Ever wonder how may bank customers actually pay overdraft fees? According to The Consumerist and the Financial Times, 10% of bank customers pay a whopping 90% of the overdraft fees.

The most cash-strapped customers are the hardest hit by such fees, with 90 per cent of overdraft revenues coming from 10 per cent of the 130m checking accounts in the US. Regular use of overdrafts is most common among consumers with low credit scores, Moebs discovered.

Wow. I knew that some consumers are really bad with money, but I had no idea that the numbers shake out like this.

While some people are crying foul, accusing the banks of unfairly targeting the “poor,” I have to wonder : Why do these same 10% of people continue to rack up overdraft fees? Why don’t they learn their lesson after being hit with the first, second, or, say, twelveth? I understand being poor, but this just makes you poorer.

Most banks offer free or low-fee overdraft protection – that is, they will let you “link” a credit card to your checking account, so that if you should ever fall short of funds, the balance will be applied to your credit card. Even at cash-advance rates, it’s a hell of deal when compared to paying these high penalties.

And the average fee for an overdraft? $26, in case you’re wondering.

The median bank overdraft fee has this year rose from $25 to $26, according to Moebs, the first time it has gone up in a recession for more than 40 years.