They have you right where they want you...

[ProdigalJunkMail]

and it has been that way for years. It is like the old drug dealer adage, "The first one's free"...

With respect to debit cards and fees, they have suckered us all into a lifestyle that we cannot do without. You can use your debit card just like a credit card and we won't charge you. Your ATM usage comes with a fee, but you won't have to use it because your debit card works like a credit card. Oh, and we'll charge you to use an actual teller, but you won't have to do that either. Now that we have you where we want you, BAM...here's your new fee for your debit card.

You want to drive a HUGE SUV? Cool, oil and gas prices will be LOW LOW LOW to make sure that everyone had the time to get used to driving a friggin' behemoth...and once the average fuel economy is at about 12MPG, here come the fuel prices...

Ahhh, what a world...

sP

[ProdigalJunkMail]

1. oh, you have a few dings on your credit?

you gonna blame the economic downturn? that's ok, because now that we have you in an account that you cannot get out of we're gonna just JACK THOSE fees up a little bit ... nothing like a captive audience...

sP

[ProdigalJunkMail]

2. we're so glad you want/need a college degree

i mean, what with the fact that there are no manufacturing or construction jobs anymore and you HAVE to have a degree to get a job outside flipping burgers. so, now that you really need it, we hope you don't mind the 150% increase in tuition over the last couple of years...

sP

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. Economic hangover from Reagan screaming "Buy! Buy! Buy!"

[jwirr]

4. There is a drastic alternative - turn around and walk away. But that

means no one will ever do business with you again unless it is for cash.

[elleng]

5. Right, and deregulate EVERYTHING so there's NO COMPETITION!

[ProdigalJunkMail]

6. oh, you spent a truckload on money and put it on your credit cards

don't worry, you can pay off that high interest stuff with a home equity loan...ah, ok, now that we have you in a secured loan, we will be taking that 'security' off your hands because you never could afford the stuff in the first place.

enjoy your apartment living...assuming your credit survived.

sP

[dtexdem]

7. The debit card is a wonderful innovation.

And it should be free, because it is less costly for banks than dealing face-to-face with customers and than dealing with physical cash (because most debit card transactions are to directly purchase, rather than to access cash at the ATM.

And it is a boon to those who would otherwise use credit cards, because it is an instrument like a check, an alternate form of accessing cash taken from an account, rather than a means of getting a loan at a very-high rate of interest.

And the problem is not even primarily the recent and many, many past "fees" imposed for its use. The problem is how the financial institutions get away with manipulating all of our interactions with them so as to draw resources from us.