Banks are fucking evil

[realisticphish]

I hate my bank, with every part of my soul. I don't use my check card for days at a time. So, when some delayed charge gets put on the card, I can go days without seeing an overdraft. The whole time, my bank happily puts up overdraft charge after overdraft charge (which is 34 motherfucking dollars apiece). And, since I get paid every two weeks, and have no other source of income, i could concievably be in debt forever. Luckily, my parents are awesome, and even though I feel like an enormous pile of shit when I ask them, they can loan me money to cover me until i get paid. But what are people whose parents won't or can't give them money supposed to do?

Fuck banks.

[GoneOffShore]

1. Yes, banks are evil

Try a credit union. Lower charges.

[realisticphish]

2. I'm thinking about it

my father has a credit union through his labor union; I'm not sure if they would allow family members to use it or not

[Rue]

9. My dad's employer has a credit union and it lets family members join. NT

[intrepid_wanderer]

24. usually, YES

family members area allowed...


and once you're in one, apply for 'overdraft protection' or whatever they call it...


I use Navy Federal Credit Union... and when I (rarely) screw up, or need more $$ than I truly have RIGHT NOW.... I can write against this reserve & I don't get charged a fee, other than interest for the days that I have not repaid the 'borrowed' overdraft protection money

best of luck!!!

[L A Woman]

3. it is funny you should say that

the same thing JUST happened to me. it was initially my fault - i forgot to subtract a big payment from my checkbook - but one thing bounced and it led to a chain reaction that cost me $165. it really should have cost me $33 and that's it. and i am struggling to afford to gas to get to work.

anyway, i am leaving this bank after several years. they show no loyalty, i show no loyalty! fuck 'em!

the credit union suggestion was a good one.

[realisticphish]

6. that's exactly what happened to me

i go TWO DOLLARS OVER. They charge 34. Which means I now am 36 dollars over. *gasp* i don't have money to put into it, so they charge me another overdraft. I'm now 60 dollars over. ETC, etc, ad infinitum.

By the time I get paid, I'm in the hole more than my check can cover. Which means I'm overdrafted again, and the cycle begins anew.

:grr:

I think I'm done with this bank, anyway. I like their online services, and the people at the bank are friendly, but I can't stand this flagrant bullshit.

[Blue Diadem]

4. Have you checked into overdraft protection?

I don't know how much it is..if there is a fee or not. My daughter has it and it's saved her a few times from having to deal with overdraft fees.

[realisticphish]

5. i've checked into it

but never actually gotten it. The only problem is, I have very little in my savings as well, so i can't use that as draft protection. But i'm going to the bank monday to talk to them about my options

[Blue Diadem]

7. My daughter has the kind

that is a credit account instead of linked to her savings. She has a limit on it and can pay a monthly payment with interest if she wants to carry the debt.

[realisticphish]

8. oh, i see

if my bank has that, i'll definately try it

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

10. Let me guess.

Bank of America?

[realisticphish]

11. National City

but I've heard horror stories about BoA too

[Lars39]

12. If you use a debit/check card,

you should really check your account online every single day.
It's a PITA, but that's what it takes to stay on top of things now. :(

[BensMom]

13. Banks = Evil

I work at a bank and they are just bad.
(I am looking for a better job)

Banks are in a pinch now because the economy is in a slump - no loans etc.
So they do want to keep the customers they have - take it to a supervisor and then their supervisor if you have a gripe. My bank will erase charges to keep a customer. ANY customer.

Lay off the bank cards and debit cards. The reason banks push them is they are guaranteed overdraft fees. And banks want that income stream. I think the latest numbers say for every 6th swipe of any bank card there is an over-draft. So keep the card hidden away.

[Left Is Write]

14. I have been using my check card for a number of years.

I've never had an overdraft. I'm not sure how you think they are "guaranteed" overdraft fees through the use of a card.

In fact, the only time I've ever had an overdraft was due to a bank error (drafting two HELOC payments instead of one), and that was corrected immediately and my account credited for the extra payment and the overdraft fee.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

17. Listen to what MY bank does

and I've been a depositor since '82. I have "bounce protection" which gives me 500 over my balance in case I go over. If I do, I still get charged the 30 buck overdraft fee. Had it for a number of years. So sometimes when we get way down we will just take out the whole 500 until the next payday, because it is basically a loan and they get 30 bucks interest for just a few days. Recently, if we have done that they will go BACK into our account and un-clear checks that cleared (or debits) and clear the 500 and then charge us for 500 dollars' worth of checks or debits, which might be as many as 15 checks! And as both our salaries are direct deposited, they are guaranteed to get it all. We finally smartened up and linked it to our paltry savings account. Another thing they do is have like a three-day delay on our credit card info online so we can't really keep up with it and then we get a 35 dollar over limit fee.

I'm not wild about banks, either. And don't even get me started on annuities. Bottom line: don't buy one! Ever! You can't get out of them!

[XemaSab]

15. Osama thinks banks are evil too

He hates America because our whole economic system is based on lending money at interest.

I am not making this up.

[Kat45]

19. I believe that is against the Islamic religion.

Lending money at interest, that is.

[TroubleMan]

20. LOL....it's against Christianity, too.

Exodus 22:25 If you lend money to a fellow Hebrew in need, do not be like a money lender, charging interest.

Leviticus 25:35-37 If any of your Israelite relatives fall into poverty and cannot support themselves, support them as you would a resident foreigner and allow them to live with you. Do not demand an advance or charge interest on the money you lend them. Instead, show your fear of God by letting them live with you as your relatives.

Remember, do not charge your relatives interest on anything you lend them, whether money or food.

Deuteronomy 23:19 Do not charge interest on the loans you make to a fellow Israelite, whether it is money, food, or anything else that may be loaned with interest.

Deuteronomy 23:20 You may charge interest to foreigners, but not to Israelites, so the LORD your God may bless you in everything you do in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

Nehemiah 5: 7 After thinking about the situation, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, "You are oppressing your own relatives by charging them interest when they borrow money!" Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem.

Nehemiah 5: 10 I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the people money and grain, but now let us stop this business of loans.

Psalm 15:5 Those who do not charge interest on the money they lend, and who refuse to accept bribes to testify against the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.

Proverbs 28:8 A person who makes money by charging interest will lose it. It will end up in the hands of someone who is kind to the poor.

Jeremiah 15:10 Then I said, "What sadness is mine, my mother. Oh, that I had died at birth! I am hated everywhere I go. I am neither a lender who has threatened to foreclose nor a borrower who refuses to pay--yet they all curse me."

Ezekiel 18:8 And suppose he grants loans without interest, stays away from injustice, is honest and fair when judging others,

Ezekiel 18:13 ...and lends money at interest. Should such a sinful person live? No! He must die and must take full blame.

Ezekiel 18:17 ...helps the poor, does not lend money at interest, and obeys all my regulations and laws. Such a person will not die because of his father's sins; he will surely live.

Ezekiel 22:12 There are hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners everywhere! They never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign LORD.

[Swede]

16. Greed seperates people from their fellow man.

How much is too much?

[JVS]

18. You either need to pay better attention of build up a buffer

I know people who never keep under 3 or 4 hundred dollars in the account an would only touch that in a dire emergency.
Talk to your parents about setting up a buffer until you are rich enough to make one yourself

[AccessGranted]

21. Do All Your Banking Online

That way you can see everything in realtime and check daily. I've been doing all of the my banking online for several years now and never had a problem and I haven't had any problems. I can check my account anytime. The minute anything happens it posts immediately and shows up online. It really does help. See which banks in your area offer online banking.

[Zorra]

22. Banks are evil. I take money out of them, but I never give them any.

I bury all my cash in waterproof containers - no overdraft charges.

[Blue_Tires]

23. ummm......yes

[intrepid_wanderer]

26. what an interesting thread... nt

[leftofthedial]

25. all financial services corporations

(banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, the mortgage industry)

with the possible exception of credit unions

are evil fucking parasites and predatory scumwads.

[laheina]

27. Here, here!! nt

[RebelOne]

28. I am really surprised that if you have constant overdrafts,

that the bank hasn't closed your account.

[realisticphish]

31. well

it doesn't happen weekly, or anything like that. It's only happened three times in the 5 years i've had the account. It's just that the danger is ALWAYS there, looming. And when I'm a poor college student with limited income, my balence hovers near zero more times than I'm comfortable with.

[Random_Australian]

29. true. n/t

[Vidar]

30. Find a credit union.

[CanuckAmok]

32. Seconded.

Above all else, the account holders in a Credit Union own the institution. The CU is accountable to its membership and has to pass new fees, surcharges, and other policies past the membership at an annual general meeting.

I'll never deal with a big bank again. When I joined my Credit Union it only had four branches, and the service was incredible.

I think my original account with them had a flat monthly charge of $8, which included unlimited chequing, unlimited ATM use (with CU machines and most others), overdraft protection and so-forth. And you can't imagine how nice it is to walk into a place where "everybody knows your name".

Now they've absorbed another CU and they're getting a little too big for me; I'm looking for another tiny one.