Excecessive Overdraft Fee Legal News Articles & Interviews

Atlanta, GA In 2010, Jeff Bickerstaff Jr. filed a class action excessive overdraft fee lawsuit against SunTrust Bank, claiming that the $36 overdraft fees he paid when he overdrew his checking account violated Georgia state laws limiting interest charges. The Complaint claims that the fees amount to interest rates as high as 1,000 percent.

Chicago, IL Avant LLC, the online lending phenomenon which had previously been hailed as a “breakout financial success story,” has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for $3.85 million. Although the lawsuit largely relied on a different federal statute, it shares much of the consumer financial protection zeal of the excessive overdraft fee lawsuits recently leveled against credit unions, banks and payday lenders. But it also reveals shortcomings in federal consumer protection laws.

San Diego, CA Navy Federal Credit Union has agreed to settle a class action excessive overdraft fee lawsuit for $24.5 million. Plaintiffs’ lawyers will reportedly seek fees of $6.1 million, approximately 25 percent of the total settlement amount. The settlement marks the end of a lawsuit filed in June 2017.

Washington, DC What, you may ask, does the Pay feature of the new smartphone app, Branch, have to do with excessive overdraft fee lawsuits? The honest answer is maybe nothing. On the other hand, it may be next new frontier for an under-regulated cash advance/overdraft fee/ payday loan industry.

Tacoma, WA Washington State Employees Credit Union (“WSECU”) has agreed to pay $2.99 million to settle an excessive overdraft fees lawsuit. The class action lawsuit, Wodja v. Washington State Employees Credit Union, alleges that WSECU charged overdraft fees when members actually had enough money in their accounts. The settlement covers individuals affected by the credit union’s overdraft practices between 2009 and 2016.

Washington, DC This is a good news/bad news story. The good news is that many banks and credit unions are offering financial relief to workers affected by the US government shutdown. The bad news is that the relief is designed to be temporary and limited. It also fails to address the widespread problem of excessive checking account overdraft charges that has been exposed through excessive overdraft fees lawsuits. These fees, like payday loan interest charges, cause great harm to the most vulnerable consumers.

Jackson, MS In the waning days of December 2018, Cryesha McDonald and Chantal Lewis filed an excessive overdraft fees lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. The lawsuit alleges that Trustmark National Bank assessed overdraft fees in violation of its contractual agreements with customers. Like similar lawsuits brought throughout the country, McDonald v. Trustmark National Bank claims that the bank charges fees on transactions that do not actually overdraft the account. Attorneys for the plaintiffs seek class action status for the lawsuit.

Boston, MA Brandi Salls’ excessive overdraft fees lawsuit against Digital Federal Credit Union (DFCU) has survived the credit union’s Motion to Dismiss. This is good news, but it was a near thing, at least with respect to some of the counts. Claimants in similar credit union lawsuits should take away five important lessons.

Boston, MAThe allegations in the latest excessive overdraft fees lawsuit against Digital Federal Credit Union (DFCU) may seem familiar by now. It is about two different ways of calculating an account balance – one which the consumer saw, and the other, lower number, which DFCU kept much closer to the vest. Similar lawsuits have been filed against Landmark Credit Union, Summit Credit Union, Pentagon Federal Credit Union and Boeing Employees Credit Union.

San Diego, CA Bank fees are growing rapidly, and consumers are feeling the pinch. Furthermore, many customers feel that they are somehow being hoodwinked into paying hidden, undisclosed costs. On August 2, 2018, Reyna McGovern filed a class action excessive bank fees lawsuit against U.S. Bank, N.A. (US Bank). Her lawsuit tackles two thorny issues: out-of-network ATM fees and overdraft fees charged when her account showed a sufficient account balance.