Smart idea? Alienating customers with perfect credit

Bank of America is experimenting with annual fees for credit deadbeats that pay off their balance every month.

CBS 2 in New York reports that Bank of America started notifying customers earlier this month that good credit habits could mean annual fees of $29 to $99 a year.

Do what you're supposed to---don't let your credit card balances grow---and you pay a penalty. Bank of America said it is just testing the fee on a small number of accounts.

I don't begrudge the banks for trying to make a little money on customers that rarely pay interest, but does this send a good message for a debt-ridden society at large?

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com