This is a guest post from Martin of Studenomics. Martin loves to write about financial issues on helping you find out what is a good credit score and more fun topics like deciding what to do after college.

For the longest time I was hesitant to join ING Direct. The interest rates were pretty decent a few years, but I simply felt a sense of loyalty towards my local bank that wouldn’t let me leave them. The employees at the local bank knew me on a first name basis. Some of the employees at the bank were even high school friends of mine. If any issues ever came up, I could walk over to the bank in 5 minutes and have everything resolved. Long story short, I’ve never been good at chasing the highest interest rates.

This is why I decided to keep my brick-and-mortar account even after I joined ING Direct.

Tired of paying fees for using your debit card or withdrawing money from the ATM? I am, and I switched my checking account. In the process of switching, I learned few valuable lessons that might help you.

If you intend to switch, start the process soon. You should not be paying any fee to your bank – by keeping the money in the bank, you are entitling it to loan your money and earn interest. A bank should not ask customers to pay for basic services. There are various banks that offer interest on your checking account balance.

Changing your longtime checking account is by no means a small deal or a 15-minute job, as various other people suggest (including one of my blogging idols). If you are dissatisfied with your bank and want to switch, you might want to follow the steps below.