greg mcbride is here -- to help us stay a step ahead of the banks. good morning greg. what are some interesting ways banks are now charging consumers? > >the thing to keep in mind is that there have been regulations that have been put into effect over the last couple of years that have crimped fee revenue in some areas but it's like a game of whack-a-mole, you just see fees pop up in other areas. it can be everything from maintenance fees or a stealth fee increase like a higher balance requirement. another one i have seen is a fee for returned mail. if you move and don't tell your financial institution your forwarding address you could get charged a fee if that mail gets returned to them so you gotta stay on your toes. > >come on! the banks collected 8.39 billion dollars in fees just in the 2nd quarter. what are you noticing among big banks versus small banks versus the credit unions and these fees? > >the one thing that they all have in common is that this is a very unfavorable interest rate environment for them. the old model of bringing in deposits at one rate and l

. >> greg mcbride explains why you can't make purchases, you can still use it for returns and any credit will appear on the replacement card. if you don't have a receipt, they may have to scan your canceled card, so it's a good idea to hang on to it. in joe's case, she had her receipt. >> nobody suggested that. >> when we accompanied joe back to the store, she couldn't comment on how joe was treated the first time around, but she apologized and happily agreed to refund joe's money. but joe says she is still waiting for an apology from the first manager who had her escorted out over a $27 refund. >> now target has not returned our request for comment, so it's not clear why under the circums it wouldn't agree to just refund the $27. >>> the u.s. is getting greener. want proof? electricity usage has fallen to 2011 levels. this is the third straight year electricity usage has declined. cfl and led lightbulbs use 70 to 80 percent less power. newer model air conditioner uses 20% less electricity and a switch to tablets and smart phones. they take considerably less power than desktop computers.

our money man greg mcbride of bankrate.com joins us via skype this morning. good morning greg. how likely is it that americans will overspend during the holidays this year? > >it's as much a tradition as apple pie and grandma's house. unfortunately this is not an unplanned expense, we've known it's coming all year long. there's no better time than the present to really make a plan---not only for this year, but then as soon as you get beyond the holidays it's time to start planning for next year so that you can have that money set aside in advance and not be scrambling at the eleventh hour. > >what are your tips to avoid putting a strain on finances into the new year? > >sit down and make a plan. who do you have to buy for? what do you have to buy? what other holiday related expenses do you have on tap? is it travel, are you hosting meals? you want to get a total tally. the next job is you gotta figure out where that money is coming from. the idea being that you want savings and the ability to set money aside ahead of time to absorb these costs as much as possible so that you're

here is weigh in greg mcbride, senator initial analyst for bank rate.com, i will talk about what mark did, we taught it would be a hajj sell off, instead they zoomed. >> a couple things have you from perspective of new traders and investors, tapering was not new, you had today keep are not only vote of confidence in the economy they could start and start modestly, but also fed is now changed their language with regard to short-term rates. so you know i think investors say see the best of both world, but we have seen this before, market does one thing, in afternoon after the fed announcement, then. they wake up next day, and market does something different, i think that you know, long-term, fed will be dialing back that will be i think less influential on long term interest rates, you will see a slow grind higher in mortgage rates. >> so we could have a sell-off tomorrow? i was calling today, been over this market for so long, people got clarity on what the fed was doing they were happy about that. they had an answer to their question, but you make a good point by tomorrow they may hav

joining us with details on american consumer is greg mcbride.s surprising here for all the improvement in household balances, confidence generally, expectations for spending this year are still sharply down. what do you make of it? >> yeah, you're right, kelly. i think a lot of this ties to the fact that although consumers have seen imprurmeovements of t household balance sheet, they're not seeing a change in the paycheck. that really crimps their ability to ramp up spending. not only on a consistent basis but even for, you know, discretionary purchases or those one-time holiday expenses. >> so, what's the optimism about then if they're feeling better about themselves, i guess they're feeling better we're not in a financial crisis like we were in 2008, but if they feel better about their job, if they feel better about the value of their home, why wouldn't they be spending more? >> well, a lot of this, bill, just boils down to the fact that, you know, they're seeing their net worth improve because of the stock market, because of the improvement i