1.5%

Negative? Zero, more like.

For a picture of what'd happen then, look at Japan up til a year or two
ago.

 

LOL!

 

And I bet you go into the branch and pay for it with a cheque each
month, don't you?

 

<pats uncollared tracker mortgage at 0.79% over base>

Look, I'm fucking trying, OK! My new bluetooth car thing turned up
yesterday (Motorola T505 http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/t505/) -
it's jolly whizzy, I can tell you

Do you really think me buying a Porsche would make the difference. If
that's what it'll take, then I'll do my best.

 

You took your time )

All of those nice people on the wireless seem to be saying that we need
to be spending. Unfortunately, I can't do it as am being made worse
off[1] by interest rate cuts so I'll have to leave it up to you lot.

[1] OK - I'm not making as much interest as I was, so it *feels* like
being worse off.

 

Isn't that what a standing order is for?

 

Surprisingly there is still quite a number of customers who pay their
mortgage monthly in person by cheque or even cash. I did some
consultancy for a large international bank for their mortgage system and
had to include these payment methods in the scope of things.

 

I phoned IF this morning about moving money and the recorded message
before a human spoke said that they were passing the change on to
mortgage customers. They're paying me 1.4% on my savings.

 

Interest rates are, I think, still sub-inflationary. So you *are worse
off, in real terms.

 

Couldn't be bothered before, as was getting 5% or thereabouts. Have you
tried opening a new account lately? They want to see inside your pants. I
changed my IF account over to joint so the wife can get the dosh if I go
under a bus. Couldn't just add a name - had to open a new account and go
through all the stupid money-laundering stuff. I had to jump through
hoops just to prove who I was - leccy bills etc. and signed documents. I
already had a big pile of cash with them!

However, with such a big difference now, I may have to bite the bullet
and get on with it. I mean, why can't they just change the name of the
account and start giving me more interest? Save all that pissing about.

 

Of course! Inflation was 4% or so at the last count, wasn't it?

Oi, Champ! Go and buy that Porsche, stat!

 

Blimey - I think it's £175 on mine.

 

I've been using a headset thingg for the past couple of years. It
works OK, but the 'switching it on and attaching it to your ear' was a
pain when driving.

And, the T505 streams mp3s off my phone to the car stereo just
beautifully, again with just a couple of button presses (previous
solution reqd FM transmitter to be plugged into phone, and it drained
the phone battery a lot too).

Good point - I've been selfless too long!

Sure. Fortunately, I don't live in London.

 

When I had a mortgage paid by a DD on the 1st of every month the bank
Midland (now HSBC) had the goodness in their hearts to pay it:
On the 1st
On the 11th
On the 21st
and
On the 31st on one month.

Then they sent me a huge bill for a non arranged overdraft plus all the
interest. It took over a month to get my money paid back and even
longer (2 months) to get them to credit me with the charges and interest
charges. And nearly 3 months to get the interest added that I had lost
in the period, because that had without my authorisation removed money
from my deposit account to top up the current account.

Yes the bastards *can* steal your soul and I never go a "Sorry" out of
them, it was all a computer mistake.

I moved my account!

 

I just tried. Spent ages on the forms, details for both applicants,
previous addresses, much hour glass waiting and finally after all that,
"Welcome to our online application."

Incompetent twats.

 

**** Off You Red Nose Bastard ??

james

 

'Nosed', but otherwise bang on.

Google for "The clown joke"

 

Sounds familiar!

Yes indeed for the first 10 years.....

Aj

 

<Shuffles feet>

Yes.

 

Heh.

Oddly enough, a colleague got stung £40 by his building society last
month for an overdue standing order mortgage payment. Yes, his bank had
fucked up.

So he got onto the bank, and at my urging, got them not only to pay the
excess charge but also write to the building society explaining that it
was their error, and his credit rating shuldn't be marked down because
of it. They sent him a copy too.

Three days ago they did it *again*. Bank apologises again, credits him
with another £40, and wrote another letter.

Actually, in my case, I have two bank accounts and the amounts in them
fluctuate wildly, so I can easily see a situation where one account
wouldn't have enough to pay the mortgage and the other would. So cheque
it is.

Besides, I like cheques ;-)