Fees seem to come at us from every direction. Devin Fergus, a professor of history, black studies and public affairs at the University of Missouri, wrote a book about them titled “Land of the Fee: Hidden Costs and the Decline of the American Middle Class.” On the Knowledge@Wharton podcast, he said, “Americans are paying more than ever in fees, which are tacked on to the price of everything from utility bills to concert tickets.”
These fees are quietly draining the wallets of the middle class, he said. Fergus believes these predatory practices stem from the loosening of federal oversight of fees during the last 30 years.
Here are some of the most aggravating of these fees and how they can add up to put a big dent in your bank account over a year’s time.