Bank Of America Unveils Program For Customers To Avoid More Overdraft Fees

Bank of America (BAC) is moving away from overdraft fees by debuting a new service that will allow customers to move money to prevent overdrafts, Yahoo Finance reports.

The program is called Balance Connect and it will allow customers to link their checking account with as many as five other Bank of America accounts and transfer funds for a $12 fee. The firm also unveiled SafeBalance Banking in 2014 that doesn’t charge overdraft fees.

Bank of America President Steve Boland says the company wants customers to avoid these fees whenever possible.

Customers with overdraft protections are charged $35 for withdrawing more money than what they have in their account. These fees have generated $20 billion a year for American banks because users with overdraft protections account for half the profitability for mass-market checking accounts, according to the consultancy Oliver Wyman Inc.

Bank of America collected $509 million in overdraft fees in 2021, marking an 8.6% decrease from a year ago.

Erin McCullen, the firm’s head of consumer deposit products says the bank wants to provide everyone with the right solutions so they can successfully manage their finances.