Financial test: More and higher fees on checking accounts

to pay

on a Cashless basis at the supermarket or Restaurant, has become in the Corona-crisis importance. However, you have selected the wrong checking account, this can be expensive, such as the Stiftung Warentest in the current issue of their magazine “financial test” reported. An analysis of 294 account models of 125 credit institutions in Germany after all 55 models have been found, in which for each payment with the debit Card fees will be payable. “These fees were already before the outbreak of the Corona pandemic. They were, however, hardly, because many people paid bar,” says the “financial test”-expert Heike Nicodemus. The testers evaluated 294 account models of 125 credit institutions in Germany. Including all of the nationwide operating banks, Directly to the Church and to banks, Sparda and PSD banks and the largest savings banks, Volks – and Raiffeisen banks.

Basically, you noticed it for years, a Trend towards more, and increasingly higher fees for services, says Nicodemus. The low interest rates set by the financial houses under pressure. Thus, the Parking of funds cost in the case of the European Central Bank (ECB) currently has an annual 0.5 percent interest. This adds up, sometimes on the billion euros. Also, the requirements of a more stringent regulation leads to high costs. The credit institutions brake, therefore, on the cost.

it is Often the paper transfers, calls to the telephone service or withdraw the money at an ATM that does not belong to the Pool of the customer Bank, for the high amounts are required. Up to five euros of the evaluated money houses cost in some a paper transfer, withdraw money at the ATM of a foreign Bank up to six Euro.

The greatest chances of a free checking account, there are in Online accounts. The testers found currently 20 online led salary accounts, which are without further conditions, for free. However, the fee for the credit card in addition, most of a year. Services such as calls to the telephone service or Transfers to paper costs here are usually extra. As a free Foundation test accounts were defined without a basic fee, fees for account statements, bookings, the debit Card and withdraw the money at ATMs in the Bank pool. In addition, it may not be tied to conditions such as a regular money – and content input in a certain height.

“in addition to the free 20 current accounts, we have found 71 accounts models, up to 60 euros in annual costs,” said Nicodemus. “This sum is, in our view, in order. It must not be free, finally, there is a power behind it.“ Each consumer must decide which account you want to customize a model for him. Anyway, you should check the annual fee statement carefully. “There, you can see what it is that drives the costs up,” recommends the “financial test”-expert.

Exit mobile version