Truth Or Dare With Bank Tellers

Bank tellers may handle your transactions with smiles, but don’t think there’s not a lot of judgment going on behind those glazed-over looks. They see suckers come and go all day, and watch people make the same ill-informed mistakes again and again.

On The Best Article Every Day, personal finance blogger Miranda posts nine things about the way banks work that you may not know. Here are five of them:

*Your whole deposit isn’t instantly available — Most banks only let you immediately withdraw $50 or $100 of your deposit until the check clears, possibly on the next business day.

*Post-dating a check means nothing — There is no legal obligation for a bank to respect the date on the check. Once the bank gets its hands on the check, it’s fair game.

*Banks thrive on fees — Overdrafts are a top revenue source for banks, and ATM fees don’t hurt either. Banks love it when you screw up because they get paid.

*Getting fees waived is as easy as asking a teller — Some banks will waive a fee or two per customer every year with no questions asked.

*If you opt out out of overdraft protection, your checks aren’t protected — Despite recent rules changes, banks can approve checks and subject them to overdraft fees.

Check out the source link for the other bank teller “secrets.”

What’s the myth about banking you find yourself most often debunking for uninformed friends?

9 Things Your Banker Won’t Tell You [The Best Article Every Day]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.