Money Saving Monday: How to avoid unexpected banking fees with expert tips

SPOKANE, Wash. — Banking fees can catch consumers off guard, but financial experts say most charges are preventable with the right strategies.

Josh Bergman, a financial education specialist at WSECU, shared methods to help people avoid common banking fees.

Preventing overdraft fees

"So if your account is getting to a certain balance, you can set an alert that actually pops up and shows, hey, your account is at this level, you might want to put money in," Bergman said. "Having some kind of account that's linked to your checking account, like a savings account, so if you are going to overdraft, it will transfer money like a savings account over to your account to cover that."

Avoiding ATM fees

ATM fees can double when customers use machines outside their bank's network. Bergman recommen