We have all been taught how to balance a checkbook and how to manage our checking accounts, so why do people overdraw their accounts? Sometimes, it may not be the customer’s fault at all. In fact, the bank could be the problem.

For example, you may have $500 in your account and know that your deposit of $1,000 should hit in a few days, so you write some checks to pay certain bills and you make some minor purchases. You may have been very strategic about what checks you wrote and what and when you bought things so that you didn’t spend more than you had. However, what if the bank held your deposit and applied all your debits and checks first? Or, what if they debited out your highest transactions first instead of processing them in the order they came in?

This is the reality that some people, including some soldiers, are facing in Texas. They are trying to fight back against the bank’s deceptive practices in a Fort Hood soldiers’ class-action lawsuit. These banks include Fort Hood National Bank, First National Bank of Texas, First Convenience Bank and First Community Bank.

However, these banks are not unique. Many other banks have participated in these deceptive practices and have charged customers excessive overdraft fees. Because banks have been hit hard in the recession, they are trying to make money at their customers’ expense by participating in unfair and unethical practices.