State fee report · Chicago Fed
What Illinois 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 5, 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 Illinois, the bottom bar is the whole country.
Overdraft (OD)
$30.00same vs US
48 IL institutions · 31 banks, 17 CUs
NSF / Returned Item
$30.00same vs US
52 IL institutions · 23 banks, 29 CUs
Monthly Maintenance
$9.00+50% vs US
13 IL institutions · 7 banks, 6 CUs
Non-Network ATM
$1.50same vs US
35 IL institutions · 20 banks, 15 CUs
Wire Transfer (Domestic Out)
$28.50+16% vs US
50 IL institutions · 31 banks, 19 CUs
Wire Transfer (Int'l Out)
$50.00same vs US
21 IL institutions · 14 banks, 7 CUs
Stop Payment
$29.00+16% vs US
71 IL institutions · 36 banks, 35 CUs
Cashier's Check
$5.00same vs US
50 IL institutions · 31 banks, 19 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 5, 2026.
Free benchmark
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Exhibit 2 · Position vs national
Each bar is the Illinois median relative to the national median for the same fee. Right of center means Illinois institutions typically charge more.
Source: Bank Fee Index, verified published fee schedules. Percent difference between the Illinois median and the national median. Gaps beyond 50% are pinned to the edge. Data as of Oct 5, 2026.
Exhibit 3 · Banks vs credit unions
Median price at banks and at credit unions for each fee in Illinois. 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 5, 2026.
Exhibit 4 · Economy & regulation
The local economy, what the Chicago Fed is hearing from businesses and lenders, and the latest regulator actions that touch fees.
Illinois unemployment rate
4.7%
+0.4 pts vs a year ago
Aug 2021 to Aug 2026
Aug 2026 · BLS via FRED
Illinois payroll jobs
+0.2%
6,176k jobs, change vs a year ago
Prices for bank services
+1.9%
vs +2.7% for all consumer prices, 12 months to Dec 2025
Fed funds rate
3.75%
−0.47 pts vs a year ago
Chicago Fed Beige Book · August 2026
Economic activity
Farm income expectations for 2026 improved some.
Banking and Finance
Volatility was flat on net and at a low level. Business loan volumes increased slightly, with one contact reporting greater M&A activity. Business loan quality edged down, rates increased modestly, and terms were unchanged. Consumer loan volumes decreased modestly, with contacts attributing this in part to high interest rates across the board. Demand for residential mortgages was soft. There was an uptick in consumers making only the minimum payment on their credit cards, but overall consumer loan quality and terms were flat. Several lenders reported elevated consumer uncertainty due to the conflict in the Middle East, and many expressed uncertainty about the direction of interest rates.
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.
Verified vs monitored
Cities with the most verified institutions
Source: Bank Fee Index, verified published fee schedules. Monitored institutions are FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions headquartered in Illinois. Data as of Oct 5, 2026.
Appendix · Full benchmark table
Medians, the middle half of prices, and the national comparison for each fee category.
| Fee | Illinois median | Middle half | National median | vs national | Institutions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop Payment | $29.00 | $25.00 – $30.00 | $25.00 | +16% | 71 |
| Debit Card Replacement | $10.00 | $10.00 – $15.00 | $10.00 | in line | 57 |
| NSF / Returned Item | $30.00 | $25.75 – $33.31 | $30.00 | in line | 52 |
| Wire Transfer (Domestic Out) | $28.50 | $25.00 – $30.00 | $24.50 | +16% | 50 |
| Cashier's Check | $5.00 | $3.00 – $6.00 | $5.00 | in line | 50 |
| Overdraft (OD) | $30.00 | $25.75 – $32.19 | $30.00 | in line | 48 |
| Wire Transfer (Domestic In) | $10.00 | $10.00 – $15.00 | $10.00 | in line | 38 |
| Non-Network ATM | $1.50 | $1.00 – $2.63 | $1.50 | in line | 35 |
| Deposited Item Return | $10.00 | $5.00 – $20.00 | $15.00 | −33% | 26 |
| Wire Transfer (Int'l Out) | $50.00 | $50.00 – $67.50 | $50.00 | in line | 21 |
| Paper Statement | $3.00 | $2.00 – $4.21 | $3.00 | in line | 20 |
| OD Protection Transfer | $4.50 | $3.00 – $7.75 | $5.00 | −10% | 20 |
| Monthly Maintenance | $9.00 | $5.00 – $20.00 | $6.00 | +50% | 13 |
| Minimum Balance | $5.50 | $5.00 – $8.63 | $5.00 | +10% | 8 |
Source: Bank Fee Index, verified published fee schedules. Median and 25th to 75th percentile of one value per institution. Data as of Oct 5, 2026.
Methodology
Sources.Published fee schedules from FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions headquartered in Illinois. 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
Dec 2020 to Dec 2025
Latest published Dec 2025 · BLS consumer price index
Sep 2021 to Sep 2026
Sep 2026 · Federal Reserve via FRED
FEDRulemaking· 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 Eufaula27 more fee categories, peer benchmarks by charter, size and district, CSV exports, and the Hamilton workspace.