Posts for Tag: credit unions

A better way to protest the 1%

A grassroots movement that sprang to life last month is urging bank customers to close their accounts in favor of credit unions by Saturday.

I'm not against the 99% movement (I am against the Occupy Oakland encampment). But, I think their tactics are useless. Protests come and go. Vandalism can be cleaned up and repaired. The only people the 99% protests hurt are Oakland citizens who have to funnel tax revenue into cleaning up their mess. The 1% doesn't give a damn whether a few thousand people block the port of Oakland for a few hours.

If you really want to stick it to the big banks, hit 'em where it matters - their wallets. I applaud what the "Bank Transfer Day" is trying to do because IT WILL change how banks treat their customers. Bank of America didn't drop it's $5 debit card policy because a bunch of people occupied a park. It did because the backlash from their customers was so great, they had no choice. That's the only thing banks care about - money. Remember, the 99% are most likely customers of the 1%. You can vote with your wallet and make a difference. Look into your local credit union or companies like BankSimple.com (when they launch) for alternatives to big banks. You may end up getting a better deal and sticking it to the man.