US Banks Ease Overdraft Fees After Facing Public Ire
By Marshall Eckblad, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- U.S. banks are easing how much they charge customers on
overdraft fees, according to fresh data, but the move isn't likely to prevent a
sweeping round of new regulations for this hot political issue.
Over the last five months, U.S. banks raised their standard overdraft fees at
the slowest pace in 17 years, according to Moebs Services Inc., which provided
the data to Dow Jones Newswires. Banks charge overdraft fees to customers who
run negative account balances.
After being bombarded for months by the classic story of customers who
unwittingly paid $40 for a cup of coffee, the largest U.S. banks by assets,
which charge the highest overdraft fees,posted a modest decline for the first
time in 17 years.
"This is the first time in 17 years that I have seen any of the big retail
banks lower fees," said Mike Moebs, founder of the Lake Bluff, Ill., consulting
firm that samples more than 2,000 institutions. He said the retail banks with
over $50 billion in assets hold 45% of the nation's checking accounts.
The average overdraft fee at U.S. banks rose at a 2.1% annual rate since June,
which is slower than the pace of inflation. At the biggest banks, the average
overdraft fee shrunk at an annualized rate of 1.3%. The median industry fee, a
measure watched by economists, rose from $26 to $27.
Over the past 10 years, overdraft fee prices rose a much sharper 8.3% a year.
But the banks' consumer-friendly moves to ease overdraft fees aren't likely to
derail the push in Congress to regulate the fees more closely. The Federal
Reserve issued a new rule a week ago that will require banks to get customers'
explicit consent before charging them overdraft fees, and Congress appears ready
to draft more sweeping legislation in the coming months.
"With the Federal Reserve voting its rule, the writing is on the wall," said
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D. N.Y.), who drafted legislation to rein in overdraft
fees.
"Too many consumers...aren't notified when a transaction might put them into
overdraft status, and most banks still manipulate the posting-order of
transactions to maximize fee income," Maloney said. "It's why Congress will be
acting."
Consumers have grown angry over banks' decisions to raise fees, even as the
U.S. government has sunk hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars into financial
firms to fend off a worsening of the economic crisis. Lawmakers say they've
heard the public's rage and more regulation is coming.
Maloney cited similar pushes for legislation by Rep. Barney Frank (D., Mass.),
chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Sen. Christopher Dodd (
D., Conn.), chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.
The legislation, if passed, could dent bank profits. Overdraft fees are a key
source of revenue for banking institutions, which earned $39.5 billion last year
from service charges on deposits - the bulk of which is overdraft fees - even as
banks accepted billions in taxpayer support. The banking industry is once again
on pace to earn record revenue from the fees this year.
"Everyone has their eye on the unfolding drama in Washington," said Robert
Hedges, managing partner of Boston-based consulting firm Mercatus Partners. He
said some banks are also trying to court new customers with lower, less
complicated pricing.
Bank of America Corp. (BAC), the largest U.S. bank by assets, said earlier
this year it would abandon a plan to raise overdraft fees and also offered other
concessions, like lower daily limits on fees and assistance for unemployed
customers.
Brian Moynihan, the president of Bank of America's consumer banking business,
told analysts earlier this month that "people are mad" about overdraft fees. "
They call you about eight times and you're just going around and around in
circles." He said the Charlotte banking giant had over the years grown into "a
sales-driven machine" and is now trying to emphasize service and customer
relationships.
Bank of America has accepted more than $45 billion in public support through
the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Any changes to overdraft fees will come at a price. Bank of America said
changes will reduce its fee revenue $200 million per quarter. Wells Fargo has
also eased its overdraft fee policies, and the San Francisco bank said in a
November filing that decision will cost it $300 million after taxes in 2010.
-By Marshall Eckblad, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2156; marshall.eckblad@
dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
11-19-091621ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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