Tag: banks

Why you will never pay off your credit card

Posted by – 21/02/2010

[via cracked.com]

For decades, credit cards have been a means by which large banks have loaned money to poor people at interest rates approaching infinity.

Click on image for full-size (600x1936)

A Brief History of Credit Cards

Incredibly, the above isn’t an exaggeration. There are people in this situation right now where each payment to their credit card company leaves them owing more. Only in the last few years has the government moved to stop banks from putting people in this cycle of infinite repayment (where the interest and fees are more than the monthly payments).

Who said banks were heartless?

Posted by – 18/02/2010

[via brisbanetimes.com.au]

Even after posting a $1.6 billion first quarter profit, Westpac was a melancholy bank shortly before 4pm today.

“Oh so very over it today,” Westpac announced to the world via its Twitter account.

The sullen tweet spread like wildfire and tugged at heart strings across the social networking site.

“Maybe you can go dive in a swimming pool full of my money to make you feel better,” said one concerned Tweeter in response.

“You’re a bank. You made a $1.6 billion first-quarter profit. Cheer up,” said another.

5 Reasons Not to Apply for a Loan Modification in the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP)

Posted by – 06/01/2010

[via wisebread.com]

The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) rolled out last year currently has over 700,000 people in trial modifications and a little over 30,000 in “permanent” modifications. The program has been plagued with consumer complaints of lost paperwork and denials. Here are some reasons why many consumers are better off skipping this program all together.

1. The “permanent” modification is not so permanent.