# How to Reduce Your Bank Fees Discover hidden bank fees and save money. - **Source:** [Money Crashers](https://brifing.si/source/e5785ea7-b258-42a4-bb41-1513de5acde0) - **Published:** 2026-07-23 - **Topic:** [Finance](https://brifing.si/c/finance) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/959e2ba0-77f7-4403-9325-fc1243f6bfe1 ## Hidden Fees Bank fees often accumulate unnoticed. Monthly maintenance fees, ATM charges, and overdraft fees can cost hundreds of dollars annually. These fees are hidden between transactions, and most people don’t know how much they’ve paid. ## Identify Fees Review your last 12 months of bank statements and search for the word 'fee.' Total all fees to understand how much you’ve paid. This step increases your financial awareness. ## Fee-Free Alternatives Online banks and credit unions offer accounts with no maintenance fees, refunded ATM charges, and no overdraft fees. Remember, your current account isn’t better than these free alternatives. ## Talk to Your Bank Call your bank to request a refund on recent fees and ask for a fee waiver. Banks often reverse fees upon customer requests but rarely advertise this. ## Switch Accounts If your total fees are high, open a fee-free account and move your direct deposits there. Enable low-balance alerts during the transition to ensure nothing is missed. ## Save Money Treat every new fee line as a decision point. Get the fee refunded or move your money to a place that never charges it. This step saves both time and money. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.moneycrashers.com/stop-paying-bank-fees/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._