XPost: nf.general 
 From: tsanford@nf.sympatico.ca 
  
 Topic #1. Surcharges on using debit cards. 
 "JustBrowsing"  wrote in message 
 news:1119573777.319559.304150@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com... 
 > Oh my oh my.....I am so sick of people blaming the big bad bank for 
 > everything wrong with thier finances. Whether it is .08 or .35 cents it 
 > is a very small amount to pay for the convenience of using the debit 
 > card. ...................... snipped ................. 
 > 
 Right on: And we have the convenience of electronic/telephone banking which 
 has to paid for somehow. 
 See Topic #2 below. 
  
 Hopefully with competition (Topic #3) in the financial sector these and the 
 various surcharge we have been discussing will remain reasonable. You are 
 correct; whether it was 8 cents, 25, or 50 cents on that $3.44 purchase the 
 other day it is immaterial to my monthly/annual budget and I have to the 
 choice, to NOT BUY. 
 But as the first time encountering any such surcharge it was a shock; 
 something else about 'the system' that I had just learnt and now had to be 
 aware of. 
 Gee whiz next time I go in to top up the fuel in my vehicle, at today's 
 gasoline prices, will there be a surcharge, because "The policy of this 
 company is a surcharge on less than a complete fill-up. That's in the range 
 of fifty dollars, sir"! 
  
 Thin edge of a wedge? Maybe? 
  
 Topic #2. The conveniences have to be paid for. But even with today's 
 electronic process the banks have use of (daily) many billions of our 
 dollars that are transiting their systems. Not only don't they pay interest 
 (Any debit disappears from my account immediately, but doesn't show up as 
 quickly to the payee!) they have use of that money to finance their 
 investments and operations. 
  
  
 Topic #3. Some indication of competition, for customers business within the 
 financial sector can be seen by looking at the interest rates paid and 
 charged in other countries. One country within the EU community, for 
 example, currently has saving accounts that pay over 5% interest, and this 
 is on all amounts of savings large or small and with funds readily 
 available. In Canada it tends to be 2.5%. That country also have 'zero per 
 cent' transferred balance interest rate credit cards for various periods 
 such as 6 or 9 months to one year. You have to know what you are doing with 
 these and as said the zero-percent applies, in most cases, only to any 
 balance you transfer from another debt instrument. Nothing with even 'a low 
 interest' rate, let alone zero-percent seems to be available in North 
 America? If anyone knows of one please post here! 
  
 Interesting stuff this money business. 'Just browsing' has a good point 
 along the lines of 'Don't sweat the small stuff". Just need to know which is 
 'small', or potentially significant or 'large'. Eh? 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)