The cost to overdraw a bank account could drop to as little as $3 under a proposal announced by the White House, the latest effort by the Biden administration to combat fees it says pose an unnecessary burden on American consumers, particularly those living paycheck to paycheck.

The change could potentially eliminate billions of dollars in fee revenue for the nation’s biggest banks, which were gearing up for a battle even before Wednesday’s announcement. Exactly how much revenue depends on which version of the new regulation is adopted.

Banks charge a customer an overdraft fee if their bank account balance falls below zero. Overdraft started as a courtesy offered to some customers when paper checks used to take days to clear, but proliferated thanks to the growing popularity of debit cards.

  • @[email protected]
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    fedilink
    210 months ago

    Good on your parents. Credit Unions can’t do everything for you that a bank can, but that’s why you just get an account with them for a specific purpose, and use the credit union for everything else.

    I was the one to liberate my parents from the fee-laden Bank of America experience.

    • @Daveyborn
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      English
      210 months ago

      I’ve just been glad to dodge most of the shenanigans I read about in this thread and what friends have told me about.