Sunday, June 26, 2005

Lorne Nystrom's Files

Have a peek, Mr Goodale at former NDP Member of Parliament Lorne Nystrom’s files re the Canadian chartered banks when you get off the golf course and read how these institutions have treated poor people trying to open accounts, and how they blithely charge $30 for returning a cheque as fast as they can but when it comes time to honor a cheque they take five business days.

Now that the holidays are almost upon you, start calculating how much each Canadian with a business account is shoveling over to the banks (approximately $15 a month) and for what? These fees all add up, and explain why the banks have been making enormous, unheard of profits of late.

Mr Goodale, please, put the golf club down long enough to pick up the phone and give Mr Nystrom a call and ask him about those files. While you have real leverage with the banks while they want something from you (us), tell them for us to stop robbing us with their sneaky fees. They charge for personal and business cheques much more than what typical printers might. They charge to negotiate the cheque. They charge to return the cheques. They charge to use the atm machines. They charge to go to the teller (depending on your plan). They charge you to have a business account there. And if you throw in the value of your time while you’re waiting in line to be charged to see a teller, these fees and charges can easily add up to more than $2200. a year!

At one time not too long ago the federal government was actually threatening the banks with legislation to Roll Back their Near-Thievish Fees. Whatever happened to that position protecting the ordinary Canadian, Mr Goodale?

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