Quote Originally Posted by el capitan View Post

And people keep harping on to the old days, but 40 years ago you would have been paid weekly, your bills would have been paid by you when you had the money, You would have lived week to week, not month to month, and it was virtually impossible for you to go overdrawn. the system of automated payments and monthly pay has actually created a problem/phenominen that did not exist, and the banks have taken advantage of it.
I opened my first bank account in 1959. I was aged 19. At that time for anyone to open an account one needed references. Thus only people whom the manger was satisfied could be trusted were allowed to open accounts.

Although computers had not been invented, issuing cheques could cause an account to be overdrawn or the cheques being returned as unpaid. However, in those days the manager knew and respected his customers. On just one occasion a cheque was presented on my account when funds were insufficient, but the manager allowed the over payment. I doubt whether a computer would do that now !!!!

So maybe the 'good old days' did exist and at times were better !!!!