As the economy weakens, banks are increasingly squeezing customers who overdraw their bank accounts. Bank of America and Washington Mutual have jacked up their overdraft fees and made it easier for customers to be hit with multiple penalties The changes come as banks grapple with growing tosses from bad mortgage loans. Overdraft fees have increasingly become a source of profits Banks and credit unions collect about $ 17.5 billion in overdraft fees per year, the Center for (Responsible Lending says. Checking-account customers are 'easy picking' for fees, says Jean Ann Fox of the Consumer Federation of America, because banks typically can take any money owed out of a customer s next deposit. In April, 'Washington Mutual raised its overdraft fee in most states to $ 34 from $ 32. Also this year, the bank increased the number of times a day that a customer can be hit with this fee, from five to seven 'Washington Mutual spokesman Gary Kishner says the bank raises fees partly due to ' competitive factors'. This year, (Bank of America raised the fee charged on the first day a customer overdraws to $ 25 from $ 20. The bank also raised the number of times a customer can be hit with this fees per day to seven from five. And it's told customers that most signature debit-card transactions will reduce their balances that same day and be subject to fees if there isn't enough money in the account. (Before, consumers often avoided this fee if they deposited money before a purchase cleared Bank of America spokeswoman (Diane Wagner says the bank adjusts fees to 'establish more uniform. pricing for our national franchise'. Which of the following factors does Gary Kishner cite as one of the main reasons behind the increase in overdraft charges?