Blacknbengal
Well-Known Member
Two bank fees get a lot of attention: monthly maintenance charges and ATM fees.
Those charges are pretty easy to avoid, however, by changing your behavior or changing banks. The fees that are really pesky are the ones you don't think to ask about. They often show up unexpectedly and may be tough to shake.
Here are a few to watch out for:
Returned-deposit fees
Checks you deposit in your account can bounce, and if they do, all you-know-what can break loose. You may face overdraft charges or rejected transactions because you don't have enough money in your account. In addition, your bank may clip you with a $10 to $20 fee for depositing the bad check.
How to cope: There's typically no way for you to know if a check is good before you deposit it, so this is a "gotcha" that can be avoided only in advance -- by banking with an institution that doesn't charge the fee. Most big banks levy returned-deposit charges, but some smaller banks and many credit unions don't. Switching to one that doesn't charge may make sense if you deposit a lot of checks. If you're charged a returned-deposit fee, ask your bank to waive the fee as a one-time courtesy. Your bank may not budge, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
Rest story
Those charges are pretty easy to avoid, however, by changing your behavior or changing banks. The fees that are really pesky are the ones you don't think to ask about. They often show up unexpectedly and may be tough to shake.
Here are a few to watch out for:
Returned-deposit fees
Checks you deposit in your account can bounce, and if they do, all you-know-what can break loose. You may face overdraft charges or rejected transactions because you don't have enough money in your account. In addition, your bank may clip you with a $10 to $20 fee for depositing the bad check.
How to cope: There's typically no way for you to know if a check is good before you deposit it, so this is a "gotcha" that can be avoided only in advance -- by banking with an institution that doesn't charge the fee. Most big banks levy returned-deposit charges, but some smaller banks and many credit unions don't. Switching to one that doesn't charge may make sense if you deposit a lot of checks. If you're charged a returned-deposit fee, ask your bank to waive the fee as a one-time courtesy. Your bank may not budge, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
Rest story