kimberly palmer is a. >> abouting expert at nerd wallet. thank you for joining us. >> thanks for having me. >> banks started introducing these fees about a decade ago when interest rates fell and there went their profitability. now rates are going to be rising presumably with the fed raising rates this year. but we are still getting knew fees. why do you think that? >> banks are of course interested in maximizing their profitability. we are seeing one way for them to do that of course is by raising fees. we have really seen across the board fees going up. and it is a challenge for consumers. on average now consumers pay over $100 on checking account fees alone. and of course for some people, they are paying even more than that. and it can really strain people's budgets. >> it kind of reminds me of the airlines. it started with, you know, baggage fees. then it went to, you know, if you want this seat, you have to pay more. and they have been able to get away with that. it seems as though consumers don't have much of a choice. what can they d