12 Ways Financial Institutions Screw You Over

Nothing gets a group of people talking like a good “bank screwed me over” story. Dissatisfaction with banks, credit card issuers and stock brokers is so widespread that entire forums are bursting with complaints and horror stories to which most of us can personally relate. While it’s unlikely that any of these companies will listen, we thought it’d be useful to gather the most common (and sneaky) ways financial institutions screw people over into one place so you can keep an eye on your money.
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The Recession and the American Airline Industry

Recent trips to the airport have left me in amazement at the seeming decline in airline provisions and the imposition of new fees on almost every service of value to travelers. Disheartening to say the least, what was once taken for granted can now ding you for a hefty chunk of your hard-earned money. With many airlines struggling to stay afloat, these fees are necessary in order to maintain their current level of service and implement new technologies that help them to remain competitive. Here is a handy guide to each airline’s pricing for additional services to help you know for what you are going to have to pay, before you buy your ticket.

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How Banks Snatch Almost $2 Billion From Us Yearly

Many consumers have had the unpleasant experience of overdrawing their bank account.  By delaying deposits and funds transfers for reasons unknown and offering up confusing and contradictory figures for available balance, it sometimes seems as though the bank wants to catch you with insufficient funds. With hefty charges attached to each micro-loan the bank gladly offers, you are left wondering why these overdraft programs are so mysterious, and how you got into them in the first place. This chart sheds some light on the incredibly profitable bank practice of offering automatic overdraft “protection.”

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