6 Things You Can Still Get For Free At A Bank

It was great while it lasted but simple free checking accounts are becoming extinct since new rules and regulations took place just in the last year in order to protect consumers. This change in the financial industry also opened up a new bag of worms - fees! Banks still offer free checking only if you meet certain, albeit rigorous criteria. Fortunately, there are still some things you can get for free from a bank if you can't get that free checking.

1. Coin Wrappers - These come in handy when you have accumulated lots and lots of change in your jar at home and banks are really generous when it comes to handing these out. They usually give you as much as you need but just say you have a lot of coins and they will give you plenty.

2. Faxes - I love it when my own bank can fax something for me at no cost. I once went to a grocery store where they offered faxing services at a ridiculous cost per page. I ended up paying $5 bucks for a couple or papers. This service shouldn't be abused since they do have other business to take care of.

3. Copies - Just like faxes, your bank will copy any documents you might need. For example, you might want a copy of a check you deposited for your records.

4. Coffee/Snacks - It's very rare for an office not to have a coffee machine these days but they sometimes offer a complimentary coffee to their customers and often people who are with they customers. If you ever stop by a bank to make a deposit for yourself or for someone else, ask for a complimentary coffee. I know this one bank in my town that also offers a small tray of popcorn!

5. Mail Out - Every bank should have an outgoing mail bag that gets picked up from a courier service and the mail gets sent out to the address without a stamp. They provide their own stamps for these items so the next time you need to send anything out, ask your bank if they can. Certain banks have FedEx or UPS pick up items on a daily basis so your bank can also pose as a drop off/pick up area.

6. Check Registers - This comes free still if you need it but we are rapidly moving towards a digital world and there's no telling how long check or check registers will be around.