今天新的消费者金融保护局表示，金融保护局将要审查借记卡透支费。如果对这一消息感到似曾相识，事实也正是如此。自从透支费新规定出台以来已经有一年半的时间了，但是很面透支费用并没有减少。下面就来解释一下原因。
2009年11月，美联储开始试图控制银行对消费者收取过高费用，消费者的透支主要是信用卡消费或者是从ATM机上取款。每笔透支交易的透支费大概为35美元，而这成为当时主要的负面新闻，因为消费者发现，一块匹萨的钱也就是40美元。最新规定在2010年的夏季出台生效，新规定表明，银行不能再将消费者自动的纳入到透支项目当中去，相反，消费者现在需要通银行签约。（银行仍然可以收取网上付款的费用。）
理论上讲，这简直是重创收取透支费的行为，毕竟人们选择一个服务机构，基本上可以剩下来一份匹萨的钱。但是这种变化只是削减了这些费用而已。正如我们在10月份中的报道的一样。根据银行咨询机构Moebs Services的说法，去年，流向银行的透支费包括ATM机和个人花费总共达到了1600亿美元，只是比2009年的最高峰时期下降了16%。透支费居高不下的原因是许多银行都纷纷采取措施比如通过电话，邮件，写信等方式来吸引消费者签约，有时甚至不惜说一些危言耸听的警告，告诫消费者如果不这样做就会出现什么样的后果。
Today the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureausaid it is going to take a look at debit-card overdraft fees. If it feels like deja vu, it kinda is. It’s been a year and a half since new rules changed how banks can charge for overdrafts, but the fees definitely haven’t gone away. Let us explain.
In November 2009, the Federal Reserve moved to rein in the high fees that banks charged consumers who overdrew their accounts when making debit-card purchases or withdrawing cash from an ATM. Overdraft fees, which could run as much as $35 for each overdrawn transaction, were the source of a lot of negative press at the time, as consumers discovered a slice of pizza could cost almost $40 after the fees. The new rules, which went into effect during the summer of 2010, said banks could no longer automatically enroll consumers into overdraft programs; instead, customers would now need to sign up for the service. (Banks could still have automatic fees on bounced checks and online bill pay.)
In theory, that should have dealt a major blow to the overdraft business—after all, who would opt in for a service that could result in a $40 slice of pizza? The changes, however, only made a dent. As we reported in October, overdraft fee revenue to banks from ATM and retail purchases was still on track to top $16 billion last year, just a 16 percent drop from its peak in 2009, according to Moebs Services, a banking consultancy. The rates are still so high in part because many banks launched aggressive marketing campaigns to get customers to sign up, with letters, calls, and e-mails that at times were alarmist warnings of what would happen if you didn’t opt in.
