I AM NO DEFENDER OF THE BIG BANKS

But this AP article is not quite accurate.

Jobless hit with bank fees on benefits
Feb 20 12:25 AM US/Eastern
By CHRISTOPHER LEONARD
AP Business Writer

For hundreds of thousands of workers losing their jobs during the recession, there's a new twist to their financial pain: Even as they're collecting unemployment benefits, they're paying bank fees just to get access to their money.

Thirty states have struck such deals with banks that include Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp., JP Morgan Chase and US Bancorp, an Associated Press review of the agreements found. All the programs carry fees, and in several states the unemployed have no choice but to use the debit cards. Some banks even charge overdraft fees of up to $20—even though they could decline charges for more than what's on the card.

Arizona uses JP Morgan Chase and if you use a Chase bank or a number of other sites that JPMC approves of, you don't have to pay a fee for balance info or withdrawals. You can also get your balance info online for free.