Banks have been raising fees or instituting new ones for several years. Over a four-year period, fees on checking and savings accounts rose 50%. What can you do to lower such charges? The Institute of Certified Financial Planners recommends:

Pay attention. Banks do not announce new fees

Complain. Banks don't like losing business. Some will waive a bounced-check fee for valued customers who complain, or allow time to cover the shortfall. Ask the bank that issues your credit card to waive its annual fee, lower the interest rate, or both -- or hint you'll go elsewhere.

Shop around. Some financial institutions, particularly smaller banks and credit unions, charge lower fees. Smaller institutions are more apt to listen to complaints or even call you in the event of an overdraft. Of course, you must weigh the issue of fees with other factors. For example, larger banks tend to offer more services than smaller ones. Convenience, financial stability, and quality of service are issues to consider along with fees.

Consolidate accounts and services. The more types of banking you do at one institution, the more likely you'll receive discounts or special deals. For instance, if you keep minimum checking and savings balances, you might get loan discounts, higher certificate of deposit (CD) rates, or no-fee credit cards.

Ask for a fee list. Banks are required by law to provide a list of fees they charge for basic service, but you may have to ask about those for less-used services such as transferring funds between banks. Be aware that such things as "free checking" may be free only for a limited time or have special deposit requirements.

Consider what services you really need. Examine the different types of checking accounts offered. Is there a monthly maintenance fee? How much does the bank charge per check? Perhaps you can get by with a bare-bones account that lets you write a few checks for free, doesn't require a minimum balance, and charges a low or no fee. If you bounce checks, you may want overdraft protection.

Check out minimum balances. Find out how the bank figures the balance. Some use an average-daily balance approach, but others use the low-balance method. This means that, if your balance drops below the minimum for even a single day, you get hit with account fees and probably lose any interest due to be paid for that time period. Also ask what counts toward the minimum balance. Some banks include savings along with the checking, and some even count CD deposit.