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| Europe |
| 30 million Europeans have no bank account |
| 2011-07-19 |
| (KUNA) -- Michel Barnier, EU Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, presented Monday proposals to promote access to a basic payment account for European consumers. He told a presser that access to a bank account has become a pre-condition for participating fully in the economic and social life of a modern society and the use of cash is rapidly decreasing. Barnier noted that around 30 million consumers over the age of 18 in the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... do not have a bank account. If you don't have a bank account then the government actually has to track you down to take your money from you. Neither can the bank make a profit from you with monthly fees whether you spend anything or not. He said the proposals aim to boost the ability for all European citizens to have a basic bank account, and secondly the ability for all bank customers to really clearly understand where they stand when it comes to bank fees and charges seen on their bank. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #10 The Amish never complain about banks because they make only deposits, not withdrawals. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2011-07-19 21:49 |
| #9 Tha Amish never complain about banks, interest rates, gIvernment debt, stock market and they are doing just fine. Maybe they should get 50 million with no accounts. Peolple also use their smart phone as a payment vehicle. |
| Posted by: airandee 2011-07-19 20:56 |
| #8 ...still waiting for the bitcoin economy... |
| Posted by: Iblis 2011-07-19 17:33 |
| #7 "Rapidly followed by "things YOU must do for us"." "Rapidly followed by," hell, Alan. That's the first thing the Lefties want. :-( |
| Posted by: Barbara 2011-07-19 16:15 |
| #6 Mitch, ("things that can't be done to you") vs. positive rights ("things that must be done for you"). Rapidly followed by "things YOU must do for us". |
| Posted by: AlanC 2011-07-19 15:34 |
| #5 A lot of banks are becoming very nervous, because their business model has been transcended by other financial service companies. Why keep your money in a virtually non-interest bearing account at a bank? Banks only function today because of financial exchange inertia. That is, individuals and corporations are only dealing with banks because they have always dealt with banks. Comes a better mousetrap, and banks go the way. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-07-19 14:23 |
| #4 Once you accept the premise of positive rights, their ranks will become legion, grom. As populous as the whims of the activist class can breed them, really. The main reason, really, why libertarian ideologues emphasize negative rights ("things that can't be done to you") vs. positive rights ("things that must be done for you"). |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2011-07-19 13:51 |
| #3 More like a financial leash, as Fred said. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2011-07-19 10:58 |
| #2 In Germany, at least, anyone can open a savings account at the post office, without needing to go to a bank. This appears to me a bid to get more money into banks, to bolster their balance sheets. But admittedly I don't understand financial things, so perhaps it's something else. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-07-19 09:36 |
| #1 Bank account is a human right? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-07-19 02:48 |