State fee report · St. Louis Fed
What Arkansas banks and credit unions charge for everyday services, measured against the national Bank Fee Index. Every number comes from verified, published fee schedules.
Executive summary
What the verified data says right now. Each finding is recomputed from live data whenever the index refreshes, and links to the exhibit behind it.
Source: Bank Fee Index, verified published fee schedules. Findings appear only where the sample clears the minimum for a median. Data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Exhibit 1 · Everyday fees
The tick is the median; the shaded band is where the middle half of institutions land. The top bar is Arkansas, the bottom bar is the whole country.
Overdraft (OD)
$30.00same vs US
31 AR institutions · 20 banks, 11 CUs
NSF / Returned Item
$30.00same vs US
32 AR institutions · 14 banks, 18 CUs
Monthly Maintenance
$6.38+6% vs US
20 AR institutions · 17 banks, 3 CUs
Non-Network ATM
$1.50−25% vs US
15 AR institutions · 7 banks, 8 CUs
Wire Transfer (Domestic Out)
$20.00−20% vs US
23 AR institutions · 10 banks, 13 CUs
Wire Transfer (Int'l Out)
$50.00same vs US
13 AR institutions · 10 banks, 3 CUs
Stop Payment
$30.00+9% vs US
31 AR institutions · 13 banks, 18 CUs
Cashier's Check
$5.00same vs US
30 AR institutions · 18 banks, 12 CUs
Source: Bank Fee Index, verified published fee schedules. One value per institution; a state median needs at least 5 institutions. “Small sample” marks fewer than 10. Data as of Oct 7, 2026.
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Exhibit 2 · Position vs national
Each bar is the Arkansas median relative to the national median for the same fee. Right of center means Arkansas institutions typically charge more.
Source: Bank Fee Index, verified published fee schedules. Percent difference between the Arkansas median and the national median. Gaps beyond 50% are pinned to the edge. Data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Exhibit 3 · Banks vs credit unions
Median price at banks and at credit unions for each fee in Arkansas. The gap between the dots is what switching charter would typically save or cost.
Percent is the credit union median relative to the bank median. Gaps beyond 40% are pinned to the edge.
Source: Bank Fee Index, verified published fee schedules. One value per institution; a charter is shown only where it has enough institutions for a median. Data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Exhibit 4 · Economy & regulation
The local economy, what the St. Louis Fed is hearing from businesses and lenders, and the latest regulator actions that touch fees.
Arkansas unemployment rate
3.9%
−0.3 pts vs a year ago
Aug 2021 to Aug 2026
Aug 2026 · BLS via FRED
Arkansas payroll jobs
+0.6%
1,349k jobs, change vs a year ago
Fed funds rate
3.75%
−0.47 pts vs a year ago
St. Louis Fed Beige Book · August 2026
Economic activity
Consumer spending reports were mixed, and banking conditions were largely unchanged. Nonfinancial services and manufacturing activity modestly increased overall, with the latter mainly driven by increasing demand in national defense and data center construction. The outlook has slightly improved, although uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and elevated fuel costs associated with the conflict in the Middle East continue to weigh on the outlook.
Nonfinancial Services
For example, an IT services firm in Northwest Arkansas expanded its offerings to include AI training and client enablement. A professional services operator focused on data centers in Kentucky and Indiana reported rising demand for transmission infrastructure upgrades. Transportation and logistics activity increased moderately. In Kentucky, a logistics contact noted strong coal exports driven by global consumption, while a Tennessee transportation firm attributed their solid demand to stronger economic growth and reduced industry capacity. Nonprofits reported worsening conditions in recent months, with corporate donations dropping sharply over the past six months.
Regulatory watch
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics and Federal Reserve series via FRED; Federal Reserve Beige Book; FDIC, OCC, CFPB and Federal Reserve press releases. Shown as published; we add no estimates.
Exhibit 5 · Coverage & local markets
How many of the state's banks and credit unions have verified fees so far, and the cities with the most. Coverage grows with every monthly pass.
Source: Bank Fee Index, verified published fee schedules. Monitored institutions are FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions headquartered in Arkansas. Data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Appendix · Full benchmark table
Medians, the middle half of prices, and the national comparison for each fee category.
| Fee | Arkansas median | Middle half | National median | vs national | Institutions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSF / Returned Item | $30.00 | $28.75 – $32.00 | $30.00 | in line | 32 |
| Overdraft (OD) | $30.00 | $29.50 – $32.00 | $30.00 | in line | 31 |
| Stop Payment | $30.00 | $26.50 – $32.00 | $27.50 | +9% | 31 |
| Cashier's Check | $5.00 | $4.00 – $5.00 | $5.00 | in line | 30 |
| Debit Card Replacement | $10.00 | $5.00 – $10.00 | $10.00 | in line | 28 |
| Paper Statement | $3.00 | $2.00 – $3.25 | $3.00 | in line | 27 |
| Wire Transfer (Domestic In) | $10.00 | $10.00 – $12.13 | $10.00 | in line | 24 |
| Wire Transfer (Domestic Out) | $20.00 | $19.00 – $25.00 | $25.00 | −20% | 23 |
| Monthly Maintenance | $6.38 | $5.00 – $7.98 | $6.00 | +6% | 20 |
| Non-Network ATM | $1.50 | $1.00 – $2.13 | $2.00 | −25% | 15 |
| Deposited Item Return | $25.00 | $8.25 – $30.00 | $15.00 | +67% | 15 |
| OD Protection Transfer | $7.25 | $5.00 – $10.00 | $5.00 | +45% | 14 |
| Wire Transfer (Int'l Out) | $50.00 | $45.00 – $60.00 | $50.00 | in line | 13 |
| Minimum Balance | $10.00 | $9.00 – $10.00 | $6.00 | +67% | 5 |
Source: Bank Fee Index, verified published fee schedules. Median and 25th to 75th percentile of one value per institution. Data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Methodology
Sources.Published fee schedules from FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions headquartered in Arkansas. Every fee is read from the institution's own document and verified before it is published.
Statistics.Each institution counts once per fee, so a bank that lists a fee several times does not outweigh one that lists it once. A median needs at least 5 institutions; headline findings need at least 10.
Comparison.The national figure is the same statistic over every institution in the Bank Fee Index. Differences under 1% are shown as in line. Full methodology →
Sep 2021 to Aug 2026
Aug 2026 · BLS via FRED
Sep 2021 to Sep 2026
Sep 2026 · Federal Reserve via FRED
FEDRulemaking· Oct 2, 2026
Federal Reserve Board announces it will extend, until November 4, the comment period on its proposal to modernize Regulation OFEDRulemaking· Oct 2, 2026
Federal Reserve Board issues enforcement action with Ontario Bancorporation, Inc.FEDRulemaking· Sep 24, 2026
Federal Reserve Board issues enforcement action with former employee of Sandy Spring BankFEDRulemaking· Sep 18, 2026
Federal Reserve Board issues enforcement actions with former employee of Northstar Bank, former employee of American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., and former employee of Regions BankFEDRulemaking· Sep 18, 2026
Federal Reserve Board announces termination of enforcement action with SNB Bancshares and Bank of Eufaula21 more fee categories, peer benchmarks by charter, size and district, CSV exports, and the Hamilton workspace.