Bank Fees
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The most important factor in choosing a bank is access to your money. Military men and women have unique financial needs, around-the-world schedules and rapid deployments, and shouldn't have to worry about banking hour,

Consider only those financial institutions that offer round-the-clock ATM, telephone, and online access to your accounts. A perfect institution would allow you not only to transfer funds between accounts, but also to pay your bills, make loan and credit card payments, and even apply for credit, no matter where you are or when you are available. Of course, costs and minimum-balance requirements should be low.

Generally speaking, banks offer all these services, but at higher cost and with substantial balance requirements. Credit unions offer most (if not all) of the desired services at lower cost, but you must qualify to become a member. The good news is that membership is not difficult. Large military bases such as Aberdeen Proving Ground often have established their own credit unions. If this is not the case for your area, look in the yellow pages under Credit Unions or visit the Web site of the Defense Credit Union Council, http://www.dcuc.org.