Rulemaking More Likely After Critical Report on Overdraft Fees
August 15, 2014
Industry insiders think it’s more likely the CFPB will promulgate a final rule on bank overdraft protection after the bureau released a report that found small debit card purchases often lead to expensive overdraft charges. The study found that the majority of debit card overdraft fees are incurred on transactions of $24 or less and that the majority of such overdrafts are repaid within three days. Put in lending terms, if a consumer borrowed $24 for three days and paid the median overdraft fee of $34, such a loan would carry a 17,000 percent annual percentage rate, according to the CFPB. The report “shows that consumers who opt in to overdraft coverage put themselves at serious risk when they use ...