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| Image Credit Not that kind of bank...although it does lend itself nicely to the whole bank/wank word play |
Brace yourself people, today I’m whining for Australia about
banks….
Once upon a time I was deemed important enough to be a
primary account holder.
To be a financial decision maker.
Worthy of my bank’s time.
But then I had kids and stopped working full time, thus
rendering me virtually mute, useless, in the eyes of my various banks.
Seriously, what’s up with that?
I’ve been with one particular bank since I was born.
I’ve managed to not go bankrupt, to maintain a positive bank balance
(sometimes by the smallest of margins), and even maintain and pay off a credit
card and loans – go me!
Then I coupled up and added a husband to the equation, and still,
my banks were all cool with me being the primary account holder, the decision
maker, the go to person for all our finances from loans to credit cards to
mortgage to savings.
As soon as my employment status went from full time to part
time, as soon as I became a stay at home Mum with only a minor level of part
time income – no more.
Now they don’t want to deal with me. They only want
to speak to #1Hubby.
Because he’s the primary income earner, and therefore
he automatically becomes the primary account holder.
Even when we were both earning full time wages, he made more
money than me. And still, there was no issue with me being the primary account
holder, as long as I was pulling in a full time wage of some level.
Every single time we have to speak to our bank –
initiated by us contacting them or them us – they will only deal with me
to a point.
I can do all the technical stuff, request whatever changes,
updates, increases, deductions – you name it, I can certainly put in the requests….but
only #1Hubby can confirm any of my requests.
Every single time he gets on the phone and explains that he
has no clue about our finances, and they really should be speaking to me, and
can’t they please update our account details so that I can do all of the
things without him needing to be there.
Every single time he's told no, but if he will listen to
a few short disclaimers and then deign to give his permission for me to do all of
the things….then, and only then, will they let me continue and do what I
have requested.
Get ready for it – because I have to ask the
question –
If I was a man, a stay at home Dad, a husband employed only
part time – would this still be the case?
Seriously, I’m asking.
Because of all the people I’ve extensively whined to about this matter,
not one single male has ever experienced it.
And you all know that when I say I’ve bitched and
moaned extensively, I really have spread the whiney loving far and wide.
Not one single male.
So is this a female thing? Is this the banks being completely
archaic in their ideologies, by ranking me as a lesser decision maker than my
husband, since we have kids and I only work part time?
It's crazy.
Of the people I know, the majority of the budgeters
and financial controllers are the women / wives / girlfriends. The females.
Not. Happy. Jan.
That is ridiculous. I'm assuming that they're joint accounts so why should he have more say than you. Especially when you're doing all the financial decision making.
ReplyDeleteI've had some major issues with banks but the funniest was the time that I set up automatic payment of my credit card. I waited for over a month checking my account regularly and no payment was made so I just did it manually over the internet. And I continued to do it manually for the next seven years until one day I went to pay it and it had already been paid. Yes, that automatic payment had finally kicked in. I went to the bank the next day and cancelled it - who needs their stupid auto-pay anyway?
Yep, joint accounts. The same accounts (account numbers etc.) that were solely in my name before we got married, then changed to joint accounts with me as the primary account holder.
DeleteI was just tossing up setting up an auto credit card payment myself - think I won't bother now you've said that!
Gez - Can't believe I am reading this in 2013.
ReplyDeleteI know, right!? The same bank called yesterday to speak to #1Hubby. Refused to tell me what it was about, then finally said it was about some life insurance brochures they'd sent him. The same ones they sent me 2 weeks ago. The same ones we've received a bazillion times in the past few years, every time saying we're not interested. The only thing that irritates me as much as my not being good enough to deal with, is paying bank fees and interest for unsolicited 'junk mail' and 'sales calls' from my own bloody bank. You think they'd have on their records that we've both declined the insurance for at least the previous 5 years, and wouldn't bother us....
DeleteThat is quite appaling! Almost as bad as the phone company who made my then 7-year-old son give permission for them to talk to me to discuss the phone bill I was freakin' responsible for paying. That was also a serious FFS!
ReplyDeleteNo. Way.
DeleteThat must be a very mature sounding 7 year old you have there!
What is it with Banks - and Telstra, and Centrelink - they all are the same...only wanting to speak to one person. They sure do rhyme with wank!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I could think of a lot of other words to call them ;)
Haha, me too Lisa. But I wouldn't want to wear the wrath of #1Nana on my again about my frequest swearing on the interwebs!
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