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BANKERS' BONUSES- We can do something!!

Banker’s bonuses. We can influence the outcome!
CHANGE YOUR ACCOUNT TO A MUTUAL BANK.
Banks were once a place where folk stored their money. This money was then used to help businesses grow, and the interest rate paid savers and the bank.
Too naïve? Obviously. It seems that nowadays, Banks are just a larger version of a Betting Office. Bankers spend most of their time buying and selling from each other in a financial version of Musical Chairs, except the music never stops.
Until 2 years ago when somebody noticed that all their betting was built on sand. No one was betting on businesses actual worth, but just on the rise, or even fall, of the share price, or even on the variation in the price of MONEY!!

A story I read recently draws a parallel; an antique dealer bought a Commode for £400. He took it round the corner to a fellow dealer who gave him £500 for it. But later, the seller started thinking he had sold it too cheaply, so bought it back again for £550. Then the second dealer, having the same thought, bought it back again for £600.
Then he sold it to a (REAL!) customer for £700. The original seller came back again “Where’s that commode I sold you?”
“Oh, I sold it”
Why? It was making us so much money” !!

This is just like Bankers trading. Each trade gets a small commission. Backwards and forwards (?) to each other. But there is no value in the sale. And in the end, SOMEONE must pay.
Us?
The huge bonuses are paid to the most daring Bettor in this “Market”, making ever-weirder risks happen
It seems that the Chancellor can’t -or won’t - put a stop to this stupidity (he’ll be told that ‘everyone else is the same, world-wide’ etc. no doubt.)
So the whirligig will whirl ever on?

But perhaps WE as a group can stop it?
Individually we can’t. But if we all start to take our business out of Banks that are paying these huge ‘bonuses’ and TELL them why we’re moving?

Some Banks, like the Co-op, are Mutuals, so any profit comes back to us, the customers!
Shall we start to use our financial clout to change things? It seems the Government can’t.
We can!

Chris in Bristol
«134

Comments

  • Lokolo
    Lokolo Posts: 20,861 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts
    I'm happy with HSBC to be honest.
  • jambosans
    jambosans Posts: 1,493 Forumite
    I would love to join the Co-Op, if they only extended their branch network in Scotland from one.
    Anything I post is my opinion, so from time to time I may be wrong. I try to provide answers based in fact, however I don't know everything, so (like all posters on MSE), take what I say with a pinch of salt.
  • CHANGE YOUR ACCOUNT TO A MUTUAL BANK
    Why? Nationwide is acting just like a bank these days; dire savings interest rates, expensive mortgage rates (when compared to savings rates,) dire customer service...

    I expect the Co-op to be no different.
    Conjugating the verb 'to be":
    -o I am humble -o You are attention seeking -o She is Nadine Dorries
  • withnell
    withnell Posts: 1,629 Forumite
    When the co-op / Nationwide pay decent rates I'll happily move - any other mutuals offering current accounts with a good rate?
  • Inactive
    Inactive Posts: 14,509 Forumite
    withnell wrote: »
    When the co-op / Nationwide pay decent rates I'll happily move - any other mutuals offering current accounts with a good rate?

    Nationwide do pay " decent rates " to their Directors.:D

    Sadly not their customers any more.
  • Sceptic001
    Sceptic001 Posts: 1,111 Forumite
    Why? Nationwide is acting just like a bank these days; dire savings interest rates, expensive mortgage rates (when compared to savings rates,) dire customer service...
    Indeed, and according to page 49 of its annual report it paid £6.5 million in salaries and bonuses to its seven executive directors.

    EDIT: Ha, Inactive beat me to it!!!
  • To the OP, I bet you have a Che Guevara. t-shirt or poster?
  • I think the OP is a Co-op director. Sounds nothing but an advert to me.....thought that was banned on this forum?
    Debts at LBM (May '08) £5760 - Lloyds CC £4260, Lloyds OD £1500;
    Debts as of May 28th 2011:
    Santander CC: £0.00
    Lloyds OD : £0.00
    DFW Nerd #1247 - Proudly dealt with my Debts :D Olympic 2012 Challenge #12
  • Mutuals? Own by members. Why o why? Most of the so called members nearly closed down and were taking over by other mutuals.

    So why would an individual risk putting money in these?
    Motto: 'If you don't ask, you don't get!!'

    Remember to say thank you to people who help you out!

    Also, thank you to people who help me out.
  • opinions4u
    opinions4u Posts: 19,411 Forumite
    Ocellia wrote: »
    Banker’s bonuses. We can influence the outcome!
    CHANGE YOUR ACCOUNT TO A MUTUAL BANK.
    Why? Do mutuals not pay their directors large salaries and bonuses?

    In fact, if you measured Chief Executive pay for 2007 per £ profit made, I'd hazard a guess that the top 50 payers would be mutual building societies.
    Banks were once a place where folk stored their money. This money was then used to help businesses grow, and the interest rate paid savers and the bank.
    Some still are.
    A story I read recently draws a parallel; an antique dealer bought a Commode for £400. He took it round the corner to a fellow dealer who gave him £500 for it. But later, the seller started thinking he had sold it too cheaply, so bought it back again for £550. Then the second dealer, having the same thought, bought it back again for £600.
    Then he sold it to a (REAL!) customer for £700. The original seller came back again “Where’s that commode I sold you?”
    “Oh, I sold it”
    Why? It was making us so much money” !!
    Well they've made £300 profit between them haven't they?
    The huge bonuses are paid to the most daring Bettor in this “Market”, making ever-weirder risks happen
    As stated previously, the biggest benefit packages per £ profit made in 2007 clearly went to the chief executives of mutuals.
    But perhaps WE as a group can stop it?
    Individually we can’t. But if we all start to take our business out of Banks that are paying these huge ‘bonuses’ and TELL them why we’re moving?
    Show me a bank or building society where they don't pay their head honcho and I'll consider it.
    Some Banks, like the Co-op, are Mutuals, so any profit comes back to us, the customers!
    How? Show me the value of that dividend and compare it to the naff savings rates they pay. Prove to me it's financially beneficial to me. It isn't. So I'm not moving to Co-op.
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