630 in travel. You'll be able to earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase and there are no foreign transaction fees to worry about. See Terms. Full ReviewThe Barclays Arrival® Premier World Elite Mastercard® will earn you 75,000 miles each year (worth $750) if you spend $25,000 on purchases during the year. This credit card is intended for high spenders looking for a card to carry for the long-term. The card will earn unlimited miles at the rate of 2 miles per $1 spent on all purchases. See Terms. Full Review |
CIT Bank is offering a 1.85% APY rate with their Money Market Account for all balances. This account is available online nationwide and consistently offers one of the best rates in the nation. The minimum opening deposit is $100 and there are no fees for opening or maintaining the account. 
Ally Invest is one of the nation's top choices for a low-cost stock broker, and they now have a promotion where you can earn a cash bonus of $50 to $3500, as well as $500 in commission-free trades. Your cash bonus value will depend on your deposit amount made within 60 days of account opening. 
Simple Bank has an offer where you can earn a $20 bonus after opening their free online Checking account that's available nationwide. You'll then be able to earn unlimited $20 referral bonuses. Direct deposit isn't a requirement and all you and your referrals need to do is open a new account and use the Simple Visa debit card to make a first purchase. The Requirements
- Minimum Opening Deposit: $100
- For a five year student waiver, proof of active enrollment is required.
The Good
Waived Monthly Maintenance Fee Of $7
For students, for up to 5 years.
Bank On The Go
SunTrust offers fee-free online and mobile banking with bill pay and mobile deposit.
Digital Payments
SunTrust is compatible with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, SunTrust Masterpass and Zelle – all easy, safe and secure ways to pay digitally.
SunTrust Deals
Get cash back just by using your SunTrust credit or debit card when you make purchases at hundreds of participating retailers.
Personal Banking Resource Center
Get a headstart to personal finance confidence by using SunTrust’s Resource Center. Topics include protecting your social security number, managing your budget with your credit card, and tips for traveling cheap.
The Fees
| Usage | Fee | Notes |
| Monthly Maintenance | $0 | With proof of active student enrollment for up to 5 years. |
| Non-SunTrust Bank ATM (domestic) | $3 | Per transaction, plus operator fees. |
| Non-SunTrust Bank ATM (international) | $5 | Per transaction, plus 3% of transaction, plus operator fees. |
| Overdraft/NSF | $36 | Per paid or returned item, max 6 items per business day. SunTrust will waive this fee on transactions that are less than $5. |
| Extended Overdraft | $36 | Per day, after 5 consecutive business days in the red. |
| Overdraft Protection Transfer | $12.50 | Per day for each day a transfer is required. |
| Paper Statement | $3 | Per monthly billing cycle. |
| Early Closure | $25 | If closed within the first 6 months. |
| Overdraft Closure | $30 | If closed in overdraft. |
The Bad
Spotty Coverage
We’re talking just over 1,300 SunTrust branches and 2,000 ATMs in 11 states and Washington, DC. Check out the coverage map below:
Overdraft Fees
Overdrafting on your SunTrust Essential Checking can cost you dearly. Fees of $36 per paid or returned item and a maximum of 6 items per business day, means you could be charged $216 in overdraft fees in just one day. Further, if your account is negative for 5 consecutive business days, it’ll cost you another $36 per day.
No Yield on Deposits
Unfortunately, SunTrust Essential Checking does not bear any interest, but this seems to be the norm for student checking accounts.
The Impression
SunTrust Bank lets you have access to many different features for a convenient banking experience. You can do your banking online or via your mobile device – paying bills, transferring money and depositing checks – anywhere at any time. SunTrust Bank has cash back deals, which might make up for the fact that there is zero interest on deposits made to your Essential Checking account. The bank’s Resource Center is also a great way to learn all about personal finance.
As with most banks out there, please keep a close eye on your balance. Overdraft fees are not fun and can burn a gigantic hole in your wallet.
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*These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.