I Can't Stand Banks - They Are Criminals!

[ResidentEvil7]

I absolutely HATE banks, especially charge cards.  Where do I begin with this one, since we all can identify with this one?  I hate it when I obey the rules of the contract; pay on time with the amount they need and I feel they are jerking me around.  I was late on a bill on my second month by accident on my second ever month, because they changed the due dates around.  The first month I had my Best Buy Mastercard the bill was due on the 23rd of the month of April, but when May came around, they changed it to the 8th, and I didn't know about it until the 18th.  At least the worst that happened was a $15 penalty, but still.  I don't like paying on time and they're increasing my interest and my minimal payments.  I mean my first ever charge card was associated with Chase and my minimal on that card was $10, but they merged with Capital One and now they are charging me $25 minimal.  So I now have to come up with more money.  And it's all my cards.  They all want $25 each, and it's hard when money has become VERY hard to make.  My money account bank TCF (Jewels) was free to have an account with, but February they started with service and maintenance fees ($9.95 monthly), and since they never said a thing in any letter, phone or email, NOTHING, I didn't discover this until June when I noticed that my check book isn't adding up.  Seriously, I feel that the banks are screwing me around, and I can't keep up with their nonsense.  Take my advice for those with cards-- PAY THEM OFF, CUT THEM UP, CALL UP THE BANKS, CANCEL IT, BLAME THEM FOR THE RECESSION (since they and big greedy government caused it), AND NEVER USE THEM AGAIN.  Seriously, I always wondered who are the bigger criminals: the banks or the guy who enters a bank with a mask and gun.  I'm goin with the banks.

[Machias_B]

Well, the credit card companies are the actual problem from what I'm reading in your post. I refuse to USE credit cards, period - the fine print and special conditions are just too much. It's easier just live within my means... the banks are very good though, from my own experience.

The banks have no control over what the credit card companies do - that's up to the Federal Trade Commission. If you read the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), it will advise you if they are doing abusive practices, and how you can actually go after them legally. Changing the due dates without prior notice should not happen, I would think...

[BubblyShell22]

Whoa, that sucks, but I'd say to take Machi's advice. Someone's screwing you over, but I don't know if it's the banks. Just check it out.

[ResidentEvil7]

Chase, Capital One, HBSC, PayPal ARE banks and those are who my charge cards are with.  Changing the interest rates, changing the terms of conditions every other month, raising my minimals when I pay them off on time, hidden fees, charging people for not using those cards.  These are the same people who were issuing cards to people who can't prove they can pay them back, and the same people who gave mortages to those who can't pay them.  This explains the economic recession; banks giving too much to those who can't pay back, and then the state/federal government is doing the same thing, which is why more people are out of work and businesses aren't confident eough to hire.  I don't want to argue over it, but I know my experience with banks/charge cards, and I am being screwed.  Once those cards are paid off, I cancel them, and say that I build up enough credit.  I get the part where to avoid them to live within means, but in the real world you need to establish a credit history to get a mortage, rent from a landlord, car loan, college loan.  None of that comes cheap and most people need to build up credit to get approved for those important loans.  By now I build up enough credit to where I don't need those cards after they're all paid off.  Banks and bill creditors are all crooks and creepy sons of *****es!

[BubblyShell22]

Ah, I see, and I agree with you. The whole recession started with the banks, and no one's doing anything about it. It's just ridiculous.

[ResidentEvil7]

They were giving out too many bad loans and the bubble burst.  If you can't see what the cause of the economic problem, you won't.  I don't feel like arguing with a liberal it's not worth my time.

[Machias_B]

Liberal? Total opposite here, thanks...

And yes, there were too many bad loans being given out - many being forced by special interest groups with gov't ties. The other problem is that credit cards have Way too much fine print for Anyone to understand without half a dozen lawyers to go through... that's why I refuse to use them.

What I was thinking was that you can't really compare a small local bank to these mega conglomerates connected with all the credit cards. You may be able to get into a program with a local bank that would have better terms for you...

[BubblyShell22]

I'm not a liberal at all. In fact, I want nothing to do with politics because I hate them. Politicians are just crooks who are only in it for themselves. They don't care about anybody else and make empty-headed promises that they can't keep. Forget it. I want nothing to do with that.

[ResidentEvil7]

Well you are right about that.  But still everyone is either a conservative, independant or liberal.  It's not necessarily a political thing, because it's about personal principals.  The reason why I called you a liberal is because they argue about things without both backup and without an idea.  It's not calling you stupid either.  I understand that both GOP and Democrates are both somewhat responsible to what happens in this country, but I have a reason to follow politics.  I follow them because it helps identify who I am as a person, what I stand for, what my principals are and what your personality is.  I identify myself a far right conservative Republican.  It's because I don't believe in taxing us out of the recession, I don't believe in bashing, character assasination, name calling and then telling the other side that they can't talk trash to others like me, I don't believe in abortion, I don't believe in 9/11 being government run, I don't spend beyond my means (I did with my charge cards before, and trying to get out of it), I don't apologize for America's freedoms and success, I believe in our fighting soldiers, I don't trust unions and I don't believe in high taxes.  And Illinois has a lot of high taxes.  Eg. I work part time in construction at $10/hr for 20 hours a 3-day week.  I made $200, but I kept $130 of it.  That is Illinois and federal taxes.  I don't believe in spending a trillion dollars for failed legislations.  This is why I study politics, again it's for me to identify to me who I am as a person.  And you're also right that banks like what my charge cards are associated with; Chase, Best Buy, HBSC, Capital One, and Citi Bank are ripping people off.  I hear they're going to charege people $5 for debit charges starting after the New Year.  Do I need more reasons to hate banks?

[BubblyShell22]

Ah, I see. Well, I could care less. I have my own beliefs that don't necessarily relate to politics, so that's pretty much why I don't identify myself like that. I would've backed up my statements, but I was running low on time. However, it's the truth that the banks started the recession by screwing up the money, and then it snowballed from there. That's why people like me can't even get a job right now.

[ResidentEvil7]

Well you're not alone.  I've been looking for a job forever.  Managers are expecting too much of people.  It's like they want a guy in their teens or twenties to show the same qualifications that a person in their 40s have experience and background-wize.  It's not fair.  The banks did screw things up by giving out bad home loans, charge cards to everyone, car loans and college loans to those who can't prove they can pay those loans back.  It was known that the housing bubble would burst and it did.  Now we're all in trouble, China is owning us, meanwhile the Federal government is spending trillions of dollars on things that are not stimulating anything.  In fact it's the government is why businesses don't have the finanical confidence to hire; between high taxes (Illinois's corporate tax shot up early this year sending jobs to IN and WI), out of control spending, bailouts and heathcare law.  Seriously where's MY bailout?!  How come all the bad business practices among high end corporates that caused this mess in the first place get bailed out for their bad behavior?  Again, where's my bailout when I screw up?  So the banks and irrosponsible loaners may have started it, but the government is adding to it.  To add to that now I heard that Citibank is going to charge their client's accounts $15 monthly if you don't have at least $6,000 balance.  What average American has that?  Chase, Morgan Freeman, Wells Fargo, Fannie, Bank Of America are going to charge money for using Debit cards.  Where does it end?!  When I get those banks cards paid off, I'm going to dumb the account, and be done with it.  I hope enough people do that so they can send a message to those criminal banks who screwed us all over.  Greed is a powerful destructive enemy.

[BubblyShell22]

Well, Indiana is no better with the job market either. It seems that as soon as jobs come here, others get taken away. It's ridiculous. I heard about the banks charging for debit cards, and that's stupid.

[ResidentEvil7]

Plus Citibank is going to charge $15 per month if you don't carry a minimal balance of $6,000.  Seriously did these banks just wake up one day and asked themselves how are we going to profit off at the expense of everyone else?  It's gotten down to the point you have to buy everything in full including your car, college and home, because borrowing has become a knife to the throat.  To take another money hit (meaning debits) it's just ridiculous.  People aren't going to survive as long as big brother banker act like they're above the rest of civilization.  Samething this with the government.  Life would be better if they just left us alone, and go back to the old America during the Regan years.

[BubblyShell22]

I wasn't born during the Regan years, so I don't know anything about that. But I do know that what the banks are doing is crazy. They're doing more harm than good, and that's just awful.

[Raphael]

And, unfortunately, they're not going to stop anytime soon partially because people are allowing it to happen. Not so much bank charges, not a lot you can do about that (short of keeping your money under your mattress) but people keep maxing out credit cards, and paying the excessive interest rates. If people stopped using their cards, or paid off the balance every month, the banks/credit card companies wouldn't make so much money off of them. (Granted, they'd probably up the annual fees or some other fees to try and make up the difference)

Banks/credit card companies are businesses.  Businesses stay in business by making money. 'Tis the nature of consumerism.

Not to say I agree with it, but it is what it is.

[BubblyShell22]

Yes, that's true. People need to be educated on credit card use so they don't put themselves into debt.

[ResidentEvil7]

But this is what isn't making sense.  They're making all this extra revenue, through scamming card holders, but they still will not lend money to expand and grow businesses and get those who can prove to buy a home mortage which is now at 3.94% rate.  Things would get better if they would lend to businesses and the federal government would stop spending mass numbers of dollars on helping out Greece, healthcare, a so-called stimulous, and much more.  Since when did $1 Trillion become such a low number to buricrate spenders?

And this is another thing I hate about the banks.  They gave out all this money to so many people including illegals who will max them out and refuse to pay back, and now they're not lending at all.  People who worked hard, went to school to get a good paying job, bought a home they could pay off and now they have lost their jobs, then they lost their homes, their credit, and they are living in poverty (1/4 kids; 1/7 on food stamps).  Even my dad said last night the banks really screwed up this country, and they're still looking for more greed.

I'm not saying that I'm completley innocent on card usage, but I didn't get myself in as much trouble as some other kids.  I bought a 42" 720p HDTV Sept. 2008 for $960 (still in payments), and because of interest, that TV will end up costing me $2,500+ in the end.  I could of gotten a 60" 1080p 240Hz 3D TV by the time my current TV is paid off.  Such a mistake.  For now on when I pay those banking cards off, cut them up, call in to cancel the account, tell them what I think of them, and charge what I have as long as I have the cash to pay it off the same month.  I only need just 1 card.