Best Joint Checking Accounts for December 2025

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Joint checking accounts simplify shared finances, whether you’re splitting rent with a partner, helping an aging parent pay bills or teaching your teenager money management. The right account eliminates the hassle of splitting payments, Venmo-ing each other or tracking who paid what.

Here are Bankrate’s top-rated joint checking accounts for December 2025.

Want to compare more accounts? See Bankrate’s picks for best checking accounts

Best joint checking accounts

Note: Bankrate’s editorial team validates this information regularly. APYs may have changed since they were last updated and may vary by region for some products. Bankrate includes only FDIC banks or NCUA credit unions in its listings.

Banks with the best joint checking accounts for adults

Best joint checking accounts for kids and teens

Why open a joint checking account?

Joint checking accounts streamline shared financial responsibilities. Instead of splitting every bill, Venmo-ing your partner constantly, or maintaining complicated spreadsheets, joint accounts put shared money in one place where both owners have equal access.

The practical benefit: immediate access. If one account owner becomes unable to manage finances (due to illness, injury or death), the other owner can still access funds and handle financial obligations without legal complications. 

Risks of having a joint bank account

Joint accounts come with shared risk. Both owners have full legal access to all funds — which means either person can withdraw the entire balance at any time without the other’s permission.

If a relationship ends or you and the joint owner are involved in a dispute or disagreement, one owner could legally empty the account before the other realizes what’s happening. If this occurs, your recourse is limited. You could sue in small claims court, but there’s no guarantee you’ll recover your money.

Only open joint accounts with people you trust completely. For relationships that aren’t committed long-term, consider alternatives like splitting bills manually, using payment apps or maintaining separate accounts with a shared expense tracking system.

What to look for in a joint checking account

When you’re comparing joint checking accounts, make sure you’re considering these key features:

• Fees and minimum balance requirements: Some banks charge hefty monthly service fees if you fail to maintain a certain average balance in the account. However, it’s easy to avoid these pesky costs by focusing your search on free checking accounts. 
• Flexible overdraft policies: With two people spending money from one account, you might find that overdrawing could be an issue, at least until you get the hang of things. Find an account that has forgiving and flexible overdraft policies to avoid incurring fees.
• Budgeting tools: In many cases, a joint checking account is the first step toward marrying finances. With that in mind, it’s smart to find a bank that includes helpful mobile tools to manage your monthly budget. Some banks also offer useful round-up features to link the account with a savings account to store cash for the future. If you’re married — or planning to make that major life decision down the road — that early effort to save can lay the foundation for successful money management.
• Perk opportunities: Banks want your business, so shop around for opportunities to earn interest on your money, cash back or even a bonus that can score you a few extra hundred bucks with your new account. If you can get $200 or $300 for setting up direct deposit, that’s free money to help you cover some expenses. 
• Safety: Make sure that whatever account you open, it offers protection to you in case of a bank (or credit union) failure. That means finding a bank that’s insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) or a credit union that’s insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). 

Requirements to open a joint checking account

Opening a joint checking account feels similar to opening an individual checking account, but instead, you’ll need to share personal details — name, address, date of birth, phone number, email address and Social Security number, for example — for both parties on the account. Depending on the institution, you may need to be able to meet a minimum opening deposit requirement.

Pros and cons of joint checking accounts

Pros

• Limits the need for constant transfers between individual accounts
• Offers a chance to create a shared budget
• A helpful step in understanding a partner’s approach to money
• Helps children learn money management skills

Cons

• Can lead to arguments over spending patterns
• Limits one’s sense of financial independence
• Both owners have legal access to all the funds, not just the amount they personally contributed, which could become an issue in case of a breakup or disagreement

Joint checking account FAQs

• Can joint accounts earn interest?
  

  Yes. Joint accounts — just like individual accounts — may pay interest. It’s up to individual banks and credit unions to determine whether an account earns interest.

   

• How can I get a joint checking account bonus?
  

  Many banks and credit unions use bonus offers to attract new customers, and these promotions may vary throughout the year. As you compare options for joint accounts, do your research to compare offers for bonus cash. In most cases, you’ll need to perform some sort of qualifying activity to qualify such as setting up a direct deposit.

   

• What is overdraft protection?
  

  Overdraft protection is an optional service that many banks and credit unions offer that authorizes transactions that would put your account in the negative. Some overdraft protection programs link a customer’s checking account with a savings account or a line of credit. If the balance of the checking account drops to zero while trying to make a payment, funds from the linked account will automatically transfer to make sure that the transaction clears. Some banks may charge for these services, though there are ways to avoid overdraft fees.

• How do I get out of a joint checking account?
  

  Call the bank or credit union to learn about their policies for making changes to accounts. In some cases, you may be able to remove your own name from the account. In others, the two account holders may need to close a joint bank account entirely and set up individual accounts. Because both names are on the account, you’re both legally entitled to the funds, which can create some challenges in attempting to remove one name.

Research methodology

Bankrate researches and reviews over 100 banks, including some of the largest financial institutions, online-only banks, regional banks and credit unions with both open and restrictive membership policies.

To find the best joint checking accounts, we looked at which of our highest-rated checking accounts allow joint checking as these accounts are equally great options for sharing with someone as they are for an individual. Most of the highly-rated checking accounts were from online-only banks, so we also included Chase as an option for those with a joint owner who may not be comfortable banking online and wants access to a brick-and-mortar bank. We chose Chase as it has branches in 48 states and Washington, D.C.

To find the best joint checking accounts for kids and teens, we looked at which of our broadly-available banks and credit unions offered an account specifically for kids or teens. Then, we looked at the features each one provided, such as APY and parental controls and spending limits, to determine which accounts were best for kids and teens to use and learn money management skills.

Learn more about how we choose the best banking products and our methodology for reviewing banks.