Re:The Real Reason The Poor Go Without Bank Accounts
by nullc on Saturday September 21, 2013 @01:18PM
(#6423643)
> but is a complete non-starter in my country where retail bank accounts with a positive balance usually are usually fee-free,
But not penalty free. A few months ago, I clicked a form twice in my online brokerage and accidentally doubled a ACH transfer from my bank account. Since I was transferring more than half, the double transaction was too much. My bank hit me with a $25 fee.
No big deal to me— but to many poor people a $25 fee could start a spiral of overdrafts which would leave them hopelessly short money. To someone in that situation an arrangement which charged them 5% per transaction would be preferable to one which carried any risk at all of an overdraft spiral of doom.
But not penalty free. A few months ago, I clicked a form twice in my online brokerage and accidentally doubled a ACH transfer from my bank account. Since I was transferring more than half, the double transaction was too much. My bank hit me with a $25 fee.
No big deal to me— but to many poor people a $25 fee could start a spiral of overdrafts which would leave them hopelessly short money. To someone in that situation an arrangement which charged them 5% per transaction would be preferable to one which carried any risk at all of an overdraft spiral of doom.