Having a bank account is imperative. In 2025, the federal government will no longer issue paper checks. They will either give you a debit card, or you would have to provide bank account information. With that said, it would just make sense to acquire a bank account that would meet your needs. Also with a bank account, you would get a debit card to give you easier access to your money. And since your money is safe in the bank, you won’t have to worry about losing it, or getting robbed for carrying your entire benefits with you.
Since you should get a bank account, I will look into checking. There are limits to 6 withdrawals per month, and a checking account does not have that. Also look for a bank or credit union that will not charge you any monthly fees. Also, be aware of how they will handle overdrafts. This will be very important as an overdraft can cripple you for months.
What I Do?
Due to security reasons, I will not disclose the bank I use, but the bank doesn’t charge monthly fees, and I don’t overdraft on my account. This is a simple checking account. There is no interest, and I have a debit card for when I need to pay for something with cash. Most of my transactions are done with a credit card to protect my checking account. If you can not tell yourself no, do not get a credit card.