The nice thing about putting your money in a mattress is that it’s never going to charge you a “pillow fluffing fee” or a “paisley-colored sheet fee.” Your bed also won’t pay you interest and it’s not FDIC insured, so SmartMoney has five bank fees to watch out for and how to avoid them.

1. Overdrafts: By processing large checks first, banks maximize the number of overdraft fees. They say this is so you don’t end up bouncing your mortgage or car payments, but we think they’re lying.
2. Paper fees: Ditch this one by signing up for online statements.
3. Courtesy-Overdraft Fees: Fees when your bank covers your check instead of bouncing it. Avoid this by signing up for an protection plan where the bank transfers funds from your savings.
4: Point-of-Sale Fees: Some banks will charge for the dubious privilege of letting you use a PIN at checkout. Swipe as credit card instead.
5. Last-Minute Bill Pay Fees: Banks can charge for processing your online bill payments faster at the midnight hour. Pay your bills on time.

If you do get hit with a fee, you can try pleading “first offense,” especially if you’ve been a good customer.

You can save yourself from most of these fees by adhering to the simple principle of only using the money you have in your account at the time. — BEN POPKEN

Five Sneaky Bank Fees [Smart Money]
(Comic: The Joy Of Tech)

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