Jimmy Marks is soft in the head. He's also a fan of the "Twitter", so be sure to start following him. He says things, people remark...it's a good system.

I took a few days to travel recently and needed cash. Not having any, I did the only sensible thing I could: hit up an ATM.

Now, my CU didn't have any branches where I was (out-of-state and all that) so I had to visit various ATMs in the area. And I was stunned and how much it cost in the long run.

I took two trips and removed $60 bucks each time. Each time, I was assessed a $3 fee from the ATM I visited and tacked on another dollar when I got home (from the CU itself, which doesn't like it when you go out of network).

So that's eight dollars gone. Think of all I could have bought with that! Two chicken sandwiches from McDonald's! A new Gary Larson calendar! 1,600 shares of GM!

I was relaying this problem to Ron, who looked at me quizzically.

"Why didn't you use the free ATM locator?" he asked. "Our credit union's website offers a program that shows free networked ATMs in a search area" (NOTE: That network he's referring to is the Co-Op Network, which is awesome.)

I could've kicked myself. Why didn't I think of that? But the better question is will YOU remember it when you go on your next trip? Banks and ATMs make millions every year in fees...money out of your pocket.

So use your Co-Op locator. Failing that, just go to a convenience store/grocery store and ask for cashback on a purchase. It can be a minor purchase, too, so not only do you get $40, you get delicious gum!

Labels: 20andChange, Credit Union News, Credit Union Tech