And, yes, you know they are doing it. The obvious question becomes: Why are you letting them take your money? You can potentially save hundreds of dollars each month by not letting them do this. How? By simply changing the way you handle your finances. More specifically, by changing the bad banking habits you may have acquired over the years. To stop the cash bleeding, so to speak, you must first recognize the bad habits you have have acquired and start the right ones. It is not that difficult.

Bank Accounts-You just might be paying the bank each month just to have an account. A lot of banks, despite their claims of "Free checking accounts", will charge you a service fee if your balance falls below a certain amount. This fee could be anywhere from $15 to $25. Check the fine print in your account agreement. Chances are you are

Overdraft Fees- You know about this one. We all have used a debit card or written a check for an amount that is more than we have in our account. The cost? $25-$40. Ouch! What is worse, many times we do this multiple times before we realize that our account is negative. If you are not careful, you could be looking at a couple hundred dollars in overdraft fees. You only have one choice to make if you want to keep that cash in your pocket. Eliminate overdraft protection immediately!...and make it a habit to budget your weekly cash more effectively.

ATM Fees-For years now the banks, including yours, have been making a killing on withdrawals that you make from ATM's. $2 may not seem like a lot to get cash in a dire circumstance. However, how many times do you use an ATM that charges this fee? Potentially you could save as much as $20 a month. A huge savings? No. But the amount of cash you save is not the only issue here. Why in the world would you pay your bank any amount to get back some of the money you have already given them! Create a different habit and simply make a withdrawal each week from your bank's ATM and only spend the amount of money you have withdrawn.

Late Payments-Do you have any installment loans that you are paying the bank on? Car loans, personal loans, or signature loans are all installment loans. You better be making those payments on time each and every month. One late payment in the form of a bank penalty fee will cost you at least $30. That's thirty dollars, and quite possibly much more if you make more than one late payment, that you may as well give hand over to your bank teller the next time you visit. Consider it a tip for smiling and being friendly. Not a good habit.

Just as any other company in the capatilistic society we live would, your bank is in the business of making money. Not just holding it for you until you want and have to use it. Unless you employ strong cash management techniques when it comes to your banking habits, you will continue to let the bank take your money without receiving anything in return. Stop the bleeding.