This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.

Name: CheckingFinder.com

Quick Pitch: CheckingFinder.com is a search engine that offers users the ability to find, compare and open a high-interest checking account.

Genius Idea: Although the big U.S. banks might seem like the only choice around, smaller institutions can offer lots of perks, including higher interest rates, a lack of ATM usage fees and no minimum balances. If you’re willing to do your banking online, you can get an account with the best banks, even if you live in another state. That’s where CheckingFinder comes in.

Just enter in your zip code and you’ll get back a list of banks (all insured by the FDIC, NCUA or ASI) that you can open a checking account with. Most have a very low minimum deposit, require no minimum balance or monthly fees and will credit you a certain number of ATM fees each month.

What’s the catch? Well, some banks will require that you use an account for a certain number of transactions or that you have a direct deposit or bill pay system setup. If you don’t meet the requirements, you can still have the free account with no penalty, you’ll just get a base interest rate and have to pay your own ATM fees.

You can also sign up for an account in a process that CheckingFinder.com claims takes about seven minutes. Some banks will even offer free savings accounts in addition to the checking account, so if you’re interested in that, look over your options.

If you’re looking for alternatives to the bigger banks, CheckingFinder.com is a good place to start your search.

Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark

BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the “new CloudApp()” contest – use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines).”

Tags: banking, banks, checkingfinder.com, finance

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