diff --git a/bank_accounts.rb b/bank_accounts.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d0a08acf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bank_accounts.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+require 'csv'
+module Bank
+
+  class Account
+    attr_reader :id, :balance, :date_created
+    MINIMUM_STARTING_BALANCE = 0
+
+    def initialize(account_info)
+      if account_info[:balance] < MINIMUM_STARTING_BALANCE
+       raise ArgumentError.new("You must have at least $#{MINIMUM_STARTING_BALANCE} to open an account.")
+      end
+      @id = account_info[:id]
+      @balance = account_info[:balance]
+      @date_created = account_info[:date_created]
+    end
+
+    def self.all
+      # this is what you'd do if working from a CSV file... not related to the instances we've initialized for testing.
+      # pulls in the data from the CSV file as an array of arrays
+      array_of_accounts = CSV.read("support/accounts.csv")
+      account_info_array = []
+      # this method should return an array of hashes, where each hash represents one row of data.
+      # instantiates a new Account based on each hash, after each one it shovels into an array and
+      # returns that array to whoever calls this method
+      array_of_accounts.each do |element|
+        account_info_array << Account.new({id: element[0], balance: element[1].to_i, date_created: element[2]})
+      end
+      return account_info_array
+    end
+
+    def self.find(given_id)
+      # returns an instance of Account where the value of the id field in the CSV
+      # matches the passed parameter
+
+      # iterates over the Account instances until you find the instance with the matching id
+      # all the account instances are listed in account_info_array
+
+      # the problem with this is it generates the accounts from the CSV every time.
+      # what if you've withdrawn or deposited from the account? the original CSV, which
+      # self.all reads from, doesn't reflect that!
+      Bank::Account.all.each do |account|
+        if account.id == given_id
+          return account
+        else
+          puts "Not found."
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    # If the owner has already been created in the Owner class, the method should be called like so:
+    # @account_instance.add_owner(owner_instance.name)
+    def add_owner(owner_name)
+      @owner = owner_name
+      #Bank::Owner.name
+    end
+
+    def withdraw(amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance=0, transaction_fee=0)
+      check_withdraw_type("account", amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance, transaction_fee)
+      @balance = @balance - amount_to_withdraw
+    end
+
+# uses the type of withdraw ("from savings", "using a check", etc.) to determine if the user is overdrafting
+    def check_withdraw_type(withdraw_type, amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance, transaction_fee)
+      case withdraw_type
+      when "account", "checking", "savings"
+        check_against_minimum(amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance, transaction_fee)
+      when "check"
+        check_against_minimum(amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance, transaction_fee)
+        if @check_count >= 3
+          transaction_fee = 200
+          check_against_minimum(amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance, transaction_fee)
+          @balance = @balance - transaction_fee
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+# compares balance with minimum balance and doesn't let the user continue if they try
+# to go over
+    def check_against_minimum(amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance, transaction_fee)
+      if (@balance - amount_to_withdraw - transaction_fee) < minimum_balance
+        raise ArgumentError.new("This withdrawal would go below the minimum balance.")
+      end
+    end
+
+    def deposit(amount_to_deposit)
+      @balance = @balance + amount_to_deposit
+    end
+
+  end
+
+  class CheckingAccount < Account
+    attr_reader :check_count
+    def initialize(account_info)
+      @check_count = 0
+      super
+    end
+
+    def withdraw(amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance=0, transaction_fee=100)
+      check_withdraw_type("checking", amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance, transaction_fee)
+      @balance = super - transaction_fee
+    end
+
+    def withdraw_using_check(amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance=-1000, transaction_fee=0)
+      check_withdraw_type("check", amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance, transaction_fee)
+      @balance = withdraw(amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance, transaction_fee)
+      @check_count += 1
+      return @balance
+    end
+
+    def reset_checks
+      @check_count = 0
+    end
+
+  end
+
+  class SavingsAccount < Account
+    MINIMUM_STARTING_BALANCE = 1000
+
+    # The initial balance cannot be less than $10.
+     def initialize(account_info)
+       if account_info[:balance] < MINIMUM_STARTING_BALANCE
+         raise ArgumentError.new("You must have at least $#{MINIMUM_STARTING_BALANCE} to open a savings account.")
+       end
+      super
+     end
+
+     def withdraw(amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance=1000, transaction_fee=200)
+       check_withdraw_type("savings", amount_to_withdraw, minimum_balance, transaction_fee)
+       @balance = super - transaction_fee
+     end
+
+    def add_interest(rate)
+      interest = calculate_interest(rate)
+      @balance = @balance + interest
+    end
+
+    def calculate_interest(rate)
+      @balance * rate / 100
+    end
+  end
+
+
+  class Owner
+    attr_reader :name, :phone, :email, :address, :owner
+
+    def initialize(name, phone_number, email_address, street_address)
+      @name = name
+      @phone = phone_number
+      @email = email_address
+      @address = street_address
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+# for testing the different methods in IRB, play with them!
+# when using in IRB, these instance names must have @ sign before them, but not when run in ruby
+@checking_instance = Bank::CheckingAccount.new({id: "1001", balance: 20045, date_created: "March 5, 2016"})
+@savings_instance = Bank::SavingsAccount.new({id: "1000", balance: 130000, date_created: "March 5, 2016"})
+@account_instance = Bank::Account.new({id: "0999", balance: 20000, date_created: "March 3, 2016"})
+@owner_instance = Bank::Owner.new("Barbara Thompson", "545-665-5535", "looploop@loo.org", "5545 Apple Drive Issaquah, WA 98645")