1. A NOW account requires a minimum balance of $750 for interest to be earned at an annual rate of 4 percent. An account holder has maintained an average balance of $500 for the first six months and $1,000 for the remaining six months. The account holder writes an average of 60 checks per month and pays $0.02 per check, although it costs the bank $0.05 to clear a check.

What average return does the account holder earn on the account?