How to Get Bank Fees Back
Bank fees come in a lot of different forms, but the most common are overdraft fees, minimum balance fees and monthly maintenance fees on the account. If your hard earned money is being eaten up with bank fees, it is time to take steps to get as much of this money back as you possibly can.
- Call your bank concerning the
fees. If you have overdraft fees and this is your first time you
have had such fees, ask the bank if they can do a “courtesy
reversal” on the fees. This is something you must ask for, as they
are not going to do it out of the goodness of their hearts. At that
point, see if you can get a line of overdraft protection to prevent
any overdraft charges in the future. - Go to your local banking branch
and speak to them about other bank fees. Did you think you were
signing up for an absolutely free account only to discover you're
being charged fees? Tell them this, but do so in a polite and
friendly manner. Keeping your cool will get you further than being a
jerk, as the bank does not have to reverse any fees. Ask
them to revert your account to one with no fees and ask if they can
reverse the fees. - Open a bank account elsewhere that has no minimum and no monthly fees if your bank doesn't offer such
an account. There is no reason to be loyal to your bank if they are
charging you fees that another bank would not. After all, many times
you only need a bank account to keep your money in, use checks, and
have a debit card. Keep in mind that completely free checking
accounts are not interest bearing but for many people this is not an
issue, as they do not leave a lot of money in their checking
accounts.