You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Today
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more delivered daily. Smart money moves start here.
Sent five days a week
Kiplinger A Step Ahead
Get practical help to make better financial decisions in your everyday life, from spending to savings on top deals.
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Closing Bell
Get today's biggest financial and investing headlines delivered to your inbox every day the U.S. stock market is open.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Adviser Intel
Financial pros across the country share best practices and fresh tactics to preserve and grow your wealth.
Delivered weekly
Kiplinger Tax Tips
Trim your federal and state tax bills with practical tax-planning and tax-cutting strategies.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Retirement Tips
Your twice-a-week guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement
Sent bimonthly.
Kiplinger Adviser Angle
Insights for advisers, wealth managers and other financial professionals.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Investing Weekly
Your twice-a-week roundup of promising stocks, funds, companies and industries you should consider, ones you should avoid, and why.
Sent weekly for six weeks
Kiplinger Invest for Retirement
Your step-by-step six-part series on how to invest for retirement, from devising a successful strategy to exactly which investments to choose.
ATM fees, which have been rising for the past four years, cost consumers more than $4 billion last year. That's because banks are charging more these days for the convenience of using the closest cash machine.
Megabanks, such as Bank of America and Chase, upped their charge to noncustomers from $1.50 or $2 to a hefty $3 per transaction in 2007. If, say, you have an account at Bank of America and you use a Chase ATM, it could cost you as much as $5, including the $2 fee BofA imposes on customers for using a machine outside its network of 18,000 ATMs.
But there's no need to pay these pesky fees. Look on the back of your ATM card for a logo that indicates the network your bank belongs to. If you use an in-network ATM, you may still pay for the use of that machine, but at least your bank won't charge you its out-of-network fee.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Better still, look for a local bank or credit union that participates in a network that doesn't levy surcharges and does not charge you if you withdraw cash from another bank's ATM. "Banks that don't have their own ATM networks can actually give customers equal or greater freedom by reimbursing fees or joining forces with surcharge-free alliances," explains Greg McBride, of Bankrate.com.
Among such surcharge-free networks are Allpoint, Co-op Financial, CU HERE Premium network and STAR, each of which boasts tens of thousands of ATMs nationwide. You'll find their machines in a variety of locations, including gas stations, drugstores and retailers, such as Costco, 7-Eleven and Target.
Another way to avoid ATM fees is to open an account at an Internet bank -- such as Bank of Internet, First Internet Bank of Indiana or Everbank -- that reimburses you for fees up to a specified dollar amount, usually $6 or $7 a month. Or sign up with Metropolitan National Bank or Schwab Bank, both of which reimburse all ATM fees worldwide.
Reluctant to switch? See if your bank offers an account with free ATM transactions if you maintain a minimum balance. Or save yourself the trouble, and get some exercise, by walking a few extra blocks to your bank's nearest branch.
-
Here’s How to Stream the Super Bowl for LessWe'll show you the least expensive ways to stream football's biggest event.
-
The Cost of Leaving Your Money in a Low-Rate AccountWhy parking your cash in low-yield accounts could be costing you, and smarter alternatives that preserve liquidity while boosting returns.
-
I want to sell our beach house to retire now, but my wife wants to keep it.I want to sell the $610K vacation home and retire now, but my wife envisions a beach retirement in 8 years. We asked financial advisers to weigh in.
-
9 Types of Insurance You Probably Don't NeedFinancial Planning If you're paying for these types of insurance, you may be wasting your money. Here's what you need to know.
-
Amazon Resale: Where Amazon Prime Returns Become Your Online BargainsFeature Amazon Resale products may have some imperfections, but that often leads to wildly discounted prices.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2026Roth IRAs Roth IRAs allow you to save for retirement with after-tax dollars while you're working, and then withdraw those contributions and earnings tax-free when you retire. Here's a look at 2026 limits and income-based phaseouts.
-
Bank of America Fined $12M for Reporting False Mortgage DataBank of America fined over routinely filing false mortgage lending data to the government, the CFPB says.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnbreal estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute VacationTravel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
-
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?insurance When assessing how much life insurance you need, take a systematic approach instead of relying on rules of thumb.
-
When Does Amazon Prime Day End in October? Everything We Know, Plus the Best Deals on Samsonite, Samsung and MoreAmazon Prime The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale ends soon. Here are the key details you need to know, plus some of our favorite deals members can shop before it's over.
