There are lots of things banks, credit card companies, and retailers could do to make it easier for you to avoid overdrafts. Since practically all cash registers are now computer terminals—they have to be, to check that your card isn't stolen, etc.—they could access your account balance and send you a message before you sign: "This transaction will result in an overdraft. Are you sure you want to do this?" Or, they could simply block the transaction, if you have selected this option in advance. They could store a copy of your balance in the magnetic stripe on your card, and update it every time you make a purchase or withdrawal. (I realize there might be problems keeping this up to date, with checks and deposits also in the system, but even out-of-date information is better than nothing. You could always mentally add your recent deposits and subtract your checks.) A store could provide a separate terminal where you could check your balance before you decide to buy something. (I realize ATMs can do this, but something much cheaper than an ATM could also do it.) And your cell phone could probably do it (if you have one; I don't).

Of course, the banks (etc.) don't want to make it easy for you. They'd rather convert your overdraft into a debt so they can charge you interest and fees. And the retailer wants to make the sale, regardless of whether you can afford it. So these changes will never happen unless they are required by law.

I suggested some of these changes in another forum that deals with "emerging technology" and I was surprised to find that a lot of people are hostile to the idea. Their general attitude was: if you overdraw your account, you deserve whatever happens to you.

Some people bragged that they use a credit card regularly, but they pay off the whole balance every month, so that they never pay any interest. Now, there's nothing wrong with doing that, but I resent the air of moral superiority that such people take. They imply that everyone should do that, and if you can't do it, screw you!

That's exactly what's happening: people are being screwed. If everyone paid off their balance every month, the whole system would collapse. There's no way the credit card company could afford to let you use their service for free if nobody paid any interest.

So if you use a credit card and manage to avoid paying interest, you are taking advantage of a system that is designed to screw people. Then you have a vested interest in keeping that system going, and you will be hostile to any of the improvements I have mentioned.

I consider this a moral issue.