Ron Lieber has a thoughtful column about the future of free checking. Consumers have become quite used to free checking over the last 15 years or so. The impetus for the column is whether the Fed's new overdraft regulations, scheduled to go into effect in July (new accounts) and August (existing) accounts this year will change the financial equation such that free checking is no longer viable.
I'm skeptical. The potential impact of the Fed's overdraft regulation impact is greatly over-hyped.