Watch those bank fees? Oooh, yeah

Pay attention to the fees your bank is charging you.

That's the advice of banking experts, cautioning consumers about upcoming increases. Reporter Brian Neill wrote about the issue in this article today.

I might add, beware of fees you're being charged by a bank you think is yours but isn't.

Huh?

Late last year I decided to pay off my bank's credit card. When my next statement arrived, I expected a zero balance.

It was $14.

So I went to my bank for an explanation and this is what I was told:

We'd love to help, but the credit card is not the bank's even though our name is on it. The card was sold to another financial institution . You'll have to call them.

I'm not making it up.

So I called this other financial institution about the mysterious $14 and was told it was a regular fee for their rewards program.

I knew nothing about it.

My bad.

So I paid off the $14, cancelled the card and went without one for six months before I got another that is, I was assured, my bank's alone.

This time I am paying attention.