Kiwis / Getty Images/iStockphoto The post-pandemic shift toward remote work and freelancing created a flood of independent contractors searching for banks that served their unique needs — and the industry responded. Over the last few years, financial institutions have introduced exciting new mixed-use accounts that let sole proprietors manage their personal and business finances all under one roof. See the List: GOBankingRates’ Best Banks of 2023 Experts: Here’s How Much You Should Have in Your Checking Account The problem now is that all those new arrivals make it hard to find the best of the bunch. Instead of consulting financial pros or banking industry reps to identify the cream of the crop, GOBankingRates got the real story from the people who know more about the subject than anyone else — actual freelancers who have tried all the options while surviving alone in the financial trenches. Here’s what they said. For Nomadic Freelancers, Schwab Makes Every ATM a Free ATM One of the best accounts for freelancers isn’t a trendy new upstart that exists only on a computer screen, but an industry standard-bearer with decades of history and global name recognition. Tom Eskey, founder of GarageGymRevisited.com , first opened his Charles Schwab checking account nine years ago, and he thinks the rise of remote work and the gig economy have only solidified its standing as his No. 1 pick for freelancers like him. “When I first started working online, I took the nomadic plunge that a lot of freelancers take,” Eskey said. “In a completely new city and state, I would have to drive close to half an hour to find an ATM for my old bank.” He chose Schwab because it supported the cash-on-the-go lifestyle of a work-from-anywhere freelancer. “The account continues to offer fully refundable ATM fees for every ATM in the world,” said Eskey, who also noted that it’s a fee-free account with no balance minimums or foreign transaction fees. It even pays a modest interest yield. Perry Zheng, founder and CEO of the real estate investment software firm , recommends a newer player that debuted as a digital bank in 2019. Moses Aremu, head of marketing at , also recommends Grasshopper for established freelancers, but he urges new arrivals to unify their financial services under one roof with a close competitor. Shawn Hill, owner of , turned his cooking passion into a freelance profession — and he joined several other independent contractors in recommending Bluevine business checking as a can’t-go-wrong account for the self-employed.