but in tonight's "money file," karen gibbs says you can do better. she's founder of the gibbs perspective. >> reporter: seduced by the lure of pre-paid debit cards? resist the temptation, if you can. marketed to those with little access to mainstream financial institutions, debit cards are a source of risk-free revenue for the issuer charging you fees to use your money. the average card cost nearly $300 a year in basic fees, before considering application, activation, cancellation, paper statement, and a host of other costs. there is a cheaper alternative. many online banks and local credit unions still offer free checking accounts, some with a credit/debit card option, and are actively working to address the lack of financial services available to consumers with limited resources. finally, don't forget cash. there are no fees associated with using it and you always know how much you're spending. and the actual act of tendering cash for a purchase helps you exercise the discipline needed to stick to a budget and avoid unnecessary spending. so sideste

i'm karen gibbs. >> susie: that's "nightly business report" for monday, june 18. good night, everyone. we'll see you online at nbr.com and back here tomorrow night. "nightly business report" is brought to you by: captioning sponsored by wpbt captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org >> join us anytime at nbr.com. there, you'll find full episodes of the program, complete show transcripts and all the market stats. also follows us on our facebook page at bizrpt. and on twitter @bizrpt.