“If free checking is in decline, someone forgot to tell credit unions,” states an article posted Monday to FOXBusiness.com that cited Bankrate's recently released 2012 Credit Union Checking Survey.

Roughly 72% of America's 50 largest credit unions offer free checking accounts without a minimum balance requirement, according to the survey. That compares with 45% of banks.

The 72% is down slightly, from 76% last year. An additional 10% of credit unions surveyed will waive monthly fees if account holders maintain a minimum balance ranging from $100 to $750, noted the survey, which was released Monday.

"Only 45% of banks offer checking without a minimum," said the study, adding, "and their minimum balance requirements tend to be much higher—$585 for noninterest bearing accounts and a staggering $5,587 for interest checking accounts."

Credit unions also generally make it less expensive to open an account, with 58% having a minimum deposit of $1 or less.

Bankrate's 2012 Credit Union Checking Survey is available by clicking here.

The FOX Business article is available here.