Do you pay just to get paid?

"A growing number of American workers are confronting a frustrating predicament on payday: to get their wages, they must first pay a fee.

For these largely hourly workers, paper paychecks and even direct deposit have been replaced by prepaid cards issued by their employers. Employees can use these cards, which work like debit cards, at an A.T.M. to withdraw their pay. "

My daughter originally had direct deposit, however her bank was charging her $2.50 per transaction.  EVERY Transaction.  Her pay was Direct Deposited, that is a transaction.  Checked her balance online?  That is a transaction.  She deposited a check from a family member drawn on the same account?  That was a transaction.

When she wound up owing the bank over $200.00 in transaction fees in 1 month, she said "That;s IT!"

She now uses a NetSpend card, and while there is a fee when her pay is put on it, at her job there is no transaction fee.  Nor is there a transaction fee at certain ATM's.  However she and I checked out several different cards before she chose the ones she uses.

And that is the problem with what I linked to in that article.  Many of those people caught in that trap are not given the opportunity to choose for themselves whether or not they want to use those cards.  Their employers do.  And if their employers get a kick back for using those cards, that is wrong.  And something should be done about it.  However, it should NOT be at the Federal level.  It should be done at the State level. 

The .GOV is already too big and interferes too much in our daily lives and financial footprint.

So the States need to make it so the employers are required to offer their employees the best deal.