Raj Date Statement on the Importance of Checking Account Transparency

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Following recent news reports of new checking account fees and costs, Raj Date, Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), issued a statement stressing the importance of checking account transparency:

This isn’t about any one fee from any one bank. The problem is that checking accounts often come with a wide variety of unexpected costs that can quickly add up for consumers. Different banks charge different fees. Different fees are applied under different terms and conditions. Different banks give different names to the very same fee. So it is no surprise that a recent survey by Pew Charitable Trusts found that nearly three-fourths of Americans with checking accounts support greater clarity and disclosure.

Ideally, consumers would have a simple way to evaluate checking account costs. The CFPB has the ability to simplify checking account disclosures – an idea that some consumer groups and some banks have already been developing. Making the costs transparent is good for consumers and good for competition. It allows consumers to compare the checking account options from large banks, community banks, and credit unions and pick the one that works best for them.