While cities in Florida are notorious for having some of the highest bank fees in America, Atlanta doesn’t fall too far behind.
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In fact, according to a new analysis from DepositAccounts.com using the site's proprietary database of depository product data from 1,711 banks and credit unions with branches in one of the 50 largest U.S. metros, Atlanta boasts some of the nation's highest overdraft and monthly bank fees.
For the study, analysts focused on three common checking account fees: overdraft, third-party ATM and monthly service fees. Each city earned an overall bank fee burden score using a combined average of the three fees.
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Of the 50 largest metros, West Palm Beach, Florida; Orlando, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Miami and Phoenix have the highest bank fee burdens.
Oklahoma City; Salt Lake City; Kansas City, Kansas; St. Louis and San Antonio have the lowest.
Atlanta ranks ninth in the nation overall, eighth in overdraft fees ($34.81) and seventh in monthly fees ($5.96). Its ATM fee of $2.24 ranks the city 30th in that category.
Last year, Bankrate.com also reported on Atlanta's ATM fees hitting a record high — up 55 percent in the past decade.
» RELATED: Atlanta's ATM fees are among the highest in America, report says
According to DepositAccounts.com, online banks enjoy the lowest fee averages, followed by credit unions and then brick-and-mortar banks. Additionally, average overdraft fees ranged from $27.37 for online banks to $34.91 for brick-and-mortar banks.
When it came to ATM fee averages, the variations are even more prominent. “These ranged from $0.30 for online banks to $2.41 for brick-and-mortar banks,” analysts wrote. “The average fee for credit unions was $1.46.”
So to avoid high bank fees, consider using online banks or credit unions over brick-and-mortar banks, analysts wrote. To avoid high ATM fees in particular, when choosing a checking account, “it’s important that the bank or credit union offer a large ATM network that provides free ATM withdrawals.”
More about the report and its methodology at depositaccounts.com.
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