Duck-Nibbles

[stoutfellow]

I have been a customer of a certain local bank almost since I first moved here. By and large, I've been happy with their service. (Well, there was the time a while back when an unannounced policy change on their part caused major screw-ups with my credit cards....) I have a debit card which draws on my checking account there, which I use, mostly, for grocery shopping.

This week, I received a note explaining that, effective May 1, they will charge an excess transaction fee for debit transactions in excess of six per monthly statement cycle. I checked: in the most recently completed cycle, I used the debit card for grocery shopping sixteen times; I also made two ATM withdrawals. (I'm not sure ATM transactions count; I'll have to check.) If I'm to avoid penalties, I guess I'll have to restrict my grocery shopping via debit card to the weekend, and rely on cash the rest of the time. This will probably also entail larger ATM withdrawals, to keep my cash on hand topped up.

Bleah.

Comments

[mmegaera]

Do you have access to a credit union? You might be happier with one.

[stoutfellow]

I'll give it some thought. Thing is, I have a number of my bills set up to be autopaid from my checking account, and untangling those would be a headache, too. It amounts to weighing a substantial short-term problem against long-term duck-nibbling - and, procrastinator supreme that I am, I tend to choose to endure the long-term stuff rather than stir myself to effective action.

[mmegaera]

I understand that one. Well, whatever you do, I hope it works out for you. I suspect that forgetting about it and ending up paying too much in charges may be the catalyst, though.