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Most of us have felt the pain of finding a reasonably priced ticket suddenly out of reach with added “convenience fees,” and many bills we receive are often littered with confusing fees. Our financial world is filled with hidden costs. Fortunately, it’s possible to make good decisions to deal with many of them. Read on to learn more about how to spot many different kinds of hidden fees—and maybe even avoid some of them entirely.
1. Retirement account maintenance fees
If you have a retirement account—like a 401K or an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)—you may be paying fees that are pushing back your retirement date. While these fees are not truly hidden, many of us would admit that we haven’t read every page of the disclosure we were sent after starting to fund our retirement plan.
Even a small percentage fee can make a huge difference in your retirement account. Since these accounts have compounding interest, any money you put in will grow until you’re ready to retire. Money you pay toward maintenance costs, however, simply vanishes into the coffers of a financial company. The verdict is clear: work to reduce the fees in your retirement plan so those dollars work for you.
Common fees: fees usually come either from the provider who manages your plan or the fund you choose to invest in
How to avoid them: if your employer chooses the provider, there isn’t much you can do to lower those fees. That said, you can definitely choose a fund with lower investment or administrative fees—but consider working with a financial advisor to make sure you’re able to find a plan that matches your preferred risk tolerance.
2. Cable and Internet Provider Fees
While high-speed internet used to be a luxury, for many people it is now essential to have a strong connection at home for work or school. Unfortunately, cable companies and internet service providers are known for tactics that hide the true cost of service.
Consumer Reports found that the true cost of cable service is 24 percent higher than the advertised price, and the average consumer is paying more than $450 each year on hidden fees. While a small monthly fee may seem acceptable at first, the cost over time could be deflecting money away from your other financial priorities.
Common fees: installation fees, modem rental fees and non-descript “service” fees
How to avoid them: you can often avoid installation fees simply by asking or doing a self-install. Modem rental fees are easily avoided by purchasing your own equipment, as long as your provider allows you to do so. Avoiding other fees associated with cable television is hard, so many people are simply choosing to cut the cord and get by with streaming services or other forms of entertainment.
3. “Free” trial fees
Many say that nothing in life is free, and that often feels especially true when signing up for a free trial that requires a credit card or some other form of payment. While many companies do indeed offer free trials, signing up often involves two risks.
First, many free trials automatically enroll you into monthly subscriptions if you don’t cancel before the trial ends. Second, some free trials are actually scams that require shipping fees or other payments that end up costing you after all.
Common fees: unwanted monthly subscription fees or fees required to unlock a free trial
How to avoid them: before signing up for a free trial, make sure you’ve researched the company and whether it’s possible to easily cancel your trial online or over the phone. The FTC has several other tips for avoiding fees from free trials.
4. Prepaid card fees
A prepaid card is an alternative to a credit card—funds are loaded onto the card in advance, and that money can be spent later. Prepaid cards can be appealing, since they are often as straightforward as gift cards and as convenient as credit cards.
However, prepaid cards frequently involve a number of fees that could potentially eat into your balance. While these fees are included in the terms of service, many people are unaware of all the hidden costs that are involved in using a prepaid card.
If you receive a prepaid card as a gift, you may avoid the initial activation fee, but you could still pay a monthly maintenance fee, an online transaction fee or an ATM fee.
Common fees: activation charges, monthly account maintenance costs, online payment fees and out-of-network ATM fees
How to avoid them: some prepaid card fees—like online transaction fees or ATM fees—can be avoided by only using your card in ways that avoid extra costs. Other costs, like initial activation or monthly maintenance, generally can’t be avoided unless you make sure you purchase a cost without these fees.
5. Balance transfer fees
Many people who are dealing with credit card debt will sometimes consider a balance transfer. This enables you to move high-interest credit card debt to a lower-interest card. Some cards even have a zero percent interest promotional period, which could provide significant savings in interest payments over time.
However, those who are considering a balance transfer must also consider the fees involved with the process. The credit card company who issues your balance transfer card will typically charge a fee equal to a percentage of the debt you’re moving to the new card.
While these fees often seem small—typically between two and five percent—they can add up depending on how much debt you’re transferring. For example, a balance transfer of $10,000 with a three percent fee would result in a $300 charge.
Common fees: balance transfer fees are standard when moving credit card debt to a new company or account
How to avoid them: since you generally cannot avoid balance transfer fees, you’ll want to make sure that the money you save in interest offsets the charge you’ll pay to transfer your debt
6. Foreign transaction fees
A foreign transaction fee is typically charged by your bank or credit card company if you use your card to pay in a different currency. These costs can add up quickly, at around three percent each time you swipe your card, which would mean losing three dollars for every 100 you’re spending abroad.
According to U.S. News, around 60 percent of credit cards include foreign transaction fees, so you’ll want to consider which card you bring along next time you take a vacation overseas.
Common fees: foreign transaction fees—usually around three percent—can be charged by the payment processor, card issuer or both
How to avoid them: many credit cards—especially travel rewards cards—waive foreign transaction fees. If your card includes foreign transaction fees, you’re unlikely to avoid them without changing to a different card. A card with an annual fee may be worth it if you’re planning to take a trip abroad that would incur a number of foreign transaction charges.
7. Banking fees
Most people need a place to store their money safely, and the allure of free checking accounts is quite understandable. However, most banks charge a variety of fees for services that may seem free—until they’re not.
For example, free checking accounts typically require you to meet conditions, like using direct deposit for your paycheck or keeping your account above a certain balance. If you fail to meet the conditions at any point, you may see an account fee deducted from your balance.
Other fees, like out-of-network ATM costs, overdraft fees or excessive transaction fees can vary from understandable to downright frustrating. If you have a good relationship with your bank and you’ve been a long-time customer, you could consider calling to have a fee reversed if it’s the first time you’ve encountered it.
Common fees: account maintenance fees, overdraft fees, excessive transaction fees and ATM usage fees
How to avoid them: find a bank with favorable terms. A large network of ATMs, a low minimum account balance and overdraft protection are frequently enough to protect you from the most common fees. If necessary, you may need to switch banks if your current financial picture doesn’t align well with your bank’s fee structure.
8. Airline fees
A low-cost airline ticket feels increasingly hard to find, but be careful before you purchase: a cheap ticket could be hiding a number of fees that could cost you more in the end.
While most people despise baggage fees, there are other costs to consider when booking your next flight. For example, some airlines charge seat reservation fees, carry-on baggage fees or cancellation fees. Depending on how your trip shakes out and what you need to bring, a ticket that initially looked cost-effective could prove to be more expensive in the end.
Common fees: luggage fees, cancellation fees and seat reservation fees
How to avoid them: calculate all of your costs when comparing tickets—including how much luggage you need to bring, how flexible your travel dates are and whether you need a more comfortable seat. Some airlines have fewer fees, so seek out a carrier that meets your needs at the best price.
9. Hotel fees
If you’re travelling for work or leisure, finding a nice place to stay is a priority. While agreat price for a room may look appealing, make sure you consider the many fees that can get tacked on to your affordable stay.
For example, many travelers don’t consider daily parking charges, required resort fees or the cost of Wi-Fi when calculating their total hotel bill. Depending on what you need for your stay, the true cost of a hotel may be much higher than anticipated.
Common fees: service fees, resort fees, Wi-Fi costs or parking payments
How to avoid them: sometimes fees can be waived by booking directly with a hotel or by asking the front desk. In other cases, your best bet may be to simply find a less expensive hotel or one that charges fewer fees.
10. Credit card fees
Credit cards offer a lot of advantages over other payment forms. For example, credit cards offer convenience and security, and some cards provide rewards, like cash-back or travel credits.
Still, credit cards are also loaded with potential fees. While all of these fees are disclosed in your cardholder agreement, some of them are more well-known than others. Most people know that you’re charged an interest fee if you don’t pay your full balance, for example. On the other hand, many people are unaware that you could get charged a late payment fee or a returned payment fee when you pay your bill.
Additionally, an increasing number of cards charge annual fees just to keep the account open. While these cards often have perks associated with them, you’ll want to make sure that you’re getting more value out of the card than you’re paying in fees.
Common fees: interest charges, late payment fees, returned payment fees, cash advance fees or annual membership fees
How to avoid them: the easiest way to avoid most credit card fees is to pay off your bill on time and in full every month. Using your card for a cash advance or balance transfer is likely to incur a fee, and many cards also included annual fees that you can avoid by closing the account or downgrading your card.
Managing credit cards can be difficult—perhaps even leading to debt or financial difficulties. That said, these difficulties can be overcome, leading to a better financial situation and an increased credit score.
If you’re looking for support with credit, consider working with a credit repair company, which can help you review your current situation and make a plan to improve.
Reviewed by Melissa Collins, Credit Consultant at CreditRepair.com.
Melissa Collins is a CXRF Advocate who has been with the company since October 2018. Melissa started as an advisor in member services assisting members with general credit questions, quickly moved to a position helping members with overdue balances. For the past year Melissa has been a part of the CXRF Team resolving escalated situations and creating a better member experience.
Note: The information provided on CreditRepair.com does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only.
