Among their priorities listed in the Cleveland Plain Dealer column:
- Credit card late and over-the-limit fees
Over-limit fees and late fees can cost more than $35 — and if you try to pay online to avoid being late, some companies charge you $10 to $15 to make an online payment if you want it posted that day.
- Overdraft protection programs
Expect high debit card fees to come under fire, with consumer groups pressing to bring transaction fees into line with the bank’s actual costs.
Big battles are likely on overdraft fees, those $35-plus-per-day fees that can accrue when your bank allows you to overdraw your account when you use an ATM.
“It isn’t really protection; it’s a protection racket,” says Ed Mierzwinski of PIRG. “We want to say it’s a loan, not a fee, and it should be subject to the Truth in Lending Law.”
That designation would mean consumers would have to apply for overdraft protection, rather than automatically (and often unknowingly) getting it, and that banks would have to clearly reveal the terms.
