A modern bank provides many services other than checking accounts. One of the most important of these is regular passbook savings.
　　If you went to a bank to open a savings account, you would go through almost the same procedures as followed in applying for a checking account. First you would be asked to fill out a signature card. Then you would be given a passbook in which your initial deposit would be recorded. All deposits and withdrawals from your account are entered into your passbook. This means that the passbook contains an actual record of all savings you have at any one time. With a regular passbook savings account, you would be able to withdraw money whenever you need it .all you would have to do is fill out a withdrawal order and present it, along with your passbook, to the teller.
　　All banks pay interest on savings accounts. The interest rate varies from bank to bank, but the general range is from 4 to 6 percent. Banks also pay interest at different times. But the majority of them pay semiannually. Suppose, for example, that on January 1, you deposit $1000 in bank that paid 5 percent interest semiannually. By July 1, you would have earned $50 interest. The interest would automatically be credited to your account; and if you left it in the bank, along with your original deposit, you would receive interest on $1050 for the nest six-month period. That is, your interest would be compounded.
　　If you knew that you could keep your money in the bank for a certain period of time, you could get a higher interest rate by buying a savings certificate. These certificates are for three months. You can also buy certificates for periods of one or two years. When you buy a savings certificate, you sign a contract with the bank stating that you will not be able to get your money back until the date when the certificate is due.
　　Another important service that banks provide is traveler’s checks. If you go on a vacation or traveled on business to another cit or state or country, you probably want to bring some traveler’s checks along with you. They have two important advantages over cash. One is that your money is always safe. If the checks are lost or stolen, you can receive a refund for the total amount. Another is that they are more convenient. Many businesses are reluctant to cash personal checks on out-of-town banks. But with proper identification, you can readily cash traveler’s checks almost anywhere in the United States or abroad. Every traveler’s check has its own individual number. When you buy these checks (you must purchase at least $50 worth), the teller gives you a slip on which the number of every check is recorded. A copy of this slip is kept b the bank. If the checks are lost or stolen, you can bring this slip to the bank and your money will be returned. Before you are given the checks, you are asked to sign each one of them at the top. When you cash the check, you must sign it again in the presence of the person who gives you the money at the bottom. For this service, the bank charges 1 percent of the amount of the check. If you bought a $50 check, for example, you would have to pay $0.50 for it.
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　　除了活期賬戶，銀行還提供主許多其他的服務。其中最重要的是存折儲蓄。
　　去銀行開一個儲蓄賬戶的過程和申請活期賬戶大致一樣。首先是填一張簽名卡。然后銀行工作人員會給你一個存折，上面有你第一筆的存款記錄。以后每次存款或取款都會在存折上有記錄，這就是說存折上會顯示你在任何需要的時候取錢。取錢的時候只需要填一張取款單，把它同存折一并交給出納員。
　　所有的銀行都付利息給儲蓄賬戶。各個銀行的利率不一樣，但總體在4%到6%之間波動。
　　各銀行，付利息的時間也不一樣，但是大部分銀行都是半年付一次。比如說你在1月1號存入了1000美元，利息為5%，那么到7月1號，你就能得到50美元的利息，利息會自動存入你的賬戶。如果你將利息和原來的存款一起留在賬戶里的話，下六個月你得到的利息是$1050的基礎上開出來的，就是說你所得到的利息是以復利來計算的。
　　如果你確定自己的錢將會在銀行存比較長的時間，你可以買一張儲蓄單據(jù)，這樣得到的利息就比較高。你可以買$500的儲蓄單據(jù)或者更多。儲蓄單據(jù)開出的時間越長，你得到的利息就越多。短期的儲蓄單據(jù)是三個月。你還可以買時間是一年或兩年的儲蓄單據(jù)。在買儲蓄單據(jù)的時候，你要跟銀行簽一項合同，說明在單據(jù)最后期限之前你不能從銀行取錢。
　　銀行的另一項重要服務是旅行支票。如果你去別的城市，別的州或國家度假或者是出差，你大概會想帶一些旅行支票。比起現(xiàn)金，旅行支票有兩個重要優(yōu)點：一是安全，如果你的支票丟了或是被偷了，上面的錢還可以如數(shù)找回。另外是方便。有些私人支票在城鎮(zhèn)的銀行兌不到錢，但是只要有身份證明，旅行支票在哪都能兌到錢，不管是在美國還是在國外。每一張旅行支票都有特定的號碼。在買支票的時候(至少買50美元的)，出納員會給你一張記錄所有支票號碼的單子。銀行也會將這張單子備份保存，如果支票丟了或是被偷了你可以拿著這張單子到銀行拿回支票上面的錢。在給你支票之前出納員還會在每張支票上方簽上自己的名字，兌錢的時候還要在給你錢的出納員那兒再簽一次，這次是簽在支票下方。銀行會收取支票面額的1% 作為手續(xù)費，比方說，你買一張50元的支票要付0.5美元的手續(xù)費。