fees

It's bad enough that air fares and extra fees have been rising as fast as a plane taking off -- now, travelers must wonder if aircraft have been properly inspected. Are the costs, pains and risks of flying reaching the point where frequent fliers should reconsider their transportation choices?

Those "standard" agreements big businesses like to impose on small clients are one-sided deals intended to protect their interests while reducing or eliminating your legal rights altogether. Before you sign on the dotted line, consider this cautionary example.

Back in December, we told you how the Federal Reserve paved the way for sweeping changes -- and likely reductions -- to the fees merchants pay banks for the privilege of accepting your debit card when you make a purchase. Exactly how much money banks stand to lose from this is an open question,...

Of all the industries that have achieved record profits recently, none have posted more remarkable results than the airline industry. For the first time in a decade, the industry is on a glide path to profitability -- but it's getting there by squeezing its customers.

These days, it seems as if everyone's trying to squeeze every penny out of us. From banks to colleges, American consumers are being nickeled and dimed like never before. Here are some of the biggest offenders, and your best defense against them: Banks As banks try to shore up their balance sheets...

Hertz has agreed to refund customers the fees charged for its Plate Pass road-toll service on days it wasn't used, says Florida's attorney general. The Plate Pass service bills rental car customers for road tolls (plus a usage fee) in lieu of them having to pay tolls at toll plazas. Florida...

It's not a stretch to say that, for many college students, the best moments of their university years rage by in a blur of tailgaters and giant foam fingers. At most major universities nationwide, college campus culture and athletics exist like conjoined siblings: fused from the moment of...

If you or your college-bound kid wants to attend Sarah Lawrence, Wesleyan, Columbia or another prestigious private university, prepare for some serious sticker shock. The three institutions are among the top five most expensive schools for the 2010-11 academic year, according to the Chronicle of...

Free checking is getting harder to come by at some of the nation's biggest banks. Recent regulatory changes have forced banks to be more upfront about the fees they charge deposit and credit card customers; as a result, consumers are better able to avoid those fees, which has led to a loss of...

Mutual fund powerhouse Vanguard reduced the cost of investing for 2 million of its clients on Wednesday by lowering the minimum investment requirements for its low-cost Admiral Shares.