Today's "Let's See How We Can Fuck Over the American Worker" Thread

[merithyn]

the divorce ruined my credit.

How'd that happen?

It happens all the time, Caliga. It takes time to figure out who pays what, who gets what debt/credit, etc. At the time, I had no income and all of our debt was in joint accounts. He stopped paying the bills until "we" decided who was responsible for what (by which I mean the judge). Both of our credit was ruined.

That has nothing to do with being poor though - it has to do with having bad credit.

Sure, and who's most likely to have bad credit?

[Berkut]

Sure, and who's most likely to have bad credit?

People who don't take care of their credit.

[derspiess]

Come on, ramp it up now.  Got my popcorn & comfy chair ready.

[Eddie Teach]

I like how her major female characters all desperately want for some man to dominate them. 

I don't get it.
Why wouldn't a strong woman want a strong man next to her?
Why do you assume strong women prefer weak men?

I don't get it.
How do you extract that from my comment?

[Admiral Yi]

Poor credit probably skews poor as poors are more likely to be late on paying bills or making loan payments.

[Caliga]

It happens all the time, Caliga. It takes time to figure out who pays what, who gets what debt/credit, etc. At the time, I had no income and all of our debt was in joint accounts. He stopped paying the bills until "we" decided who was responsible for what (by which I mean the judge). Both of our credit was ruined.

Ok, I see.... interesting.

[dps]

I think being poor is a shitty situation in general.

As someone who ran a business employee people at and around minimum wage, I am at a loss as to how someone would expect the business to fix the problem. It isn't under their control in any way that is reasonable.

Well if I had to pare down to the gist of the complaint in the article, it is that cost savings measures (i.e. these mandatory paycards) - businesses are now screwing over their employees who are already making so little. Presumably that is something under the businesses's control. However, as we'd already discussed the article doesn't say how prevalent that issue is and then goes onto say that employers only offering that one method could be in for trouble.

The thing is, even if we take the article at face value, it's not really the employers screwing over their employees--it's the banks that own the ATMs that are charging the fees.  Most likely, even if the employers were paying their employees with a paper check, the banks would charge those employees a fee to cash their checks.

And there's a way around the fees, anyhow.  Most stores will give you cash back on a debit card purchase, so go to the store and buy something---even if it's just a pack of toilet paper or the like--pay with the paycard, and get cash back.   

This credit check to open a checking account business is certainly news to me as well.

I've heard of it, but the only context in which I'd heard of it before was in commercials in which banks were advertising that they'd open up a checking account for you with no credit check.  I've never had a bank run one on me, nor had I actually heard of it happening to anyone before Meri said it happened to her. 

[Neil]

Chequing account?  When am I going to need to write a cheque in the 21st century?

[garbon]

Chequing account?  When am I going to need to write a cheque in the 21st century?

My landlord will only take checks. Also, I don't think you can have a debit card on a savings account, can you?

[CountDeMoney]

My landlord will only take checks.

My COBRA provider only accepts checks as well.

[derspiess]

And there's a way around the fees, anyhow.  Most stores will give you cash back on a debit card purchase, so go to the store and buy something---even if it's just a pack of toilet paper or the like--pay with the paycard, and get cash back.   

Some stores are starting to surcharge for cash back transactions. 

[CountDeMoney]

Some stores are starting to surcharge for cash back transactions.

If it's a debit charge, they do.

[Neil]

Chequing account?  When am I going to need to write a cheque in the 21st century?

My landlord will only take checks. Also, I don't think you can have a debit card on a savings account, can you?

I do.  But then again, it's different here, in that the banks ganged up to create the system, rather than using Visa.  I have no idea what's possible in the US.

[derspiess]

Federal regs state that you cannot have a debit card linked to a savings account unless you have a checking account as the primary account-- and then you can only use the savings account for ATM transactions.

I don't understand why banks would want you to use a savings account for purchase transactions-- it kind of goes against the purpose of having savings accounts. 

[derspiess]

Some stores are starting to surcharge for cash back transactions.

If it's a debit charge, they do.

Well, you can't do cash back with the "credit" option at the terminal.  Unless the merchant is stupid.