MONTHLY ACCOUNT FEES, PACKAGE FEES, OVERLIMIT FEES, LATE FEES, ATM, DISHONOUR FEES... BANK FEES CAN BE ANNOYING AT BEST AND EXASPERATING AT WORST.

Thankfully the trend is to reduce fees, thanks to consumer groups such as Choice. But don't think they are doing you much of a favour: watch out for slight increases in interest rates - they might drop the $5 per month fee on your loan, but the interest rate suddenly increases 0.02% more. Or they drop fees on your savings account, but they drop the interest rate to 0%.

My advice to you: don't get mad get even! Vote with your feet: move banks. A bit of paperwork now will save you in the long run. When changing banks, you will need to advise your pay master, and changing any direct debits or standing payment orders.

Did you know credit unions and building societies often don't charge their customers fees? They operate on a different business model than banks do. Check out the deals at www.cannex.com.au. And they are still covered under the governments deposit protection scheme.

What about an account that pays you? Orange Everyday Account from ING pays your $0.50 when you use eftpos and withdraw $200 or more. And they also allow you to use any ATM in Australia for free provided you withdraw $200 or more.

What if you want to stay with your current bank, but still want to do something about the fees? Call them up and explain you are looking for an account with no fees and could they recommend something. Banks change products all the time, so you may well be sitting in an old account getting charged fees, when any new customers may not have the same charges. It is worth a phone call to check. Some banks even offer an account review where you get to sit down with a person and go over if your accounts are still the most suitable.

Have you ever been charged a fee you feel is unavoidable? Maybe you have been a great customer, and a timing issue with deposits and withdrawals meant you got hit with a late fee. Or you went slightly over your limit when you missed the payment deadline while you were overseas. Well this is exactly the time to call the bank and explain what happened. The bank can look back through your account history and will see you have been an excellent customer, and as long as you explain why, your chances of getting this fee refunded back into your account is excellent. Same for credit cards, but this only works when you have been an otherwise good customer: if you have late fees ever month, banks are unlikely to be sympathetic.

Unfairly treated? Complain to the "complaints" section on the on banks website. No luck? Go directly to the Credit Ombudsman Service www.creditombudsman.com.au 1800 138 422 and write a letter to Choice, so they can warn others.

Catherine Lezer is a small business owner, property investor and inspirational speaker on the topic of women and money through her Rich Chicks seminars. For more information visit www.richchicks.com.au