This fee for a Citibank free checking account would have gone into effect on February 1, but New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo stepped in and required Citigroup to give its customers proper notice.

And that’s not all. Your Citibank free checking account will also start charging a per-check fee in February 2011 for some of these same customers.

I’m a big advocate of laissez-faire capitalism, but let’s get real. Banks are not helping their image when their “free” checking accounts come with a price tag. Leave a comment if you have experienced a hidden fee with a Citibank free checking account, or any other “free” checking account.