The Motley Fool picks up on the GAO report finding that, in 2006, consumers paid $36 billion in bank fees. The Fool is highly critical of the government but also critical of consumers who don’t understand how much they’re paying in fees.
How does this relate to payday lending? Storefront payday lenders collected $6.5 billion in fees in 2006. And payday lending customers understand exactly what they are paying per $100 for their two-week loan. Members of CFSA are required to post their fees on poster-size displays in large type.
Yet, nobody is calling for a ban on banks.