Wachovia just sent me a notice that they're going to start charging $5.99 a month to download data directly to Quicken, but not if I log on and download the QIF (or whatever it is) file.

That's the last straw. Wachovia has really gone down the tubes since First Union bought them.

I'm considering going to an online bank for my checking account. I've been researching two (ING Direct and USAA), but I was hoping for some feedback about some others, too. Anyway, I have some reservations about the whole deal.

First, fees for using ATMs. ING Direct partners with some fly-by-night looking ATM company (Allpoint) that has ATMs inside other businesses. I'm not a big fan of going in someone's store just to use an ATM they have there. USAA refunds $15 worth of other banks ATM fees per month, plus doesn't charge a fee themselves for the first ten a month. That should cover me, plus I don't have to worry about which ATM to use.

Second, paper deposits. ING Direct has some sort of thing where you keep open a checking account with a real bank, you deposit your paper check or cash there, and they automatically transfer it out, but I'm having trouble finding details on that. USAA allows you to scan in paper checks and upload them. (How awesome is that?) Not sure about cash.

The things that appeal to me about them are the lack of fees and the interest-bearing checking account. USAA's not terribly up-front with the information on this, but the account itself doesn't carry a fee, and they claim to "say no to fees". ING Direct is more forthcoming: they point out the five times you can be charged money: overdraft (no fee, but they charge interest), overnight delivery of a paper check or a replacement card, stop payments, and foreign currency conversion. USAA's not with the disclosure on the interest, either. They say they pay it, but they don't say how much. ING Direct pays 4-5.3%, depending on your balance.

I don't tend to keep a lot of money in my checking account, so I don't want one with a minimum balance. And, as you can tell, I'm interested in the no-fees and interest-bearingness issues, too.

So, any further suggestions?