A key objective of the financial reform legislation currently being debated in Congress is, of course, to help protect consumers. Indeed, we wrote last month about an amendment to the Senate’s bill that would make individual’s credit scores more transparent.

But Americans will need to remain as vigilant as ever when it comes to finances. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that while many banks have long offered free checking account services as a way to lure business, Bank of America and others like it, hit with new regulations that impact revenue, are preparing to levy new fees for basic banking services.

Consumers can avoid—or at least minimize—the worst of new fee hikes, says Greg McBride, a senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com. Free checking accounts won’t disappear; they will just become rare at larger institutions. To find free checking, consumers will need to seek out smaller, regional banks, credit unions or online banks like ING Direct, the web-only arm of ING Group. Smaller players, McBride points out, often have the cheapest options for basic banking services because they have to compete more aggressively on price.

Overall, the best bet for low-fee banking remains due diligence. “Shopping around for the best deal remains your best strategy,” says McBride. “Not everyone’s comfortable with that but if your goal is to avoid fees you have to expand your horizons.”