Color Me Red. Again.

One of the best things about this horrible macroeconomic episode our country is facing is that so many more people can identify with one another's dilemmas -- too much month at the end of the money, being hit with the late fee from Peter so you can pay Paul, etc.  I especially enjoy news stories that show how many other people are waking up to the outrages committed by our banks.  The "overdraft protection" scam is a classic.  The bank allegedly does you a favor by letting an overdraft slide, but then they charge you for it.  Their thinking is, You, the customer, don't want your local merchant knowing you don't have sufficient funds.  You don't want the embarrassment of being turned away...so we'll keep it between us...for a fee.  The trick, though, is that the bank will take their fee out BEFORE they post the withdrawal that puts you over.  They'll also post the highest amount that you've withdrawn at that point first.  It's a cascading effect.  It's happened to me numerous times -- I always hope the merchants are a half day slow in posting, especially at the end of a bad week, because my paycheck shows up at the stroke of midnight on Friday.  Often, a purchase on Thursday afternoon won't hit until after my check is in there.  It's been close many times.  Once or twice in the last year I've gotten slammed.  This week it happened again and the consequences were substantial.
Coming this close to payday, it's depressing because I put in a ton of overtime and already know my paycheck will be a big one.  But most of it will be eaten up by the NSF fee.  My bank has graciously informed its customers that as of AUGUST 10th, unless we "opt in" to remain with this process, we'll have the door slammed in our face by merchants if we become overdrawn.  However, they're not giving the option of opting out NOW.  Which means they're going to milk it for all it's worth between now and August.

Some of my fellow bloggers have installed a PayPal link and openly expressed a need for financial help.  I'm not ready to put the link up -- not yet, anyway -- but would like to make a humble plea for any sympathetic reader who might possibly have a spare shekel or two rattling around to keep this blog in mind and peruse the  links to Amazon and some other merchants I'm affiliated with.  They span several previous posts and are sprinkled all up and down this page.   If you need a gift for someone or decide it's finally time to read some book or other, and you see it here, please click.  So far, Amazon and LinkShare both swear up and down I've earned no commissions on anything, and I always wonder if that could possibly be right.  If you do use my links, drop me a line and let me know so I can keep track.  I don't need amounts or anything other than the date.  Also, if there's a title you're interested in, let me know that too and I'll post a link.  I'm not proud... pride's too rich for my blood these days.

~End of pity party.

Thanks!  And have a great day.
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