There is a lot of talk in the news lately about credit card companies having unfair business practices.

Here's how to tell if your credit card company is unfair or not.

Now, consider this...

Can you imagine your children being overlooked for admission into a good college because other students who went to their high school did poorly at the school, even when your child's scores are superior to those other students?

Can you fathom a dentist drilling and filling teeth that don't need cavities just because your neighbors generally get cavities in the teeth they have targeted?

What if you were denied car insurance because you once visited a car wash that has a customer base of people who get into accidents. 

Well, if these scenarios sound a bit odd and unfair, imagine how Kevin Johnson of Atlanta (who has a near excellent credit score) felt when his credit card limit was dropped nearly $7,000 based on nothing more than a store he shopped at!

Never mind that his credit score was impeccable.  Never mind that he never carried a balance.  Never mind that he owned his own home and was a successful business man. 

One innocent stop at one store led to his account being flagged as a potential credit threat. 

While I don't exactly recommend keeping money under a mattress due to possible theft, fire, or flood, according to Bankrate.com, checking account fees are bleeding us dry. 

• Using an ATM costs an average of $1.97 -- and that's when you use your own bank. 

• The average charge for out-of-network ATM fees is $3.43.

• In addition, overdraft protection has gone up 2.5% in the last year and currently averages $28.95. 

• If you want to earn interest on your checking account, you need to pay a yearly fee of $12 and keep a minimum balance of $3,500.  

Why are we dealing with such high bank fees right now?  

The high fees come at a time when banks are struggling to unload bad mortgage loans. Some analysts say that banks are making up for loan losses by charging higher penalties -- and doing so more often --  to bank and credit card customers. -- ABC News

Some of these bank fees can be avoided. 

Here are some things you can do to keep a handle on bank fees...

As I was leaving Kroger’s grocery store today, a young woman tried to hand me a flyer.  As it looked like she was trying to sell me something, I said "No thank you" and walked around her. 

Then something caught my eye.  Just a few feet further was a white board with the words “free checks for life”, “no minimum balance”, and “earn cash back.  I made a u-turn.

Bank of America has started a new "kickback" program where you can literally save by spending!

It's called "Keep the Change".

In effect, Bank of America is giving its debit card users up to 99 cents per purchase and transferring that amount into the user's savings account.

Sounds great, right?

"Every time you buy something with a Bank of America Visa debit card, we'll round up your purchase to the nearest dollar amount and transfer the difference from your checking to your savings account free of charge. Because every bag of groceries, every coffee and every tank of gas adds up to more savings for you. So you get to keep the change and grow your savings. What could be easier?" --Bank of America

Truth is, the "Keep the Change" program just may be a better deal for the bank than for you.

Here's why...

Some random money matters...

Things that could directly affect the amount of money you ultimately have left in your wallet at the end of the day, as well as future projections and things you might want to consider.