chaletian: (bard r&j fuck it)
chaletian ([personal profile] chaletian) wrote2007-08-05 12:53 pm
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"Kindly machine-gun the choir!"

I had a letter today from my bank. Well, not today, obviously. It's Sunday. It came on Thursday, I think, but I didn't get around to opening it till today. I get quite a lot of unexpected post from my bank, which always worries me, because I think I've got into banking trouble (even when I know perfectly well that there's nothing wrong with my account).

But anyway, my post today was offering me a £12,500 loan. This loan is, apparently, "ready and waiting just for [me]", because I am "a loyal customer who handles their account particularly well". The bank has "arranged everything": "all it takes is one phone call". They have been at particular pains to point out how easy it would be for me to get this £12,500 loan. How straightforward it would be.

I think this is absolutely appalling. How cavalier are they, to offer this sort of thing to any passing customer? I am *dreadful* with money. I mean, I'm not too bad these days. I have a regular income, which helps, and I budget regularly, and I tend to know exactly how much money I have in my bank account. But I still sometimes make stupid financial decisions, and in the past I have been absolutely unreliable, and frankly it's a miracle I managed to escape my late teens/early twenties without a CCJ. Offers like this make me feel quite threatened, really, because (after the annoyance of more junk mail) my first reaction is, ooh, lovely money, before the voice of reason takes over, but that reaction scares me a lot, because I don't want to be as crap with money as I used to be. Wah. I hate money.

[identity profile] cyberpurple.livejournal.com 2007-08-05 05:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Banks are annoying. As a part of my job I advise people who have problems with debts. I'm always surprised by how many people have such huge unmanageable debts and then I read stuff like this and it all sadly makes sense. The reaction you had was totally understandable and at least you realise that it's not a good idea. A lot of my clients don't really understand what they are getting themselves if for when it comes to money and many other things. Which makes offers like these even more dangerous. I have no real budgeting advice tho - I've been put off ever getting a credit card or unnecessary loan through my CAB work