Average ATM charge hits $1.78

Getting money from an automated teller machine can be costly these days, especially if the ATM isn’t owned by the bank at which you have your checking or savings account.

A survey by Bankrate.com, an online financial information service based in North Palm Beach, Fla., found that the average surcharge for use of a “foreign” ATM had risen to a record $1.78 from the previous high of $1.64 a year earlier.