Branch bank vs. direct bank

Two banking models, fundamentally different:

Branch bank (Sparkasse, Volksbank, Commerzbank):

✅ Personal contact person locally
✅ Cash service (deposits/withdrawals)
✅ Advice on complex products (mortgages)
❌ Account fees: €5–15/month
❌ Often worse interest rates on overnight money

Direct bank (ING, DKB, comdirect, N26):

✅ Free current account (often without conditions)
✅ Higher interest on overnight money
✅ Cheaper securities accounts and ETF savings plans
❌ No personal adviser
❌ Cash only at certain machines

Recommendation: for everyday banking a direct bank is entirely sufficient. Only for complex financing (property) can the personal advice of a branch bank be valuable.