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Apr 28, 2009 -- Bailed out banks among the worst offenders for feeing

CLARKONOMICS: A recent survey done by CreditKarma.com finds that more than 40% of consumers had their credit limits lowered or their cards closed involuntarily during the last several months. In addition, more than half of respondents also had their interest rates raised.

If you're a regular listener to the show, you know this to be true from all the calls we receive about it.

What's interesting and revolting is that it's predominantly the giant monster mega-banks that are doing all these crazy things. A recent analysis in the The Wall Street Journal suggests that it's specifically the banks that received federal bailout funds that are feeing us to death.

Consider this: Citibank and Bank of America have federal bailout money nearing half a trillion dollars. Bank of America, in particular, has $163 billion in backstop funds and it needs another $36 billion just to keep the doors open, according to analysts.

Meanwhile, Bank of America CEO Kenneth Lewis recently bragged to analysts about how they're ripping off customers to the tune of $10 billion annually with fees.

Nobody asked taxpayers if they wanted to bail out Bank of America. And then they have the audacity to turn around and stick their customers -- the same taxpayers who bailed them out -- with fees?

Why would you want to do business with a bank like that?

Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to answer any questions submitted via commenting. If you have a question, please try posting it to our message boards.

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What others are saying

  • BOA - Fees
    BOA recently processed a payment for $300 over transactions that were already pending resulting in 6 overdraft fees totaling $210 when I called the customer no service rep said they were no longer able to refund the service fees and that it was the banks policy to process the largest ticket items first this is outragous and imo criminal. I have heard Clark berate the mega banks for years now I wish I had listened to him.
  • BOA - Fees
    Unfortunately - i had a couple of NSF checks to which I was charged the rediculous amount of 35.00 for each check that put my check into the negative - I am on disability and only get paid once a month - i kept getting notices about once a week about another 35.00 chg. - I called the bank and I was informed that their new policy was that if an account goes into the negative, after 5 days they charge me another 35.00 - then if another 5 days goes by without money being deposited they charge my another 35.00 - in response to this boa said this is their new policy - i asked them what it was for, they had already charged me 35.00 for the NSF check to which they replied we will still chg you 35.00 every 5 days as long as the acct is in the negative - again i asked what that was for and what that paid for, other than going into the pockets of boa executives to which I got no reply - boa should be held for criminal charges and should not be allowed to continue to charge customers for additional fees for no reason. I will certainly never do business with them ever again - and I certainly hop everyone else does the same.
  • BOA
    THEY ARE HORRIBLE! THEY CHARGED ME 210 IN OVERDRAFT FEES FOR CHRGES MADE OVER THE WEEKEND. STATING THAT A PAPER CHECK CAME IN ON MONAY AND THAT TAKES PRIORITY OVER THE PURCHASES THAT WERE MADE 2 DAYS PRIOR?????? I REALLY WISH SOMETHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT THE WAY THEY DO BUSINESS.
  • boa
    boa just stepped in and cleaned our account to pay a credit card balance.
    moved already paid debits so they could
    charge overdraft fee's. just remember
    boa, what go's around comes around
  • tony g.
    no, boa sent the notices of impending monthly fees to all checking account holders (at least in the seattle area).
    and if i did not need 5 checking accounts, i would not have 5 checking accounts. Would you feel better if i had 5 checking accounts at 5 different banks?
    it is possible someone could actually have the need for a large credit line on a card.
    because tony g., you really can't read minds, can you?
  • Credit Limits & Checking Accounts
    These banks are dead wrong, but I can't see a reason why a person would even need a $50,000 credit card credit limit in the first place -- perfect credit or not.

    A $30,000 credit limit from a faceless bank is quite generous. I don't consider that glass half-empty!

    And why in the world would one person need 5 checking accounts at the same bank?

    I would think a person with that many checking accounts at the same bank would have a decent amount of money to place in them. A $750 minimum balance in each doesn't sound unreasonable for a high volume account holder that generates a lot of transaction costs for the bank, paper costs in statements, and servicing costs as well.

    I think BOA wants you to close some or all of the accounts. . .
  • Ripped off
    I think all consumer credit card rates should be capped at 10%. they are getting 0% rates which means for every card they are making 10%. I wish I made that on my savings accounts
  • rip-off
    I thought I was the only victim by BOA
    Today,My credit union at Greenwich Hosptial was great...issued me a card I told them my story about dropping my credit limit from 50,000 to 30,000.
    They were not surprised.. I will never ever bank with this company.. give them a penny of my hard earned money.
    Believe me MY score are 810,809 and my third score was 799..until BOA decided to drop my credit limit to 30,000.
    I checked my score and my 799 dropped to 786 Thank you BOA ...YOUR CARD HAD BEEN SHREDD TO PIECES.
    Never will I ever use any credit card from them.
  • Bank of America
    I made a car reservation through the Bank of America website and listed the credit card that I would be using. I had plenty of credit to rent the car. I printed the reservation, but when I made my trip and arrived at the care rental counter with the credit card, I was declined. I called the 800 number and was advised that my credit had been decreased the day before. I spoke with the credit department and asked them to please give me enough credit to at least pay the rental car that I had made through their site and I was advised to find another source to pay for my rental car.I told the rep that was the only card I had brought with me. I was told there was nothing they could do. What rights do I have. I was left stranded and the counter with no other credit and Bank of America turned their back on me. Let me just mention, we have been long term, loyal, pay on time customers for about 18 years. This is the most insulting thing they could have done to me and I will, as soon as I can, move my mortgages (which they acquired through Country Wide).
  • Drop Bank Of America
    My experience is the same as the person with great credit, my credit score was 791, never missed a payment in 6 yrs, still haven't. They lowered my credit to 500.00 more than I owed 3500. to 4000. In which I agrued with them at no avail. This LOWERED my score to 762. I have worked very hard to keep a HIGH credit score (even divorced my x for running the bills up over 10 yrs). We (I) will be paying higher taxes to recover the BILLIONS we have given them and they are STILL slowly putting the choke hold on us - I WANT THIS TO STOP!! we should have just let them fail right from the start and not bailed them out!! Just wait and see we will be soon paying 10% to 15% Federal tax on everything - it's coming!!
  • Easy Clark -- You Wouldn't!
    I'm not suprised by these BoA tactics, they are one of the worst banks out there. I banked with them for over 15 years, but got no loyalty from the bank for being a good customer. My Credit Union (USAA) treated me better from Day 1 than BoA ever did. I hope customers open their eyes and start to flee the bank.
  • Biggest ripoff in American history
    What we are witnessing in this country at present has stirred numerous rebellions in our country's past history. The untold billions (trillions?) being funneled to inept, greedy crooks with little or no oversight by our government is beyond most citizens belief. These top banking and investment executives of the major banks are basically robbing the United States of America on a scale unprededented. They know that whoever is in power must back them up, or the world economy collapses (ie Lehman Brothers). We as a country are being held hostage, while these crumbs live large. Maybe, with our illustrious senate looking into this fee mess, we as a people can get some just relief. Until then, pay off your cards if you can, and take your business elswhere.
  • bank fees
    I have 5 checking accounts at boa. all of them currently are fee free and I don't have to carry any minimum balances,etc.
    a week ago, with my statement, they proudly announced that all of my accounts would have to maintain a minimum monthly balance of either $750 or $1500 by june 6 or the monthly fee would be approximately $9 per month per account.
    tomorrow i am paying them a visit. my guess is that i will be moving all my accounts to my local credit union.
    after 20+ years with these incompetent thieves, I have had about enough.
  • B of A
    Unfortunatly, we the taxpayers voted in a slate of spenders (both Dems & Reps), so we did foolishly approve the bailout by our voting.
    Also had Chase decide they would rather earn no interest at 13% than earn interest at 8% (we told them we would pay off the card, and did). They sent a letter begging us to use the card and 'interest free' checks (good luck on the interest free part).
    Let them fail!
  • credit card
    I have perfect credit.. my credit scores are perfect.never missed a payment.
    Bank of america decided to decrease my credit limit on my platnium plus with rewards from 50,000 to 30,000. I called to find out why ? since my score are excellent never missed a payment.The answer I got was we evaluted your spending habits and decided that 30,000 is a good credit limit.
    I told them what they can do with their card.. went to my dear credit union got a card from them... whether you have perfect credit or not drop bank of america and switch to a friendly credit union.
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