A couple of years ago a friend of mine became the loan manager at a local bank.  She called to tell me the incentive for opening a new account was $100 and if I referred anyone, I’d get a $50 referral fee.  I signed myself and one other person up.   My goal was to deposit money in that account that would be used for my daughter’s baton classes, coaches, and other fees.

Unfortunately, the market dried up so the account at there for nine months with $70 in it.  I finally screwed up my courage - she was a friend after all - and asked if she’d be insulted if I just closed the account (I need the $70 for groceries at that point… sad but true.)

It was hard to break up with the bank, but I’m not the only one doing it.  In fact, CNN Money says more and more people are closing their accounts as a way to show their displeasure over the growing fees banks charge and the resentment over them taking bailout money and then paying big bonuses to executives.

Barry J., who detailed his switch from Bank of America to Southeastern lender Regions in an email, said he had just become fed up with the $8.95 monthly maintenance fees on each of his three accounts.

“When I was closing my accounts, [Bank of America] would call me with a survey to see if it was the fault of any their customer service people or tellers or bank managers,” he wrote. “They never asked if it was the additional fees they were charging.”

We don’t like the nickel and diming, folks.  Further I’d much rather pay fees to a local company that reinvests in my own area.