005: The Secret Fees Ripping You Off Every Day

In this episode of I Call B*****t*, Kristina Braly exposes the hidden fees that are quietly draining your bank account—from bank overdraft fees, credit card surcharges, airline add-ons, and concert ticket fees to the sneaky concept of shrinkflation. These small, sneaky charges seem harmless at first glance, but collectively, they cost Americans billions of dollars every year.

If you’ve ever looked at a bill and wondered, “What the heck is this $5.95 service fee?!”, or found yourself paying an extra $35 because your account was $1 short, this episode will validate your rage.

We’ll expose why corporations are getting more creative in ripping us off—and most importantly, what you can do to fight back.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• Banking Fees That Should Be Illegal: Overdraft charges, “maintenance fees,” and why big banks make billions off of people who can’t afford them.
• Credit Card Transaction Fees: How businesses pass processing fees onto you, and when you can demand they waive them.
• Airline Junk Fees: Seat selection, baggage fees, and fuel surcharges—why are we paying extra to bring our own bags?
• Concert & Event Ticket Fees: How Live Nation and Ticketmaster created a monopoly that charges you extra for everything (including printing your own ticket).
• Shrinkflation & Corporate Greed: Why your chips, cereal, and ice cream are getting smaller while the prices stay the same (or even go up).
• How to Fight Back: Practical ways to avoid or challenge these fees—because companies don’t want you to know that many of these charges can be removed if you push back.

Credits:

• Host: Kristina Braly
• Research & Fact-Checking: Kristina Braly LLC
• Production & Editing: Kristina Braly, Kristina Braly LLC
• Music & Sound Design: Epidemic Sound

Sources & Citations:

(All links formatted to be clickable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms.)

Bank & Credit Card Fees

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). “Big Banks Collected Over $15 Billion in Overdraft Fees in 2022.” 🔗 https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-report-bank-overdraft-fees/
• NerdWallet. “The Hidden Costs of Using Credit Cards—And How to Avoid Them.” 🔗 https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/credit-card-fees

Airline Junk Fees & Extra Charges

• U.S. Department of Transportation (2023). “New Regulations on Unfair Airline Fees.” 🔗 https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/biden-harris-administration-takes-action-against-junk-fees
• The Points Guy. “What Fees Airlines Are Charging Now—And How to Avoid Them.” 🔗 https://thepointsguy.com/news/airline-fees-how-to-avoid/

Ticket Fees & Monopolies

• U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee (2023). “Live Nation and Ticketmaster Under Investigation for Anti-Competitive Practices.” 🔗 https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/rep/releases/senate-hearing-live-nation-ticketmaster-monopoly
• NPR. “Why Concert Ticket Fees Are So High—And What’s Being Done About It.” 🔗 https://www.npr.org/2023/04/25/why-ticketmaster-fees-are-so-high

Shrinkflation & Hidden Price Hikes

• The Guardian. “Shrinkflation: Why Everything Is Getting Smaller But More Expensive.” 🔗 https://www.theguardian.com/business/shrinkflation-2023
• Consumer Reports. “Which Brands Are Shrinking Their Products Without Lowering Prices?” 🔗 https://www.consumerreports.org/food-packaging/shrinkflation-brands-to-watch-a1204867786/
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “How Shrinkflation Affects Inflation Rates and Consumer Purchasing Power.” 🔗 https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm

Listener Action Items:

✅ Call Your Bank & Challenge Fees: Many overdraft and account maintenance fees can be waived if you call and push back. ✅ Avoid Airline Fees: Choose airlines that don’t nickel-and-dime you—or use airline credit cards that cover baggage fees. ✅ Demand Fee Transparency: When purchasing tickets, check if there’s a venue box office that sells without fees. ✅ Use Apps Like “Shrinkflation Tracker”: Avoid brands that reduce product size without reducing price. ✅ Subscribe & Review: If this episode helped you save money, leave a 5-star review to help others get smarter about hidden fees.

📩 Have a horror story about hidden fees? Send it to us on Instagram @icallbswithkb or email  us —we might feature it in a future episode!

🎙 Next Episode Teaser: Next week, we’re tackling The College Degree Scam—why student loan debt is designed to trap you in financial servitude, and why a degree isn’t worth what they told you it was.

🔔 Subscribe & Follow so you don’t miss it!