A Bankers View, Open Letter To Martin Lewis And His Followers On Bank Charges.

fiveyearplan

BANKER_GIRL wrote: »

Maybe, but i simply do not wish to throw money away on something i do not need at the moment. I am exceptionally frugal, always have been, with my own money. And until i feel there is no chance i will get myself into financial difficulties i will manage my money in this way, and i am happy with that.

If your income is just at the level of making ends meet and even say £15 per month on internet you cannot afford then please don't say 'until I feel there is NO chance I will get myself into financial difficulties'... If the wind was blowing in a different direction it could throw you into severe financial difficulties and possibly homeless! Do you think all these people on here have chosen to be where they are. You BG don't have a clue if you were to lose your health, job, boyfriend (or all 3) how would you make ends meet? You don't have a right to judge people or presume that everyone wants to live their lives without taking any risks.

krisskross

fiveyearplan wrote: »

If your income is just at the level of making ends meet and even say £15 per month on internet you cannot afford then please don't say 'until I feel there is NO chance I will get myself into financial difficulties'... If the wind was blowing in a different direction it could throw you into severe financial difficulties and possibly homeless! Do you think all these people on here have chosen to be where they are. You BG don't have a clue if you were to lose your health, job, boyfriend (or all 3) how would you make ends meet? You don't have a right to judge people or presume that everyone wants to live their lives without taking any risks.

But banker girl IS making ends meet. Remember the wise words of Mr. Micawber.

At least if some unforeseen circumstances mess up her financial plans then she won't have debts to service as well as live. I reckon most people who fall on hard times and have to rely on benefits will agree that they could actually manage on benefit income if only they had no debts.

fiveyearplan

I didn't say she isn't making ends meet. I said, read carefully, that she is JUST making ends meet if £15 per month could make that much difference to her. Also, I don't recall her saying anything about her living arrangements. Does she rent, mortgage etc., with partner, without partner etc. Rental agreement etc. Any break up or health problem that could see her income drastically reduced or stopped altogether could cause ANYONE (including BG) to struggle financially. If she is in a rental agreement and it was say for 12 months and she was only 1 month in how would she pay? Even if she signed on to benefits I think they pay in arrears etc. Blah, blah,blah, just as we cannot judge her situation, she cannot make so many blind assumptions about other people - that was my point!

rog2

krisskross wrote: »

But banker girl IS making ends meet.

At the moment, perhaps, kk - unfortunately life has an unpredictable habit of releasing quantities of 'brown stuff' when least expected.

The words of the fictional Mr Micawber are hardly relevant in those cases.

fiveyearplan

Please could you tell me where to find these 'fantastic stats, figures and comments', BG?

I did ask the question before, but my post appears to have been 'moderated'.

I am genuinely interested to know the 'fantastic stats' that back up your original post.

Rog2, I see you're still waiting for these fantasy (sorry fantastic) stats, figures and comments

rog2

fiveyearplan wrote: »

Please could you tell me where to find these 'fantastic stats, figures and comments', BG?

I did ask the question before, but my post appears to have been 'moderated'.

I am genuinely interested to know the 'fantastic stats' that back up your original post.

Rog2, I see you're still waiting for these fantasy (sorry fantastic) stats, figures and comments

Yes, fyp - afraid so - I can't see why my original post was deleted - it certainly wasn't 'abusive'.

kittiej

Can you please tell me Banker Girl because I would be most interested to know.

Exactly what does your bank do with the money they receive and/or hold for customers?

Does it just sit in some big vault all day and all night or does the bank use it to fund things which it can then charge new customers interest on?

Perhaps the bank even funds something far more sinister?

Just being a nosey old trout of course.

rog2

kittiej wrote: »

Exactly what does your bank do with the money they receive and/or hold for customers?

Does it just sit in some big vault all day and all night or does the bank use it to fund things which it can then charge new customers interest on?

Perhaps the bank even funds something far more sinister?

Looking at things that way, kittie, I suppose we then become the Bank's Creditors. Shame we can't get away with dictating, to them, what we can 'charge' them for doing what they like with our money.

On your second point there is no 'perhaps'.

Charis

krisskross wrote: »

I reckon most people who fall on hard times and have to rely on benefits will agree that they could actually manage on benefit income if only they had no debts.

KrissKross,
Benefit for a 25 year old on JSA is about £58 a week. If they live with a partner, even that is taken away from them. It is entirely possible to go through months of Job Seeking and still not be offered even a part time job.

If said partner is on a low income or does agency work, life becomes an impossible struggle. Because of Data Protection he must be the one to take time off work to visit the credit help agencies. Meanwhile the debts pile up, the rent is not paid and, as other posters have illustrated, all you need least is for one direct debit to send you over the limit into that terrible spiral of debt. You don't need to be a scoundrel, a waster or an idiot to find yourself in this situation. It must hurt like hell to be sneered at by some kid who thinks you should know better.

Have a good Christmas Banker Girl and spare a thought for those less fortunate than yourself. I hope you never find yourself in receipt of the kind of response you say you enjoy giving. Don't be too smug, though, no-one knows what is going to happen to world finances in the next twelve months.

krisskross

Charis wrote: »

KrissKross,
Benefit for a 25 year old on JSA is about £58 a week. If they live with a partner, even that is taken away from them. It is entirely possible to go through months of Job Seeking and still not be offered even a part time job.

If said partner is on a low income or does agency work, life becomes an impossible struggle. Because of Data Protection he must be the one to take time off work to visit the credit help agencies. Meanwhile the debts pile up, the rent is not paid

Everyone is entitled to Housing Benefit and Council tax benefit if they are on a low income and are renting. If the home is mortgaged then I would expect mortgage protection insurance to have been taken out.

Honestly I am not unsympathetic but you really do seem to think it is all 'someone else's ' fault. I have lived a hand to mouth existence before there was the benefit safety net there is now. But then neither was there the opportunity to have DD's and debt etc. Paid in cash, coin meters for the gas and electricity. If we had no money then we went without until we got paid again.

We learned very hard lesson and when we found ourselves a bit better off we scrimped to put away 3 months bills money which was never ever touched. As you say disaster can strike anyone which is why you must have a contingency plan.