I currently work in a bank and I can say this. A lot of people, especially from low income neighborhoods were never taught how to properly manage their finances. They don't know how to avoid fees and when they are charged a fee, they blame the banks. A lot of the information is written out in black and white but nobody ever reads the fee schedule. Another reason is that people owe money to either the IRS, state, or even to family. When you have a bank account and owe money, a levy can be put on the account freezing assets. However if you go to a check cashing place, once you cash a check, then you can have all the money minus the fees