Ever noticed that even when you do everything possible to balance your checking account; you still end up paying an overdraft fee?  Well, it's no coincidence that the big money bank is partly to blame.  As more and more people move to online banking, large banks are finding creative ways to get over by charging a variety of fees.  Below are a few reasons why you should choose a smaller bank or a credit union instead.



1. Fees continue to go up.
ATM service fees, overdraft fees, customer service fees continue to go up every year.  Many banks are starting to roll up all ATM charges into a one time monthly charge.  You can even be charged twice for the same withdrawal from an non supported ATM.  Also, watch out for those mysterious convenience fees.

2. Online accounts are not always accurate or up to date.  
Banks use different algorithms to process online payments which may hold up or reorder debits.  When your balance is low, banks can sit on payments to increase the chances of you overdrafting your account.  Larger payments are often reordered to be debited before many smaller ones due to the chance that you may not account for them.

3.  Interest rates change all the time.
When using bank credit cards the interest rate can change at any given time.  The low percentage that you signed for may only be an introductory rate for a couple of months.  Your rates can also spike up considerably due to one late payment.

4.  They don't disclose much in fine print.
Banks usually don't explain their fees or other conditions that well to customers.  By law banks are required to make this information available but, most do not comply with the law.