The newest "cool way to screw people" that the banks are coming up with is to charge you a monthly fee to use your own money in your checking account. Wow, way to say Thank You for the big bail out, banks! I mean geez- they are already getting free use of our money by loaning it out and getting paid interest on it. Oh but yes, they do throw us a few pennies yearly in interest paid, don't they? How generous of them. Now some folks get the opportunity to pay $120 yearly in fees because they have a checking account. Yeah. Awesome.
You don't have to take it lying down you know. Feel free to call your bank and complain about these new monthly usage fees. Also let them know you will be shopping around to find a new bank and you'd like to know the procedure to withdraw 100% of the funds deposited with them and to close out all accounts. This gets their attention.
Follow through with that plan! Shop around with various banks. I am with a credit union and they are fantastic- they don't do gimmicks (no free toasters when you open an account here folks!), but I get the best rate, great service and no fees for using my own money.
If people nip this behavior in the bud now by flocking to those banks that do not charge you a monthly fee, it will prevent all the banks from going to this system. They are all out to make money and to squeeze us until every little penny is in their pocket. If we show we're too lazy to switch banks or that $10/month isn't a big deal, soon it will be $15. Then $20.
-Kristen
I already closed my account because the bank was charging me $10 per month. I complained but they weren't willing to drop it so I took my money and left.
ReplyDeleteGood for you!
ReplyDeleteI agree, credit unions are the way to go. I was with one all my working life so I looked for a CU when I moved down here. It had the best rate when I bought my car and I could set up auto-pay, and it was good for another short term loan, too.
ReplyDelete