The insurance rates seem good, but the "service charges" on the bill cancel the savings. The terms of the mortgage are okay, but what are all these additional charges?
We face a dizzying array of fees and additional charges on many transactions, and they can bury a person who doesn't have much money to start with. Devin Fergus examines the extent of the situation in his book Land of the Fee: Hidden Costs and the Decline of the American Middle Class. He shares details of his work in this interview, and there is no charge for it.