The importance of choosing the right bank
In general most people don't really put a lot of thought into the bank they choose, this is a mistake. The right bank can save you a lot of money and hassle over the years so it is definitely worth it to invest the time to make sure that you choose a good one. There are lots of options available so you should have no trouble finding a good bank.
The biggest reason that you are going to want to make sure that you choose the right bank is so that you can maximize the value of your money. The big thing here is going to be to look at what the banks fees are. The more you pay in fees the less money you are going to have in your account. Since you will have to pay these fees every month for the length of time that you have your account they can really add up so it pays to make sure that you are keeping the fees as low as possible.
The other part of making sure you make the most of your money is to make sure that you are getting the best return on that money. When it comes to your bank this means that they have the highest interest rates. In reality your checking account will likely earn no interest so this is probably not an issue there. However there is a good chance that you will also have other accounts with the bank. In that case you are going to want to make sure that you are getting the best return possible.
One thing to think about when you are choosing a bank is your future needs. For example if down the road you think you might want to buy a house it is a good idea to think about opening an account at the same bank that you want to get the mortgage from. By no means are you required to take a mortgage with the bank that you already have an account with and really you should shop around. However if you already have a relationship with the bank you may find that it is easier to qualify for a mortgage.
It is also a good idea to make sure that you choose a bank that is convenient to use, otherwise you are going to find it to be a major hassle. The big thing here is to make sure that it is located close to where you live or work, the last thing you want is to have to drive across town just to do your banking. You should also pay attention to the hours of operation to make sure that they are going to work with your schedule. Most banks these days offer an online banking option; most people find this to be very convenient so it is definitely worth making sure that they offer this.