Bank Charges, Servies Vary Among Area Institutions

The multitude of banks in Northwest Arkansas means customers have a broad selection when shopping for a financial institution with which to do business.

But, as always, features that are appealing to some customers may be unimportant to others. Longer banking hours may be valued by some customers while others care more about various services and the charges for those services.

In the 10 institutions surveyed by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal, all offer notary services at no charge to customers and most also will guarantee signatures for no cost.

For other services, however, there was more variety. The charge for a check written on an account with insufficient funds, for example, ranges from $14 a check to $25 a check. For account research, the charge ranges from $12 an hour to $20 an hour.

Customers needing copies of canceled checks can expect to pay as little as 50 cents each to $2.50 apiece.

Some banks provide free printed account statements while others charge for that service. That may be important to business customers who may need statements more frequently than individuals do.

Fees included in the chart are basic and may vary based on a customer’s request.