[fefesafaea]

It's important to note that many large banks actively discourage customers from opting out of overdrafts. So much so that they even have scripts they make their tellers recite.

For example, if you attempt to opt out, the teller might say, "but what if you are at the gas pump and can't get gas because you have opted out of overdrafts?" The subtext being, "wouldn't it be better to get enough gas to get home and in the process incur a 40 dollar fee."

[ars]

Allowing overdraft for checks can save you money though since you'd have to pay the depositors fee otherwise.

A good bank let's you disable overdraft for debit card while enabling it for checks.

[snuxoll]

Solution: don't write checks? I use cashier's checks wherever possible, I get them for free and there's never a potential for overdraft nightmares since it comes out of my account right away - the only time I've written a check in recent memory is the registration fee for my daughter's preschool since my wife wanted to pay it on-the-spot if she liked the place.