How To Get Rid Of Overdraft And Bounced Check Fees
Getting rid of overdraft and bounced check fees is a really important step if you happen to be one of the people who is at odds with this problem. Not only is this a very expensive problem, it should be regarded as a red flag for the very serious threat to your financial future because it denotes a poor grasp of basic money management.
What's an overdraft? When your bank has to pay for a transaction that you make for more than your available account balance, the resulting negative balance is an overdraft. Whether you write a check, withdraw money from an ATM, use your debit card to make a purchase or make an online bill payment, if it's for more money than you have, it's an overdraft.
Your transaction puts your bank in a position where it has to decide whether whether or not it's going to pay the amount. Either way, the bank will assess you a fee. If the amount is paid for although you didn't have enough funds, the bank will assess you an overdraft fee. In case the bank decides that the check should be returned unpaid, it will assess you a bounced check fee.
Getting rid of those fees means simply that you have to keep a tight grip on your account balance to avoid negative balances. The best way to achieve this is to keep track of how much money you have by keeping your account register up-to-date. Write down all your transactions as soon as they happen. And don't forget to subtract any bank fees that you incur.
You will have to be especially vigilant about electronic transactions. Your ATM withdrawals (including any fees), purchases paid for with your debit card, as well as online payments can easily be forgotten and must be recorded ASAP. In the same vein, regularly scheduled online bill payments for utilities, insurance, or loan payments should not be forgotten. Know your account balance and remember that some transactions may take a while to clear if you see it's higher than what it should be.
Make it a monthly habit to check balance your accounts. In the time between getting account statements, you have several options for checking the rate at which your transactions are clearing: by phone with your bank, online, or at an ATM that doesn't charge you a fee for checking your balance.
Unfortunately, sometimes overdrawing your account just happens. What you need to do then is to get your account back to positive as soon as possible. You will have to not only cover the amount that you did not have, but also include whatever you got charged by your bank. If you would like to avoid this altogether, you can ask your bank about other ways of covering overdrafts.
Most likely you will get to choose one of those options. You can either link a savings account of yours (at the bank) to your checking account, or apply for an overdraft limit of credit with the bank. In the first case, every time there is a transaction that would result in your checking account being overdrawn, funds are automatically transferred from your savings account to prevent that. In the case of the line of credit (which you will have to apply for and will be treated as a loan application when it comes to eligibility), your account will be allowed to operate with a negative balance, up to your credit limit. That balance will generate interest, and the credit line itself may be subject to an annual maintenance fee.
What's an overdraft? When your bank has to pay for a transaction that you make for more than your available account balance, the resulting negative balance is an overdraft. Whether you write a check, withdraw money from an ATM, use your debit card to make a purchase or make an online bill payment, if it's for more money than you have, it's an overdraft.
Your transaction puts your bank in a position where it has to decide whether whether or not it's going to pay the amount. Either way, the bank will assess you a fee. If the amount is paid for although you didn't have enough funds, the bank will assess you an overdraft fee. In case the bank decides that the check should be returned unpaid, it will assess you a bounced check fee.
Getting rid of those fees means simply that you have to keep a tight grip on your account balance to avoid negative balances. The best way to achieve this is to keep track of how much money you have by keeping your account register up-to-date. Write down all your transactions as soon as they happen. And don't forget to subtract any bank fees that you incur.
You will have to be especially vigilant about electronic transactions. Your ATM withdrawals (including any fees), purchases paid for with your debit card, as well as online payments can easily be forgotten and must be recorded ASAP. In the same vein, regularly scheduled online bill payments for utilities, insurance, or loan payments should not be forgotten. Know your account balance and remember that some transactions may take a while to clear if you see it's higher than what it should be.
Make it a monthly habit to check balance your accounts. In the time between getting account statements, you have several options for checking the rate at which your transactions are clearing: by phone with your bank, online, or at an ATM that doesn't charge you a fee for checking your balance.
Unfortunately, sometimes overdrawing your account just happens. What you need to do then is to get your account back to positive as soon as possible. You will have to not only cover the amount that you did not have, but also include whatever you got charged by your bank. If you would like to avoid this altogether, you can ask your bank about other ways of covering overdrafts.
Most likely you will get to choose one of those options. You can either link a savings account of yours (at the bank) to your checking account, or apply for an overdraft limit of credit with the bank. In the first case, every time there is a transaction that would result in your checking account being overdrawn, funds are automatically transferred from your savings account to prevent that. In the case of the line of credit (which you will have to apply for and will be treated as a loan application when it comes to eligibility), your account will be allowed to operate with a negative balance, up to your credit limit. That balance will generate interest, and the credit line itself may be subject to an annual maintenance fee.
About the Author:
Overdraft fees got you in ChexSystems? Read my report on banks that do not use chex systems on Money Galaxy, a personal finance blog I contribute to.
posted by Debt Consolidation Loan at
1:25 PM
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