Overdraft fees could be the worst banking fees ever. They’re like speeding tickets: Drive carefully and you won’t get any. Likewise, if you manage your account balances carefully, you’ll never have to pay overdraft fees. But if you have a spending lead foot, overdraft protection might sound like a safe bet.
The American Bankers Association polled over 4,000 US adults in March 2024, and found that more than two-thirds found overdraft protection to be a valuable part of their banking experience. But the overdraft landscape is starting to change. In its final days, the Biden administration finalized a CFPB rule limiting the overdraft fees banks may charge—even as the incoming Trump administration threatened to do away with this entire agency, possibly preventing the rules from being implemented.
Meanwhile, there are more and more budgeting and money apps on the markets that empower consumers to better manage their money, says Steven Kibbel, CFP, Senior Editor at International Money Transfer.
“Emerging tools and apps are helping people stay on top of their finances and prevent overdrafts,” says Kibbel. “These include budgeting apps, low-balance alerts, early paycheck access, and services that offer small cash advances. Some apps even monitor your account for fees and can help negotiate refunds with your bank.”
So do you still need overdraft protection? For some people, it might make sense. Let’s take a closer look.
What is overdraft protection?
Overdraft protection is a banking service that prevents you from overdrafting your checking account. Customers designate a backup account, and if there are insufficient funds in checking to cover a purchase, the service pulls money from the linked account instead of declining a purchase or charging you a "not sufficient funds" fee—the dreaded NSF fee.
Depending on the bank, the backup account may include a credit card, a savings account, or line of credit. Just be aware that some banks charge fees for transferring money from a linked account to cover overdrafts, although they tend to be significantly less than a standard overdraft fee.
The biggest advantage to overdraft protection is that you’ll always be able to make purchases no matter how much money is in your checking account, avoiding embarrassment even if your account goes negative. This can be especially helpful in emergency cases, like if your dog swallows an entire container of hair bands and needs emergency surgery (true story).
Types of overdraft protection
The most common type of overdraft protection involves designating a savings account as your backup source of funds. When you overdraft your checking balance, the bank automatically subtracts the amount from your savings account.
Some banks offer customers the ability to tie their checking account to a dedicated overdraft line of credit or a credit card. These may incur interest charges in addition to transfer fees. In the case of credit cards, the transaction is usually considered a cash advance, incurring an immediate cash advance fee and potentially a higher interest rate.
Some fintechs and online banks are finding innovative ways to offer a form of overdraft protection in the form of a cash advance or a “spot me” tool. Depending on the institution, there may be a small fee for using these features, or they might come automatically with the account, especially if you meet some minimum deposit requirements.
The downsides of overdraft protection
Even though it might be less than an NSF fee, your bank will likely still charge you a smaller fee for having to transfer money from your linked account. Plus, if you have your overdraft protection through a line of credit, you’ll have to pay interest on top of the money that came out to save you in a pinch.
But above and beyond potential fees, overdrafting your checking account is not a good look. Responsible money management means maintaining sufficient liquid funds to cover all your purchases. That beats becoming dependent on overdraft protection and spending more than you have on the reg.
“Repeatedly overdrawing an account may lead to a consumer’s bank rescinding overdraft protection and may also hinder the consumer’s ability to open new deposit accounts with other institutions,” warns Badri Sridhar, CPA, managing director at FTI Consulting in New York. “This is because overdraft activity is often reported by banks to specialty consumer reporting agencies and is often used when making decisions about consumer deposit account applications.”
Alternatives to overdraft protection
Since opting in to overdraft protection is totally optional, if you have no reason to use it (because you never get close to zero on your account balance), then don’t use it. However, if you’re on the fence, there are a few ways you can avoid NSF fees without utilizing overdraft protection.
The most simple option is to just check your balances regularly or set up low balance alerts. Many banks will send you a notification if you’re starting to get low on funds—or, you know, just check your account every day.
If you use a zero-based budgeting approach or another budgeting app that helps you keep track of your spending categories, you’re a lot less likely to hit an overdraft. Or, if you need more discipline, you could use a prepaid debit card. You just won’t be able to make a purchase if you don’t have enough funds on the card.
If you’re struggling to break a bad habit of spending money you don’t have, you could look into a bank that doesn’t charge overdraft fees. With these banks, transactions will simply decline if you don’t have enough in your account. A couple times of this happening could be embarrassing enough to help you change.
The future of overdraft protection
The good news is that overdraft fees are less of a feature of the U.S. banking system today than they were in the past. Many banks have done away with them, either declining purchases outright or offering one of the forms of protection mentioned above. Still, banks make around $8 billion a year on them, according to CFPB data.
Under the proposed CFPB rules, banks could choose from one of three options: Charge a flat overdraft fee of $5, charge a fee that covers their costs, or charge any fee so long as they disclose the terms of the overdraft loan as they would for any other loan. The final rule would take effect in October 2025, but the incoming Trump administration has threatened to roll back rules or even eliminate the agency.
But as fintechs and online banks offer improved forms of overdraft protection and simple, fee-free cash advances, other large banks may be forced to follow suit and offer better alternatives.
“Banks are responding to public and regulatory pressure by lowering or eliminating overdraft fees,” says Kibbel. “Some now offer grace periods, giving customers time to resolve negative balances before fees are applied. Others provide small loans or alternatives to traditional overdraft protection, aiming for more consumer-friendly solutions.”
Do you really need overdraft protection?
If you’re one of the two-thirds of Americans who value overdraft protection, you might want to pay attention to this space—changes are coming.
“In the next decade overdraft protection is likely to become more transparent and cost-effective for consumers. New digital tools will help customers avoid overdrafts altogether, and financial institutions may prioritize innovation, such as real-time balance alerts or short-term credit options, to meet changing expectations,” says Kibbel.
