In 1997 when I moved my family to Richland, WA from Edimburgh UK, I liked my new bank. My children were growing up fast at the time, with all the found memories that now go with it.
Today, I could not shake away my doubts that my dear old bank has truly lost memory in a bad way, not just in a convenient way and this is why I think so.
Eventually, after we had moved to California, my dear old bank was purchased by an even bigger bank, but I didn't close my account then. I didn't close my account when I felt that bank associates were more concerned with towing the line than to trust their wits, or when the in-house financial advisor suddenly tried to sell me mortgage backed securities just before the recession hit, or while my dear old bank charged me $10 a month to process automatic payments for some supplemental dental insurance with a lifetime benefit cap of $1500. It didn't even crossed my mind that I wanted to keep my teeth together for longer than 15 years, duh!
It is weird how tiny things make a difference in life, at least in mine: I gave up to my doubts when I realized that my dear old bank had spent more on postage to PR me than it had paid me interests since 2008. Every three months, I get in my PO Box one of those glossy little invitations to open up a new $5000 or $8000 bank account in exchange for a $150 or $200 reward. The smart way to look at those offerings is as short terms 3% and 2.5% CDs, and I ain't blaming anyone for doing so. Still, it is me and all the other sedentary bank account and long term CD holders who pay for bank associates to spend from 15 to 30 minutes opening each one of those new accounts that will invariably be drained when they come to term in 90 or 180 days.
So there was my dear old bank engaging in a promotion to attract migratory customers while reducing the bottom line of its long term patrons, who are its creditors, and it was doing so with my money. That made no sense to me.
Today, I bailed out and strangely it feels good. In fact it feels so good that as soon as I get back some cell phone any-time minutes and a fresh data quota I will call my dear old health insurance company who has lost my first ACA payment from January 2014 and hasn't returned any of my phone calls or emails yet.
Life is Good! Cheers!
Palmipede