No one likes to be charged to use their money.
“I think it’s unfair,” said Erika Said.
It's a fee that Bank of America and other banks will charge each month starting next year.
“I think it’s not a time to do this because we are still in an economical slow down,” said Rogelio Romero.
Bank of America released a statement announcing their five dollar a month charge for debit card usage.
“It’s wrong for those of us that don’t earn that much,” said Said.
Other banks are also discussing similar fees.
“A lot of the other banks have already said that it’s definitely something on the table,” said Financial Counselor Marla Lutz.
She said before you go changing banks, first look and see if the bank fits your needs.
Look to see if there's a branch nearby and look at different services they offer like bill pay, overdraft service or keep the change.
“For instance you have a purchase that is 11.50 and they automatically take the 50 cents and put it in a savings account and match that, and it could add up to a couple hundred dollars every year,” said Lutz.
Lutz said after your research, it may surprise you that the bank that charges the debit card fee might still come out less expensive than other banks, but Lutz said you need to make sure to do the research.
Another word of advice: if you decide to stay with a bank that charges a debit card fee, use a credit card instead.
“If you’re careful, you can use somebody else’s money for free for 25 days lets say and then pay it back,” said Lutz.
But whichever bank you decide to go with, Lutz said make sure it's FDIC insured, meaning up to 250,000 dollars of your money is insured if anything were to happen to the bank.
For more tips on how to choose a bank head to the website: http://www.findabetterbank.com/
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT