Minimize Overdraft And Bounced Check Fees
The purpose of this article is to help you minimize the financial cost that comes with repeated overdraft and bounced check fees. Not only do they add up at the end of the year, but are a symptom of poor financial management skills, which can be very bad for your future.
What's an overdraft? Anytime you make a transaction for more than the amount available in your checking account, you overdraw it. That transaction can be the writing of a check, an ATM withdrawal, a debit card purchase, an online bill payment, and so on. What matters is that you used more than your available balance, and the negative balance that ensues is called an overdraft.
When the transaction shows up, your bank has the choice of either paying for it or not. If it elects to honor the transaction regardless of the fact that you don't have enough money to pay for it, it will charge you an overdraft fee. If, on the other hand, it decides that the check will not be paid and returns it for non-sufficient funds, it will then hit you with a bounced check fee.
The best way to minimize such fees is to manage your bank account so that you're not in a situation where you overdraw it. There are many ways you can keep close track of your account balance. Record all your transactions when you make them, without forgetting that any banking fee you usually pay has to be accounted for.
Pay special attention to your electronic transactions. Record your ATM withdrawals and fees, debit card purchases, and online payments. Don't forget about online bill payments you may have set up for utilities, insurance, or loan payments. Keep an eye on your account balance. Remember that some checks and automatic payments may not have cleared yet.
Review your account statements each and every month. Between statements, finding out which payments have cleared is as simple as calling your bank to get your current balance, checking it online, or getting it from an ATM (assuming that you won't get charged just for checking).
In the unfortunate case where you account is negative, make it a priority to deposit some money into it so as to have a positive balance once again. The bank will deduct its overdraft fee from the account, so keep that in mind when determining how much to deposit. At this time, you might also be offered other ways to cover any future overdrafts.
Odds are, you will be given two choices: linking your checking account to a savings account, or getting an overdraft line of credit. The first option involves linking your checking account to a savings account so that funds are automatically transferred from the latter to the former to prevent any overdraft situation. The second option involves filling out a credit application (which will be treated as a loan) for an overdraft line of credit. What this does is that you're allowed to withdraw funds that you don't have, up to your credit limit. The used portion of your credit line generates interest, and the line itself may be subject to an annual maintenance fee.
What's an overdraft? Anytime you make a transaction for more than the amount available in your checking account, you overdraw it. That transaction can be the writing of a check, an ATM withdrawal, a debit card purchase, an online bill payment, and so on. What matters is that you used more than your available balance, and the negative balance that ensues is called an overdraft.
When the transaction shows up, your bank has the choice of either paying for it or not. If it elects to honor the transaction regardless of the fact that you don't have enough money to pay for it, it will charge you an overdraft fee. If, on the other hand, it decides that the check will not be paid and returns it for non-sufficient funds, it will then hit you with a bounced check fee.
The best way to minimize such fees is to manage your bank account so that you're not in a situation where you overdraw it. There are many ways you can keep close track of your account balance. Record all your transactions when you make them, without forgetting that any banking fee you usually pay has to be accounted for.
Pay special attention to your electronic transactions. Record your ATM withdrawals and fees, debit card purchases, and online payments. Don't forget about online bill payments you may have set up for utilities, insurance, or loan payments. Keep an eye on your account balance. Remember that some checks and automatic payments may not have cleared yet.
Review your account statements each and every month. Between statements, finding out which payments have cleared is as simple as calling your bank to get your current balance, checking it online, or getting it from an ATM (assuming that you won't get charged just for checking).
In the unfortunate case where you account is negative, make it a priority to deposit some money into it so as to have a positive balance once again. The bank will deduct its overdraft fee from the account, so keep that in mind when determining how much to deposit. At this time, you might also be offered other ways to cover any future overdrafts.
Odds are, you will be given two choices: linking your checking account to a savings account, or getting an overdraft line of credit. The first option involves linking your checking account to a savings account so that funds are automatically transferred from the latter to the former to prevent any overdraft situation. The second option involves filling out a credit application (which will be treated as a loan) for an overdraft line of credit. What this does is that you're allowed to withdraw funds that you don't have, up to your credit limit. The used portion of your credit line generates interest, and the 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 Credit Counseling at
1:36 PM
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