How Banks Sell Overdraft Coverage

Woodstock Institute
Friday, August 1, 2014

Bank employees are giving customers misleading or inaccurate information about their overdraft protection options, according to mystery shoppers working with the Woodstock Institute. The Federal Reserve Board requires that bank customers must “opt in” to banks' overdraft products. But mystery shoppers’ conversations with bank representatives revealed persistent misinformation about overdraft coverage. Often, employees did not explain the opt-in requirement and led people to believe that overdraft coverage was an automatic account feature. Representatives frequently gave inconsistent, unclear or incorrect information regarding the mechanics of overdraft coverage and failed to clearly or correctly explain how fees are triggered.