I checked my bank statement last year and found I had paid $197 in fees over twelve months. Not one charge over $12. Just little bites: a $3 ATM fee here, a $7 monthly maintenance fee there. I had no idea I was paying them until I actually looked.

Banks make billions from fees that most people never notice. Here is where they hide them and how to stop paying.

The Monthly Maintenance Fee

Many checking accounts charge $5 to $15 a month unless you maintain a minimum balance — often $1,500 or more. If your balance dips below that even for a day, you get the fee.

The fix: switch to an online-only bank like Ally, Chime, or Discover. They have no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements because they do not have physical branches to pay for.

ATM Fees — Both of Them

When you use an out-of-network ATM, you get hit with two fees: one from the ATM owner ($2-4) and one from your own bank ($2-3). A single withdrawal can cost $6.

Online banks typically reimburse ATM fees. Ally refunds up to $10 a month. Charles Schwab refunds all ATM fees worldwide — no limit.

Overdraft Fees

This is the big one — $35 per overdraft. And banks process transactions largest-to-smallest specifically to trigger more overdrafts. A $5 coffee can generate a $35 fee if a bigger transaction went through first and emptied your account.

Turn off “overdraft protection” — it sounds helpful but it is permission to charge you $35 for a $2 shortfall. Better to have your card declined than pay a fee that is 17 times the purchase.