Random Thoughts

[Irish]

Am I missing something? Use a credit card. Get cash back/ miles. Pay the bill in full at the end of the month. Avoid the debit card fee entirely.

Or, switch to Schwab or USAA and avoid it that way.

Edit: btw this change isn't due to inflation or operational costs on a service. The fee is being raised because retailers successfully lobbied to have a cap put on the amounts banks can charge for processing debit cards.

So now that difference is being picked up by the consumer. Which is all kinds of backwards bullshit.

[Mara]

My good friend in high school who had sex with girls but wouldn't self-identify as a lesbian finally added me on Facebook. (I looked for her a dozen times, but she's going under a semi-assumed, ambiguously masculine name.)

I think she might be transexual. FB calls her a him. "...was tagged in his own photo." And she looks really, really masculine in the pictures... although that could mean anything.

Is there a polite way to ask?

[Fezzik]

I see what you mean, but over time, things go up in price. They always have.

Yeah. It sucks, but its the nature of economy in general.

On top of that, changing banks isn't always the solution. MOST banks are charging for cards now, so changing banks will only change which banks get the fee.

In addition, I'd rather pay $5 than have to change all my billing info with my creditors, change my direct deposit info with my workplace, and worry that I missed a bill because I forgot to change my bank information with my cable company or something.

This is where I think you are wrong. Debit Cards are a commodity now.

They are, and by their very nature (being a commodity) it means they have value, and therefore paying for them is not unreasonable.

[Mara]

... worry that I missed a bill because I forgot to change my bank information with my cable company or something.

Ugh, this reminds me of why I have a no-more-cards rule. I had a store-specific credit card with, like $30 on it, and when I moved I forgot to change my address with them. The $30 went to collections, and I ended up paying something like $200 to make it go away. It was still on my credit report when I bought my house, six years later.

After that I pared way down on my cards, and put as many bills on recurring electronic payments as possible.

[number8]

My good friend in high school who had sex with girls but wouldn't self-identify as a lesbian finally added me on Facebook. (I looked for her a dozen times, but she's going under a semi-assumed, ambiguously masculine name.)

I think she might be transexual. FB calls her a him. "...was tagged in his own photo." And she looks really, really masculine in the pictures... although that could mean anything.

Is there a polite way to ask?

Be direct is usually a good way to go. When my friend transitioned from male to female, we just straight up asked her during her early stages of hormone treatment when she wanted all of us to start switching the pronoun when referring to her.

But since in your case, I'm assuming you haven't talked to each other in years, I'd say just do general catch up and wait for it to come out naturally. It shouldn't take long, especially if you have each other's facebook. If, after a while, you suspect that he wants to bring it up but doesn't know how to start, then you ask directly.

[Mara]

I'm kind of afraid she will look at my facebook, decide I'm lame, and delete me. And then I'd have to stalk her, because I have a deep well of affection for her from back in the day, and I've always regretted we lost touch. (That was more or less deliberate on her part-- she cut ties with my hometown, hard.)

[number8]

I can't help you. Maybe take the pictures of you in a David Boreanaz pajama eating instant noodle out of a coffee mug off your page.

[Mara]

I can't help you. Maybe take the pictures of you in a David Boreanaz pajama eating instant noodle out of a coffee mug off your page.

I don't understand. Why would I delete the cool stuff?

[EyesWideOpen]

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday were three of the worst days of my adult life. I really hope that's all for the foreseeable future.

[Mara]

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday were three of the worst days of my adult life. I really hope that's all for the foreseeable future.

I'm sorry. That's terrible.

[Dukefrukem]

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday were three of the worst days of my adult life. I really hope that's all for the foreseeable future.

:sad:

[number8]

I'm not sure if this is supposed to be funny.

[Dukefrukem]

Which is why I posted a sad face.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday were three of the worst days of my adult life. I really hope that's all for the foreseeable future.

I'm sorry man. I hope everything turns around quickly.

[Qrazy]

Who says it should be free? It's a convenience and service to me. Debit cards are relatively new, only really replacing checks in the last 10-15 years. Banks used to get money when you ordered checks, and they have now lost that income.

I choose to use a bank-- I could stuff my money in my mattress if I wanted to.

Wells Fargo is one of the few really large banks that didn't threaten bankruptcy and take a government bail-out. I want them to remain solvent. I've gotten excellent service from them for the last... sheesh... thirteen years? I got my home mortgage through them. We have a mutually beneficial relationship and I'm willing to adapt as times change to maintain that.

Banks make a shitload of money off the money you keep in them. You owe them nothing.

[number8]

[youtube]EWRCZzaOYvE[/youtube]

[Ivan Drago]

Yeah page 1000!

[Thirdmango]

Yeah, Wells Fargo is doing a flat $15 monthly fee for their debit cards.

Can someone please link to this for me? I tried googling it and all I got was pages and pages of different forums of people discussing this. I need to see if this is something which directly affects me. If it is I NEED to cancel my card, considering I only keep 100-200 dollars in it at a time since I don't have a job and going to college, 15 dollars is a HUGE blow to me right now.

Wells Fargo has always treated me awful, but I've never had a large amount of money in the bank with them so they don't really need to treat me great which is probably their policy. I've gotten fees that suddenly appeared which I had to complain about because they'll give me a fee for something I never signed to and it'll put me over, overdraft me and suddenly I owe them 150 dollars in one day. Plus they have awful foreign travel policies. Ugh, banks drive me nuts, they hate people like me.

[Mara]

Can someone please link to this for me?

I'm not finding anything specific online, but I checked my debit account rules & regs and found this:

Monthly service and Point of Sale fees waived due to your banking relationship.

That's so funny, when I was just talking about my relationship with the bank.

[Ezee E]

I didn't realize that this was Random Thoughts and we were discussing Bond. Put that in the FD.

Meanwhile, I may or may not meet up with bac0n today. We'll see if he has time. I told him to meet me at the Retro Arcade bar I've talked about a few times here.

[Mara]

I didn't realize that this was Random Thoughts and we were discussing Bond. Put that in the FD.

But this is where we discuss unsubstantiated rumors.

[Spinal]

I didn't realize that this was Random Thoughts and we were discussing Bond. Put that in the FD.

Done.

[Dukefrukem]

[Dukefrukem]

Can someone please link to this for me? I tried googling it and all I got was pages and pages of different forums of people discussing this. I need to see if this is something which directly affects me. If it is I NEED to cancel my card, considering I only keep 100-200 dollars in it at a time since I don't have a job and going to college, 15 dollars is a HUGE blow to me right now.

Wells Fargo has always treated me awful, but I've never had a large amount of money in the bank with them so they don't really need to treat me great which is probably their policy. I've gotten fees that suddenly appeared which I had to complain about because they'll give me a fee for something I never signed to and it'll put me over, overdraft me and suddenly I owe them 150 dollars in one day. Plus they have awful foreign travel policies. Ugh, banks drive me nuts, they hate people like me.

If you use your debit card for purchases it affects you.

[Dead & Messed Up]

My dad just had a heart attack. They put in a stent. He's three thousand miles away. My mom told me I don't have to come, that he's fine now. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I want to visit, but my sister isn't visiting, and she lives much, much closer to him. I can't play cards tomorrow. How can I focus on learning spades? My mom says that he's doped up and flirting with the nurses. I talked to him for a few seconds. He said they had to shave his groin, but hell, it's cheaper than a bikini wax. Sounds stronger than ever. What a stupid fucking world. I love my dad.