Group says Iowa is average when it comes to bank costs

A watchdog group says Iowa’s about average when it comes to fees charged by banks. Amber Hard is director of the Iowa Public Interest Research Group — or Iowa “PIRG.” Hard says a nationwide survey shows a continued increase in the fees charged by banks. They found the bigger the bank, the bigger the fees. She says Iowa has fees on both ends of the spectrum. Iowa has higher fees than average for basic savings accounts and when you cash a check from someone else that bounces. But, she says Iowa has lower than average fees when you use your ATM card at another company’s bank. Hard says it’s getting tougher to get information out of banks.She encourages Iowans to make some comparisons before choosing a financial institution.Hard says “PIRG” found that smaller banks and credit unions usually had the lowest fees in Iowa.