Tips to get more from personal banking

With all of the fees and low interest rates on savings accounts, banking can be surprising expensive. Consumer United has compiled a list of tips to help you avoid hidden fees and needless hassles.

1. Stay informed. A lot of banks stagger the order in which checks are deposited and accounts are debited in order to charge as many overdraft fees as possible. Keep a "cushion" in your checking account to ensure that any crafty banking practices won't dent your wallet.
   


2. Consider alternatives to a traditional checking account at a large, national bank. Credit unions sometimes have more flexibilities when it comes to overdrafting, and prepaid debit cards can also be a good option for customers who frequently send their accounts into the red through point of sale transactions.


3. Find a bank that works and stick with them. Banks may be more likely to accommodate the requests of long-term customers who have both checking and savings accounts. It's expensive for service providers to acquire new customers and maintaining a history with your bank will make them want to lose their established customers even less.
   


4. Get back to basics. With multiple accounts and a wallet full of debit and credit cards, it can be difficult to keep track of numerous balances. The more cards and accounts you have, the easier it is for you to overdraft. It's old-fashioned, but allotting a designated amount of cash for spending each week is a fool-proof solution.