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I just rage quit my bank after 15 years and went to the credit union across the street (DISCUSS: banks vs credit unions)

  1. gadzooks Dark Matter [keratinize my mild-tasting blossoming]
    Originally posted by hydromorphone I think it's silly when I hear someone- usually over the age of 50, although I have come across one person who was in their 30's who did this- refuses to use smartphones, or computers because they're scared that they'll be 'hacked', as though they have information valuable enough for someone to go out of their way to hack this one individual, when they barely get a $1,000 SSDI check, and most the time their bank account barely has $5 in it. lol it drove me nuts when seniors don't want to make an email account even just because they're afraid it'll be hacked.

    Yeah that's pretty much my mom right there. Although she has started trusting online banking at her home computer only (i.e. she still doesn't trust phone banking apps, because she thinks that if she loses her phone and someone else finds it, or somebody steals it, they can use it to sign in).

    To be honest though, as much as it annoys me when people are like that (I used to work at a billing support call center for a major cell phone service provider, so I dealt with people like that ALL. THE. TIME.), but their fears are not entirely baseless. I mean, one thing I had to deal with a lot at the call center was people calling in asking about that text message they just got "from us" asking them to follow a link and enter their banking info to receive some kind of refund "from us". Tragically, a lot of people fall for it, especially senior citizens for example, but it's because they don't yet have the experience with technology, as well as the "street smarts" that a lot of us have, to be able to distinguish right away between a legitimate request for banking and personal info and a fraudulent one.
  2. Ajax African Astronaut [rumor the placative aphakia]
    Originally posted by gadzooks So basically it's a justification for pushing the poor further into debt… It's like a tax on poverty. That is so fucking wrong it absolutely blows my mind.



    I wouldn't mind if it was a percentage of the amount I was short, for example, because I'm only ever short maybe a couple hundred bucks (at the most), and then I can find the money to repay it within days typically. I virtually never carry a negative balance.

    There's a reason that a flat tax, for example, is considered a regressive taxation system.

    The same applies to a flat rate on things like this.

    It’s not a tax on poverty. It’s a disincentivization technique to modify the behavior of people to stop spending money they don’t have. A technique that appears, by proof of this thread, to be working.
  3. Soyboy IV: The Flower of Death and The Crystal of Life African Astronaut [the oppositely able-bodied hop-step-and-jump]
    Originally posted by gadzooks I wouldn't mind if it was a percentage of the amount I was short, for example, because I'm only ever short maybe a couple hundred bucks (at the most), and then I can find the money to repay it within days typically.

    Perhaps it could be considered a fine - if you bounce cheques then you damage your banks reputation. I believe that banks have fired their customers for such practices in the past (no, can't cite an example).

    Did you know that theoretically a cheque is just a contract, cheque books are just a convenience, you can write a cheque on whatever. During the poll tax revolt in England people were paying their poll tax (a flat tax on each voter) with cheques written on all sorts of crap, like banana skins.
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  4. Ajax African Astronaut [rumor the placative aphakia]
    Originally posted by MORALLY SUPERIOR BEING IV: The Flower of Death and The Crystal of Life Perhaps it could be considered a fine - if you bounce cheques then you damage your banks reputation. I believe that banks have fired their customers for such practices in the past (no, can't cite an example).

    Did you know that theoretically a cheque is just a contract, cheque books are just a convenience, you can write a cheque on whatever. During the poll tax revolt in England people were paying their poll tax (a flat tax on each voter) with cheques written on all sorts of crap, like banana skins.

    I can see that. That’s probably why you can order books of checks from all sorts of places online and not just your bank.
  5. gadzooks Dark Matter [keratinize my mild-tasting blossoming]
    Originally posted by Ajax It’s not a tax on poverty. It’s a disincentivization technique to modify the behavior of people to stop spending money they don’t have. A technique that appears, by proof of this thread, to be working.

    And credit is an incentivization technique to modify the behavior of people to start spending money they don't have.

    And the only lesson here is to be born into better circumstances so that you can build credit from a young age, rather than being the victim of shitty circumstances that force you into debt from a young age.

    Next time I'm born, I'll pick a stable household like some of my friends had (who are now, of course, doing really well financially). My bad, I guess.
  6. Ajax African Astronaut [rumor the placative aphakia]
    Originally posted by gadzooks And credit is an incentivization technique to modify the behavior of people to start spending money they don't have.

    And the only lesson here is to be born into better circumstances so that you can build credit from a young age, rather than being the victim of shitty circumstances that force you into debt from a young age.

    Next time I'm born, I'll pick a stable household like some of my friends had (who are now, of course, doing really well financially). My bad, I guess.

    Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
  7. gadzooks Dark Matter [keratinize my mild-tasting blossoming]
    Originally posted by Ajax Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.

    Dude, again, I want to reiterate: I am a pretty resilient and self-sufficient person.

    Ironically, I now earn more than any of my aforementioned friends with good financial standing. I worked my ass off to get where I am, and overcame all kinds of obstacles. They might have good credit and lots of assets (from working and saving up while living at home with their parents, whereas I was stuck living paycheck to paycheck trying to make ends meet), but, at least now I make an enviable salary. I just need to climb my way out of debt, and work gradually on building my credit. $48 NSF fees are not exactly helping with that, but whatever.

    Still, I 100% stand by my accusation that the system is fundamentally broken. Poor people will always continue getting poorer. Even though I worked my ass off to "pull myself up by the bootstraps" and ameliorate my condition, I don't go around telling other poor people to just "work harder" and stop complaining.
  8. Ajax African Astronaut [rumor the placative aphakia]
    Originally posted by gadzooks Dude, again, I want to reiterate: I am a pretty resilient and self-sufficient person.

    Ironically, I now earn more than any of my aforementioned friends with good financial standing. I worked my ass off to get where I am, and overcame all kinds of obstacles. They might have good credit and lots of assets (from working and saving up while living at home with their parents, whereas I was stuck living paycheck to paycheck trying to make ends meet), but, at least now I make an enviable salary. I just need to climb my way out of debt, and work gradually on building my credit. $48 NSF fees are not exactly helping with that, but whatever.

    Still, I 100% stand by my accusation that the system is fundamentally broken. Poor people will always continue getting poorer. Even though I worked my ass off to "pull myself up by the bootstraps" and ameliorate my condition, I don't go around telling other poor people to just "work harder" and stop complaining.

    Why not? That’s what I had to do. That’s what you had to do. That’s what they need to do.
  9. gadzooks Dark Matter [keratinize my mild-tasting blossoming]
    Originally posted by Ajax Why not? That’s what I had to do. That’s what you had to do. That’s what they need to do.

    Yeah, but it really shouldn't be that way.

    People shouldn't have to overcome such hardships.

    There is a sizeable proportion of the population that don't have to deal with such things, and it's not exactly fair to those who do.

    I personally wouldn't wish some of the things I've had to deal with upon even my worst enemy, let alone someone I care about.
  10. SpaceCakes African Astronaut
    I robbed 3 banks and stabbed the bottom but thingy at a Credit Union today. I'm on the run
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  11. infinityshock Black Hole
    Originally posted by SpaceCakes I robbed 3 banks and stabbed the bottom but thingy at a Credit Union today. I'm on the run

    post nude selfies or didnt happen, you sloppy nigger
  12. SpaceCakes African Astronaut
    Originally posted by infinityshock post nude selfies or didnt happen, you sloppy nigger

    I would but I dropped them before I could post them online. which now the cops will find a bunch of dead corpse at the bank and my nude photos.

    Maybe I can say I dropped them hours prior.
  13. Ajax African Astronaut [rumor the placative aphakia]
    Originally posted by gadzooks Yeah, but it really shouldn't be that way.

    People shouldn't have to overcome such hardships.

    There is a sizeable proportion of the population that don't have to deal with such things, and it's not exactly fair to those who do.

    I personally wouldn't wish some of the things I've had to deal with upon even my worst enemy, let alone someone I care about.

    But it is that way. People do have to overcome hardships. That’s how life is. Your view has been tainted by whatever caused you to expect life to be different. Having the opportunity to make something of yourself should make you value and appreciate what you have, especially after having worked for it. Don’t squander that opportunity.
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  14. Erekshun Naturally Camouflaged
    Everyone should get out of debt. the banks would hate it! Quit buying shit on the credit card!
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  15. gadzooks Dark Matter [keratinize my mild-tasting blossoming]
    Originally posted by Ajax But it is that way. People do have to overcome hardships. That’s how life is. Your view has been tainted by whatever caused you to expect life to be different. Having the opportunity to make something of yourself should make you value and appreciate what you have, especially after having worked for it. Don’t squander that opportunity.

    I don't entirely disagree with you here.

    In fact, reading a lot of Nietzsche, and of course the Stoic philosophers (Aurelius, Seneca, etc) has kinda instilled the same kind of philosophy in me.

    However, one place I disagree (with Nietzsche, at least, as his position on adversity is pretty radical), is the whole notion that unnecessary hardship shouldn't be prevented.

    Things like the poor getting poorer because of a system stacked against them are just one example of unnecessary hardship.
  16. gadzooks Dark Matter [keratinize my mild-tasting blossoming]
    Originally posted by Erekshun Everyone should get out of debt. the banks would hate it! Quit buying shit on the credit card!

    That's right! People should just make more money so that they can afford to buy everything they need with their hard earned expendable income.

    How dare some people earn minimum wage, or be stuck with medical expenses when they could be using that money to pay rent.
  17. SpaceCakes African Astronaut
    Originally posted by gadzooks I don't entirely disagree with you here.

    In fact, reading a lot of Nietzsche, and of course the Stoic philosophers (Aurelius, Seneca, etc) has kinda instilled the same kind of philosophy in me.

    However, one place I disagree (with Nietzsche, at least, as his position on adversity is pretty radical), is the whole notion that unnecessary hardship shouldn't be prevented.

    Things like the poor getting poorer because of a system stacked against them are just one example of unnecessary hardship.

    “Millions of books written on every conceivable subject by all these great minds and in the end, none of them knows anything more about the big questions of life than I do … I read Socrates. This guy knocked off little Greek boys. What the Hell’s he got to teach me? And Nietzsche, with his theory of eternal recurrence. He said that the life we lived we’re gonna live over again the exact same way for eternity. Great. That means I’ll have to sit through the Ice Capades again. It’s not worth it. And Freud, another great pessimist. I was in analysis for years and nothing happened. My poor analyst got so frustrated, the guy finally put in a salad bar. Maybe the poets are right. Maybe love is the only answer.” -Woody Allen
  18. Erekshun Naturally Camouflaged
    Originally posted by gadzooks That's right! People should just make more money so that they can afford to buy everything they need with their hard earned expendable income.

    How dare some people earn minimum wage, or be stuck with medical expenses when they could be using that money to pay rent.

    How dare those people as me to pay for it!
  19. SpaceCakes African Astronaut
    if they stop income tax, more money to the people. this way they only pay taxes on purchases. they can hoard their money or buy shit and make the economy flow
  20. Ajax African Astronaut [rumor the placative aphakia]
    Originally posted by Erekshun Everyone should get out of debt. the banks would hate it! Quit buying shit on the credit card!

    This, seriously.

    Originally posted by gadzooks That's right! People should just make more money so that they can afford to buy everything they need with their hard earned expendable income.

    How dare some people earn minimum wage, or be stuck with medical expenses when they could be using that money to pay rent.

    Yes, either increase your income or cut your expenses. Why not both?

    Originally posted by SpaceCakes if they stop income tax, more money to the people. this way they only pay taxes on purchases. they can hoard their money or buy shit and make the economy flow

    I pay more in taxes than a lot of people earn in a year. Some would call that unfair. Others would push their way to the front of the line with their palms up.
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