OverdraftFees

The average fee for overdrafting your bank account rose again last year, but evidently, more Americans are doing a better of job managing their checking accounts, because the amount paid in overdraft fees dropped by $1.5 billion in 2011, after a $4 billion drop in 2010.

More than 13 million Bank of America debit-card customers could see some repayment for excessive overdraft fees the bank charged them over the course of a decade. A federal judge has approved a $410 million settlement to compensate customers who were charged fees as a result of the bank posting transactions from highest to lowest dollar amount, rather than in the order they occurred.

Overdraft fees are like a movie monster that just won't die. No amount of public outrage or regulation can slay the beast. But the banks aren't the only ones casting overdrafts in financial sequels: Truth is, consumers keep breathing life into the overdraft dragon.

A year after the Federal Reserve enacted new rules to rein in abusive bank overdraft practices, fees remain high and some institutions actually have slapped on additional penalties, according to a new survey by the Consumer Federation of America.

You might assume that free checking is one of those banking benefits on the way out, but that's not the case: More than a third of checking accounts charge no monthly service fee. But that doesn't mean that banks don't expect to profit from your checking business. Here are the fees that make "free" a highly inappropriate designation -- and how you can avoid them.

Banks lost billions in the financial crisis, and now face profit-squeezing regulations. And make no mistake: They're looking at your balance to fix their bottom lines. Here are four ways your bank takes your money, and what you can do to hold on to more of your hard-earned cash.

Picking a bank is a lot like selecting a new paint color for your kitchen. You're going to see a lot of it, and while you can always change your mind if you don't like the one you've chosen, it's a hassle. We asked the experts for advice on how to choose the one best suited to your needs.

You know how your teachers always say that the "stupid question" you want to ask is probably the same one on everyone else's mind? Well, here's one: What's the difference between credit cards and debit cards? Maybe you thought you were the only one who didn't actually know, but that's where you're...

Starting this August, if you try to use your debit card to make a purchase without having the funds in your linked checking account, that purchase will be declined. Right in the store. Or the restaurant. No longer will your bank be able to approve the transaction and then hit you with a $35...

Consumers overwhelmingly want limits and additional disclosures on bank overdraft fees, according to a survey released by the Consumer Federal of America (CFA). Yet Congress has done nothing to fix the problem since it held hearings late last year and banks continue to make billions on overdraft...