Australians are spending a fortune on bank fees, forking out more than $4.1 billion on them in the last financial year alone according to RBA data.

That figure was up by $268 million compared to the previous year.

The pesky fees are costing Aussie households around $412 each year (excluding business banking fees) and credit cards are the biggest culprits. 

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Aussies were slugged with $1.7 billion in credit card fees last financial year, up by 10 per cent compared to the 2023-24 financial year.

The average credit card annual fee is $204, which can be a big deal for cash-strapped Aussies.

A spike in overseas transaction fees and annual fees also played a role in soaring costs, according to the RBA.

Fees on home loans recorded the largest jump, surging by $167 million or 17 per cent between July 2024 and June 2025.

That spike is linked to an increase in Aussie homeowners refinancing, which can incur a slew of fees.

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There is a silver lining: exception fees like late fees and overdraft charges fell by nearly $13 million last year.

Canstar analysis suggests Aussies could save big on banking fees by shopping around and prioritising low- or no-fee options like:

• Credit cards with no annual fees and no currency conversion fees
• Low-fee home loan options that don't charge an annual fee
• Bank transaction accounts with no currency conversion fees

Aussies can also try to negotiate with their current bank or lender for lower fees.

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"While fees are growing like a beanstalk — up $268 million in just 12 months — people have more power to cut these down than they realise," Canstar.com.au data insights director Sally Tindall said.

"Whether it's negotiating a mortgage application fee or switching to one of the 12 credit card lenders that have no-fee cards, there are ways and means to slash your fees back to their roots."

A suspected sovereign citizen has been charged after allegedly driving a ute into the Mudgee police station, in New South Wales' central west, during a send-off for a retiring officer yesterday.

Donny Hobbs, 67, was arrested after the incident and taken to Dubbo Police Station, where he was slapped with multiple charges.

The charges include destroying/damaging property with intent to endanger life, which could see Hobbs serve up to 25 years behind bars if convicted.

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Hobbs allegedly drove at police officers as they were patrolling on foot along Market Street, Mudgee, at around 1.30pm.

Officers attempted to stop Hobbs but he allegedly failed to follow police directions and left the scene.

Not long after, Hobbs allegedly drove the ute at another officer who was on their way out of Mudgee Police Station.

The vehicle then ploughed into the building on Market Street just as a march was about to take place for Detective Senior Constable Scott Whale, who is retiring after 40 years in the NSW Police Force.

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Nine understands officers immediately ran out, pinned the driver to the ground and took him into custody.

"[The ute] smashed the whole front wall of the police station, cops coming running out everywhere, pulling up everywhere," witness Kurtis Goldsmith said.

The crash said to be so loud it was heard by locals at the nearby pub.

A crime scene was established and an investigation commenced. No injuries were reported.

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Hobbs was later charged with:

• Destroy/damage property with intent to endanger life
• Use etc offensive weapon with intent to commit indictable offence (two counts)
• Police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerously
• Drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous
• Custody of knife in public place – subsequent offence

Hobbs was refused bail and is set to appears before court later today.

The 67-year-old is "a big part of the tourism in Mudgee" and is famous for riding his horse and cart through town.

Originally from Western Sydney, Whale moved to Mudgee three years ago, working for the rural crime prevention team.

Today was his last day on the force, and around 1.30pm he was set to be marched out before Hobbs arrived in his Land Cruiser.

Police will allege Hobbs had numerous prior dealings with Whale and that this was an attack targeted at the detective senior constable.

Police allege the dealings they've had with him over time are consistent with the behaviour of a sovereign citizen.

With months to go before the US mid-term elections, Donald Trump's iron grip on the direction of the Republican Party shows no sign of loosening – and that could spell trouble for them.

Early primary contests in Republican races around the US have almost entirely gone to Trump-backed candidates, even those running against incumbent GOP representatives who Trump perceives as disloyal.

Republican Thomas Massie, a Kentucky congressman, is perhaps one of the highest-profile victims, losing in a primary race to retain his own seat after pushing back on Trump's war with Iran and consistently advocating for the full release of the Epstein files.

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But increasingly, there are fears that while Trump's MAGA movement remains in control of the Republican Party, it represents an increasingly small circle of voters.

The apparent paradox is that while kowtowing to Trump is the only way to get ahead in the GOP, it could result in a major thrashing for the party at the national polls.

"Trump's control is definitely not helpful in general elections, but I don't think there's evidence he cares much about the general election," United States Studies Centre research director Jared Mondschein told 9news.com.au.

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"Trump's name helps Republicans when it's actually on the ballot, but not when it isn't."

Mid-term elections in the US tend to go against the party in power, and Trump's popularity has taken a decided plummet.

Mondschein said Trump was reaching levels of historic unpopularity in the US, including among Republican-leaning voters, though he still enjoys near-universal approval among self-identified MAGA loyalists.

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"If the 2024 election were to be held again today, he'd lose it," Mondschein said, pointing to a collapse in support from demographics that backed Trump against Kamala Harris, including Hispanic voters and youths.

The unpopular Iran war, the recent "anti-weaponisation" Justice Department fund, the White House ballroom project, and ballooning living costs are all factors in this alienation.

But Mondschein said Trump, halfway through his second and final term as president, was "much more passionate" at this point about maintaining control over the GOP and MAGA, rather than broadening his appeal.

"It's hard to imagine him being popular," Mondschein said.

After the midterms

Among US political circles, it's a running joke that the Democratic Party is adept at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Nonetheless, most pundits are predicting a "blue wave" even in red-heavy states that could see the Democrats overtake the slim Republican majority in the House, and possibly even the Senate.

But regardless of what the Capitol looks like when the dust settles, Mondschein forecast changes ahead for the GOP.

"We're seeing the last of (Trump's) weight thrown around," he said.

Trump will officially be a lame-duck president after the midterms, with no more elections before the end of his term.

Mondschein said it was likely Republican lawmakers would begin to distance themselves – some with relief, some with reluctance – from the White House if the president's popularity continues to languish.

He said this would not be about their personal feelings for Trump but out of "naked self interest" in their political survival.

"Even in the reddest of red districts, you're seeing Republicans now pushing back," he said.