A current account - sometimes known as a checking account - is generally regarded as a basic financial product which it isn't really worth shopping around for.

The basic logic is that you're best off just going down the road to the nearest financial institution and grabbing a form.

This might have been true once - and convenience is still a factor to take into consideration when you decide which account to go for - but banks have got sneaky.

Overdraft rates, benefits and sign-up rewards now serve to either entice customers away or punish those who don't shop around (few ever leave the bank where they got their first current account).

So what should you take into account when you compare current accounts? Here are four important points to bear in mind.

First, allow yourself to be enticed. Banks are now desperate for people to move to a new account, so desperate that they're willing to offer cash rewards for those who make the jump.

Moving needn't be as traumatic as it might appear either. For example, many banks offer a direct debit switching service so you don't need to inform your utilities companies that you've got a new account.

Rewards for new customers recently have run to £100 in a lump sum payment.

Second, think of getting a new account as similar to when you compare personal loans.

This means taking a close look at the interest rates that are hidden under the hood.

Millions of us go into our bank's overdraft regularly so that means check that there's an interest free overdraft facility and that there's an agreed overdraft of an amount that will be conducive to your finances.

There's often no interest on agreed overdrafts for the first year with the newest breed of current accounts and other bank accounts.

Third, note that many current accounts now come with rewards.

However, unlike reward credit cards, these product's rewards are often products that you need to buy from elsewhere in any case.

Caution is therefore advised to avoid buying the same products twice such as travel insurance, pet insurance and other travel essentials such as discounts on flights and holidays. There are also often savings on interest rates on other products from the same financial institution.

Caution is also advised since these accounts often come with a fee to cover the costs of these so-called 'extras' this means its doubly worth making sure that they're worth it.

Forth, and finally, check out how your age or situation affects the account you can get.

There are some accounts that you only get when you're over fifty years old and some that are suitable for students.

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