Banks are in on that too. "Free checking" has always been about hoping you won't have a big enough cushion to avoid occasionally going under a $0 balance. The p

Banks are in on that too. "Free checking" has always been about hoping you won't have a big enough cushion to avoid occasionally going under a $0 balance. The people getting hit by those fees would then pay for everyone else who can afford to have that cushion. Nowadays they've had to switch away from such gotcha fees. Instead, you get charged if you aren't using online banking, keeping a minimum balance, and/or depositing over a certain amount every month. And who's more likely to have problems meeting those requirements?