Stimulus

After watching one of the most active presidencies in history, I, one of the few Gen X'rs not completely enthralled with President Obama, began to think about the words this President has used to describe his non-actions.

"Stimulus"-this word has been thrown around rampantly throughout President Obama's term. According to Merriam Webster, the definition of stimulus is:

: something that rouses or incites to activity: as a : incentive b : stimulant 1 c : an agent (as an environmental change) that directly influences the activity of a living organism or one of its parts (as by exciting a sensory organ or evoking muscular contraction or glandular secretion)

Based on this definition, stimulus is a noun, not a verb. The "American Recovery Act" implies a "stimulus" has been injected into the economy, to the tune of 62.5 B in rising-have we failed to notice this "stimulus" is merely tax relief-meaning the gov't has changed where they are taking revenues to fund their massive entities. Sure, Bernanke's printing more money, but the Treasury has mitigated money supply since the days of Paul Volcker. Since removing the Gold Standard, the US has experienced favorable interest rates, yet the dollar continues to devalue.

I heard on CSPAN the dilemma we face with these economic crises is that the people who created the mess are the ones we have to call on to fix it-how is that logical?? We have a 3 strikes your out rule in CA for common criminals, yet for the CEO's and executives who have damaged millions of lives through the financial raping of their companies, we are not only authorizing their control, but dependent on it.

Is it for the people when only the minority benefit? Just what America needs-more words added to the IRS tax code-7M words and rising-in comparison, the bible has 1.3M words.

Another Change

Working in banking has many surprises. It's odd to think how much time we spend doing really strange things at work. For instance, during yesterday's severe thunderstorms, flooding occured on Colorado Blvd, so my coworkers and I did the natural thing anyone would do in our situation-we all left our desks and ran to the biggest enclosed area with windows-our front lobby-and basically watched the cars struggle through the high water.

Today, I think I spent at least 45 minutes talking about the resignation of our current Bank leader. Not odd per say, but when you add up all the time spent on "water cooler" talk, that's a lot of time. We spend so much time talking about each other's lives and things observed about each other.

Tomorrow (today) is Saturday, so nothing exciting will happen in the WOB but Monday will sure to amuse.




P.S. Does anyone else think Google edits our blogs with purposely placed grammatical errors???

Long Time, No Blog

It's been awhile...I've missed writing-I've missed blathering and opining about life...adding my ranting to internet cyberspace. Where to begin.

Well, officially, we are in America, what economists deem as the worst recession since the great depression. 11 recessions since the 1940's, and 533,000 jobs lost nationwide last month. Life has thrown a few curve balls in many directions of late and ducking is decidedly ineffective.

Since the last blog, we've elected a new president, blackberry finally came out with their version of the I-Phone, 2 of the top ten biggest banks in the US got absorbed by their larger counterparts, brokers/wirehouses felt the rewards of risk, and humbly crawled to join their conservative legitimate cousins, Steve Jobs decided a new "green" machine would shed positive press on his wasteful, un-evironmental empire, and after years of lobbying, filling the pockets of politicians, American automakers turned their's inside out, in hopes our government would bail them out.

It took me a few months to decide whether or not an elitist conspiracy conjured up our current economic woes in attempts to prove yet again, the theory of social darwinism. Many have speculated the Rothschilds capitalized on both World Wars by creating a banking monopoly and buying up the majority of western Europe through convincing the general public their ownership and investments had devalued. Ironically, they in turn purchased these "worthless" assets and created a larger empire.

Are we living the same story today?

"One Man's trash is another's treasure" holds true on so many discussions assessing value. What is something worth?-perhaps if we had all looked at this question closely, we would not have acted rashly in the decisions that lead to the current world economic debacle. Short sightedness, an emphasis on fictitious growth, and ego paved the way for today.

Why didn't Richard Wagoner Jr talk about cutting his salary to $1/year, just like Lee Iacocca when Chrsyler faced the same situation in 1979? False leaders with false leadership-always talking like they're sacrificing when really, they're telling us to look the other way-diverting our attention from scrutinizing their motivations.

I know there are people who have real solutions, real answers, and can really solve problems-not through shortcuts or creating short-lived goodwill-actually getting their hands dirty, living with their heart exposed and tirelessly giving-instead of taking. Tis the season for giving-right? It should be a gift every day- as they say, each day is a gift as it's "the present".

Our Words Deceive Our Feelings

Life After Don Becker

During my days of solitude, I met a one-armed, hooky guy, who always had troubles keeping his sleeves up on his fluffy blue down jacket, always kept a thoughtful yet intense blue-eyed stare that would follow the most attention grabbing image in a room, even behind the gold wire-framed glasses, and a lack of tact when it came to talking about oneself. Despite outward appearances, Don Becker had the ears of a thoughtful therapist, the mind of a crazed genius, and the heart of Julia Robert's character in Pretty Woman.

I met Don for the first time at the Mercury Cafe in mid-September- we never spoke, I just heard his words when he read from his then work in progress-his autobiography. Most of the regulars knew of Don Becker-(I had recently discovered Open Mic Friday Nights in August)-and to see the level of awe envelop the room, one would naturally assume we had just witnessed a literary epic event, all in the comfort of the Merc's red velvet curtained landscape. I remember sitting behind Don and watching him pace restlessly from one room to the next, only present for his turn, the spotlight, and the mic in his hand. When he read his work-spoken in the soothing professional voice found rarely on the radio, I listened enraptured by the lima beans, attacking the fork; the drug-crazed mind of a bipolar teen coping with his parents helplessness.

A few months later, I met a completely different vision of Don Becker at the Denver Writer's Meet Up.

At the Mercury, Don had donned a most handsome tweed blazer, tan with the leather oval reinforcements attached to the elbow, a creme colored turtleneck, and khaki colored dress pants. He stood tall, abnormally erect, a deliberate confident stride to the podium, before his pontifical asseverate.

At the Meet Up, an air of desperation had replaced his former air of confidence. Dressed in a ripped purple t-shirt, and faded navy pants, with a colorful hobo hoodie completing his attire, Don immediately asserted his presence, and need, to grab ALL the attention. Looking around the room, I felt an air of bewilderment coupled with annoyance spread. I did not link this new image of Don to the former one implanted so serendipitously.

As the evening passed, we all gave up reading our writing samples and Don officially became our unofficial reader. Don later asked the group if anyone could share their online secrets and ways to market oneself through the internet. Jennifer, our group leader suggested a mass email. I, of course, always looking to explicate my usefulness, forwarded my findings, and accompanied the links with a reference to "profit". Don, being the narcissist he is, posted a shout on my profile, assuming the "profit barb" had him in mind. This gesture began a lengthy bold banter where we explored food preferences and Randian objectivism.

Sadly, all the shouts are deleted from my profile as Don is now deleted. His virtual identity is slowly disintegrating into online electron space, as memberships, communications, and Myspace pages eliminate with his passing.

Don-just like all the cliches, your memory is alive, your work lives on, and the influence you had on my life during the short 9 months I knew of your existence, will stay forever in the recesses of my mind. Thank you for adding your soul to the world as I know it.

The Days of Iacocca

Talk of recession is on the tip of everyone's tongue. Economists define a recession as negative growth in GDP for two consecutive quarters. Last quarter, or 1st Qtr 2008, the US eeked out .6% growth. Last time I used math, and trust me, I'm a banker so it's been awhile, .6 is greater than zero, and well above negative!. With the multitude of competing media opinions, how can the general public truly determine when their economy is in crisis?

Back when my ex-ex and I used to go shopping, we'd park at different shopping centers and malls, look at each other, then exclaim, "what recession?" That was back in 2004. I can't recall a time in the last 10 years when a positive, growth outlook riddled newspaper headlines. Instead, "The Asian Tigers fall," "Tech bubble bursts," "Enron Execs (ENERGY SECTOR) steal billions" "Qwest, Nacchio scam everybody", "Stock Market crashes," "Another recession," and "The dollar at all time low against the Euro," which assists with additional questions-what did I eat for dinner last night that could possibly kill me, and if I didn't eat it, did I use a container or device that emits some type of radioactivity?

Doom and gloom sells.

I recall starting the autobiography of Lee Iacocca, the former Chrysler CEO, and prior to his revamp, former star at Ford Motor Co. Iacocca earned $1.oo during his first year at the floundering Chrysler and continued to earn $1.o0 until the failing company turned a profit. In 1986, he introduced the sporty "Le-Baron" a car after my own namesake, (I existed first, 1977 baby) sales of this car, in addition to the focus on re-engineering the mini-van, adding such redesign features like lowering the side step, so women could conveniently huddle their brood, Iacocca accomplished a feat no other company in the history of the US had completed before-paid off the pre-bankruptcy bail-out loan obtained in 1979, which he secured through an unprecedented federal gov't guarantee, 7 years early.

Iacocca's genius resulted from his ability to provide simple, convenient, and long term solutions to the needs and desires of the American consumer. Instead of hurting Chrysler by having a lawyer negotiate his severance package, he did his job, and paid himself a paycheck only after delivering on his stated promises. A concept HP, Qwest, Enron, Public Service, and numerous other corporate entities should consider adopting-paying their CEO's, after they've produced the results, not awarding 5.7 Million as a severance package once they're fired.

Management always wants justification for expenses-when is the last time CEO's were held accountable to justify their paycheck/stock options by the amount of revenue he/she actually added to the bottom line? And not just the quarterly bottom line, but a two year plan- granted the average business life has shortened to 5 years, but this quarter to quarter business has produced a throw-away society.

In a privately held company, the owner or president generally deserves to reap the rewards from years of toil and hard work. Today, it seems many are earning their way through expensive talk about their name.

Sony used to make TV's that lasted forever. My parents still have their dial TV, tan on the outside, brown slits for the sound. Now, electronics are considered obsolete after 2 years, thus they're made to last less than 5 years. Dell, HP, and Sony are at least pioneering electronic recycling, but my question is, if industry is truly innovating society, why haven't we found the cure for cancer? Or aids? Or the common cold? Or the Flu-the 4th leading cause for death in the US.

I never believed in buying a name-seems ridiculous to buy a status symbol when another item, of equal quality and workmanship, is simply made by the wrong accent. I also believe you get what you pay for, and sometimes, paying an additional $20 for a brand is worth the investment.

Money's funny, but the question is, how funny can it get? I agree Mr. Iacocca, where have all the leader's gone.

Recycling your old Computers

I've had an HP pavilion since 2002, inherited from my brother and a Gateway monitor since 1996. The monitor still works, just happens to weigh 100 lbs, and the CPU has a tendency to whir as soon as I turn the machine on. Lately, they're just taking up space in the third room, reserved for excess plants, clothes, and items no longer used.

Today, I've made it my goal to figure out how to get rid of the old computer, taking up 4 sq ft in the unused room.

Initially, I started this process about 2 weeks ago, and googled "recycle computers denver" and as usual, google brought back 210,000 links. I like to do business with small businesses-the little guy that appreciates your support, so I called a link on the 5 or 6th page, spoke to the owner, and explained the hardware I possessed.

He took my number as I called in the evening, and promised to contact me the next day. No phone call and a week later, I passed by the room and noticed the glaring reminder of my lack of follow up. I decided this company didn't deserve my business as he did not even have the courtesy to call me back, (plus I forgot the number) so I thought about my next steps, then proceeded to shove all thoughts of recycling my computer at the bottom of my mental list.

Another week and 8 phone calls later, I am still stuck trying to figure out where I can recycle my machine. I initially called "Best Buy" who referred me to a 9News article about computer recycling, then I searched on the 9News website, using "Recycle Computers" as my search options. That search gave me a list of results, and naturally, I clicked the most recent article. The article touted Waste Management and Sony have partnered to offer free recycling for electronics in the Denver area. "Free" recycling! Free is always the right price, and naturally, I called the number listed on the bottom of the article. Once dialed, Waste Management Recycle America transferred me to Lori, the lady who is all-knowing, and could answer the two questions of cost and location. I had to leave a message for Lori, and she promptly returned my call. Lori gave me a local number to contact, which happened to not work, as well as a site location to further my venture.

When the number Lori gave me did not work-303-355-2609, I decided to contact Waste Management's local office 303-797-1600, and Charlene answered, then graciously hung up after I explained my questions. I called back and spoke with Jessica, a very pleasant, helpful young lady and she gave me the correct local number for Recycle America, 303-336-0178, as well as a phone number for a third party recycling outfit-303-444-6634. She transferred me to the latter, and I spoke with Mary who gave me GRX, another company in the area that recycles computers. Mary's located in Boulder and apparently, Jessica did not realize this minor detail.

After speaking with 4 representatives of Waste Management, Recycle America program, no one knew the exact cost, but Jessica did express it would be a per pound measure. Thus, I called the Jessica provided corrected local number and left a message at the Denver facility.

At this point, I felt like I was getting passed around like a newly de-virginized fraternity "sister", so, I called GRX, a company listed on the 9News site, spoke to another informative agent, and learned the cost for computer disposal through their company, is a whopping $15.00. If you want the certificate guaranteeing secure purging, they charge an additional $3.00.

I'm always looking for the best deal, and since it's P-Day, I don't have a full agenda. Mountain Electronics, also listed on 9News, no longer recycles computers, and they gave me the number to Executive Recyclers. 303-791-0808. I left a message for Julie Herrera, and with any luck, by the end of this week, I will have additional empty space to replace the computer eyesore.

Peeing in the Shower...why it's justifiably justified.

Yesterday, I picked up my room-mate from the airport and we caught up with each other. I love to talk about ideas-especially when they're mine-and I mentioned one of the blogs I write happens to be just made up words, words I'd like to mainstream.

Anyway, a word to describe people who pee in the shower came up, and that reminded me of an email I had sent him back in July. In the email, really a scathing ex-love note, I commented how "I have quirks-I like to pee in the shower" and like most conversations we have, I assumed most of my words were quickly forgotten.

So this morning, while taking my shower, I naturally peed, then thought of reasons to justify this somewhat disgusting habit. I quickly turned to "Environmentalism" as it seems these days, everyone from large corporations to individuals reason frugality helps Mother Earth. The three "R's" Reuse, Recycle, Reduce, all fit nicely with the concept, why I pee in the shower.

I can't recycle or reuse my urine-unless I'm lost in the wilderness, or acting as a stand-in for "Man vs. Wild" so that just leaves, reduce.

I've heard for females, holding your pee in, kind of like waiting 20 minutes to have a cigarette when you crave one, builds and flexes the muscles in the groin region and help with sex but since I abstain, this pseudo-benefit is quickly dismissed. Dehydration is harmful to your health, so reducing your overall intake of fluids just to reduce your overall piss out-take, seems rather unrealistic.

You're probably asking, you can't implement any of the "R"s so where are you going with this useless and offensive topic. Well, unless you're peeing outside or in a bottle, you're probably using the biggest taken for granted resource, even more than Oil, you need to survive, H2O.

First, when you're in the shower, you're already using water to lathe yourself, thus Reducing your overall water usage and energy use. If the average person pees, or uses the toilet 4 times daily, as the suggested daily intake of water is 8, 8 oz glasses, you're using 4 gallons of water during each flush. Now I'm an economist at heart and believe strongly in streamlining processes-in my past life, I was Samual Taylor-so generally, I will pee and poop during one sitting, thereby saving time and energy. I understand if the average American frequents the bathroom more than the alloted 4 pulls, but for the purpose of this article, I will illustrate the amount saved using an average 4 trips to the loo daily. 4 trips, thats 1460 flushes per year, and on a national level, 303 Million americans, and lets say 10% are babies, that's 299,970,000 potty-trained persons, 437,956,200,000 gallons of water used just to eliminate our excrement, or 1,199,880,000 gallons used each day.

Let's say you pee in the shower once a day, assuming you bathe once a day, that saves 299,970,000 gallons of water each day, annually, 109,489,050,000. According to the EPA, it actually takes 2-7 gallons of water to flush a toilet! A gallon of water at your local supermarket cost anywhere in the $3-5 range, thus peeing in the shower could save an individual $4380 a year!

Urine composition consists mainly of water, with dashes of urea, ammonia, and uric acid with average PH levels of 7, the same PH level of water, so in my estimation, the by products going down your drain are equivalent to the man-made I don't know how to pronounce the ingredients in my shampoo and conditioner, but I use it anyway so my hair is shiny, even though the rats in the lab died from the process to create the end product, which I now use every day.

Freshwater purification plants consume energy, our sewage needs additional treatment before getting dumped into Lake Michigan (that was a dig at Dave Matthews, although I am a huge fan), and despite our regulated water usage due to recent droughts, we have acclimated to a lifestyle of waste. Plus, peeing in the shower with a significant other could potentially prove to be THE bonding moment. This Fall, I received a forwarded email detailing "weirdest first dates" a piece Jay Leno spotlighted on his show, and the couple who won had gone on a ski trip together, started driving home, and the gal during the drive needed to pee, so the guy pulled over, as a public restroom happened to be miles away, and the gal dropped her ski pants and proceeded to pee behind the car. During the process, her wet bum stuck to the bumper and the guy had to pee on her butt to release the freeze-dried effect. The two are now married.

Tomorrow morning when you step into your shower, take a moment, think about Mother Nature, and Pee a little for me. The smell quickly vanishes once you lather up.

Abortion Empowers Men

F*98K a woman's right to choose, in an already socially handicapped hypocrisy, woman bear the burden of irresponsibility while men win the power battle for control. As long as women are viewed by society as the "weaker sex" the choice is not a woman's.

Woman live with the guilt-a man just makes the mistake, throws his hands up and says "Are you going to keep it."

1% of the time when birth control does not work, which if you think about the sheer numbers, 303 Million Americans, in CO 51% male, 49% female, those within the childbearing years, lets say nationally it's 60 million, that's still 600,000 babies formed using our methods of "responsibility".

A woman can only birth one child during a 9 month period, unless of course the egg separates, while a man can impregnate multitudes-one a day essentially, and using the average time of 2 minutes-the time it takes a man to get off, he can spread his seed to 720 woman during a 24 hour period-realistically, that's impossible, but lets lessen the number to one an hour, that's still 24 woman, 986 days in a 9 month period, and I'm using Feb, as one of the months to lessen the impact, 23,664 pregnancies possible by just one man.

Let's say the procreaters are using birth control effectively, 1% get pregnant, that's 236 unintended pregnancies during that nine month period. Based on the math, who really wanted Abortion as a legal option?

Just like Woman's suffrage increased the amount of tax collected by a male-dominated government, Abortion allowed men another "way out" of taking responsibility for their actions.

It takes two to conceive-hence, I finally understand and agree to our puritan beliefs around pre-marital sex. Women, abstinence is truly the only way we are empowered in the "sex" argument.

New York Fashion Week kicked off last week, and now it's Day 6. Many of the top designers have used the "Peacock" for inspiration along with traditional fabrics such as tweed, leather, and plaid all in layers to depart buyers from their dollars. Loved Chris Han, Carolina Herrera, Miss Sixty, and Diana Von Furstenberg.

The Corporate Ego

The biggest mistake I've ever made in my life is thinking I am immune to the problems created in corporate America. I've seen corporate leaders emerge in a time of "bobble heads", "talking heads" and a focus on EPS movement. Someone is always courting someone else in the Wall Street Game, after all, wasn't it Larry Ellison who voiced what millions of worker bees already knew, "My primary job function is to beat Microsoft and increase EPS."

It's not all bleak and dreary, and for many, the game of business fits nicely with unselfish types, looking to improve a service, product, or humanity in general. I admit, I've played the success card several times in my short 30 years, and in every instance, thought, I deserve to play by another set of rules for I am superior-the rules don't apply to me and I know how to play the mind games of self-esteem-the majority don't get it, therefore I am unique. What a crock of crap. Craptastically callous, and a reflection of my personal demons. The parasites only fuel the ego and those on the outskirts who refuse to compromise their integrity must develop quickly, their survival instincts. Oftentimes, Corporate America is yesterday's frozen landscape, propelling us back to the days of cavemen and tribal rites.

I remember an old Michael Jackson song-"The Man in the Mirror" and realized today I finally have the courage to look. Some days, it's a harsh image, but most days, the beauty reflected back is not so threatening.

High "D" and Proud

The internet appeals to many, but I would argue it appeals the most to Type "A" or high "D" personalities. It offers abridged versions of stories, an ability to receive information in a concise, sound-bite format, with forums designated to discuss moderate issues-if the online community all took personality tests, I wonder if the statistics would back my hypothesis.

Type "A's" have a tendency to isolate themselves, generally reactively, from social and professional contexts, primarily because they are result-driven people-and, yes, sometimes, they just don't get along. The ability to redefine oneself anonymously through the internet appeals to these individuals, like-minded in the quest for Why. With 6.5 billion people, 85 million active users only makes up 1.2% of the population. Studies have shown "D" personalities make up 3% of the US population.

One question-does wealth create a certain personality or is one born ingrained with inherent traits-the age-old nature vs. nurture argument.

In a needs based/motivation argument, using Mazlow or Herzbog's hierarchy, the internet appeals to "higher needs". Money is not the motivator-rather a means to an end, ie. I must make money so others will "recognize" me.

9 Reasons Why The Digg Story Sells

source: TechCrunch

This guest post was written by Muhammad Saleem, a social media consultant and a top-ranked community member on multiple social news sites. Most of us… more

The Customer Service Handbook

"Do unto others as you would have done unto you" Luke 6:31

Tired of Bank Fees? Brace Yourself, Spread's DEAD

Guide to getting bank overdrafts reversed...and other notorious fine print fees.

I worked in banking for five years 10 months. One of my dreaded tasks, each and every day, happened to be refunding fees. I hated giving back the Bank's profit-especially when clients neglected their fiduciary responsibilities and acted unfiscally.

If there is a sob story, I've heard it-any excuse in the book as to why a client failed to balance their account properly. Of course, those in banking have heard for years the infamous general statement-If I didn't have any money, then why do I still have checks? Or the latest with the popularized debit card, why did the bank allow the transaction to process? I just assumed I had funds because my card went through.

I wasn't born yesterday, despite my youthful appearance-In the back of everyone's mind, we keep a running total of our money, and we know if we're cutting it close. Unless of course, you're one of the privileged members of society with bottomless checking account dollars.

Married couples had the funniest excuses-neither bothered to communicate spending joint funds, and expected the bank to act as a therapist/accountant. Ironically, the majority of the retail bankers today can't even explain the simple arithmetic behind a balanced checking account statement and have troubles interpreting simple math to irate customers. A vicious cycle littered with blase attitudes-not my problem, bank's problem. They make billions of dollars every quarter-what's giving back a few people $33? If I can't figure it out, then the customer must be right!

It didn't help the major news channels broadcasted a piece on "increasing Bank fees" back in 2004 and how many of the major players charged for every service imaginable, including 24 hour customer service, use of debit cards, and speaking with a teller.

The banks realized way before the subprime meltdown, they needed to find a new way to generate the bottom line. Enter fee-based income to the market mix. Not only do fees act as recurring sources of income, but banks count on 5% of their client base to overdraw their accounts every month. Studies also showed those with overdraft protection or ready reserves, had a tendency to actually pay more (through interest) than those without. The psychological affect of having a line of credit backing up your finances allowed clients do, well, what they do best, spend without remorse.

Then there's the area of convenience-clients benefit through time savings and impulse buys through merchant services, card processing, financial planning, and internet banking-all methods to grow residual fee income. 44% of our bank's profits happened to result from retail services, quite a large piece of the pie compared to the peer group, yet a decline from the 59% it used to generate back in 2003. Fee based services and products went from a mere 16% to 36% during the same period. The banks knew the housing bubble would pop-they just didn't know when.

I often wondered the exact dollar amount a client with a debit card added to fee income versus a client who primarily used checks. The average consumer checking account for my former bank generated $500 of income per annum, while the average business checking account added $3000. In addition, Free Checking without a minimum balance is truly remarkable marketing, allowing clients to walk the fine line.

SO now, you as the retail bank customer, how can you avoid the sting of overdraft fees, additional fees, and fees you have no clue about but appear on your statement? Short of switching banks, many customers follow the myth their relationship and time with a bank matter. To some extent, it does, and at my former company, we actually had a system for tracking our customer relationships, called RMS, or the Relationship Management System. This database tracked everything-your account activity, which in turn measured client's behavior, average deposit balances, balance trend, how often your overdrew your account, how often you had fees refunded, the list goes on-very similar to our Grocer "Value Cards" aka Safeway Club, Sooper Card. Based on your score, you could potentially get better rates on credit cards, have a lower credit score to qualify for loans, and a set amount of the dollars we're willing to refund appear along with your account history to every retail employee.

On a sidenote, we use the Patriot Act as an excuse to not accept expired or invalid ID's.. That's an argument I had with bankers regularly-USE COMMON SENSE-you're protecting the person in front of you! What makes SENSE!!!

However, if you've had a checking account for 20 years with an average balance of $500, banks like you, but the cost of sending a statement, servicing your account, and additional overhead, usually exceeds the income gained from your relationship.

With those thoughts expressed, yes, I'm validating what we've all known for years-the amount of money you make and keep at your financial institution determines the amount of fees you get back. If you're what banks consider "affluent" they're willing to address your wire transfer fee or the foreign ATM fees we've all grumbled about. Often, the foreign ATM's are owned by another individual or institution and the fees go to the cost of servicing the machine, loading it with cash. Yes, it costs to have cash on hand, the US treasury/mint don't work for free.

So what happens if you live paycheck to paycheck, work hard, and make a mistake? Generally, first time offenders can negotiate their fees, as long as they take ownership of their mistake. Don't give your bank the run-around. Every story is a wonderfully crafted piece that may provide material for aspiring writers, but the easiest way to reduce your chances, is spouting off a sordid tale of irresponsible behavior. Even extenuating circumstances-my mom died, my dog died, I got in a car accident, has nothing to do with your frivolous spending habits, and if they do, you should be thankful we accepted your transaction and saved you the embarrassment of an ATM or credit card decline. You borrow the bank's money, they charge you a fee, pure and simple, no hidden agenda, and you won't have to worry about ruined relationships with friends or family due to financial issues.

I always enjoyed a logical, rational argument-especially when people were upset about how we processed items. No, banks do not hold items until your account reaches a low point, then decide to push them through-that's an argument I heard often- Why do you pay the larger items, then the smaller items? If you paid the smaller items first, I would have received only one overdraft for the large item. Premeditated bank fanangling will not create empathy. Sure, I understand the bank's reasoning seems a bit far-fetched-we pay the larger items because we assume they are more important to go through on your account than the smaller items, usually a mortgage, car payment, etc. I always thought that trained line's a bunch of bull-if we're paying all the items, then we would have paid the larger item in each scenario. The real answer is the computer software is not smart enough, and the bank capitalizes on the increased fee revenue generated-although the banks can force-pay items based on your past account history or your relationship with a manager.

Finally, the easiest way to get fees refunded, is game the system. With branches on every street corner, some just 10 blocks from each other, you'll find many of the larger banks have employees that could go either way with regards to refunding your bank fees. If you fail at one location, try another. Chances are, they're competing with that other branch down the street and want to earn your loyalty through throwing you a bone.

Find a good banker or manager to deal with on a regular basis, someone who understands how their bank works, pro-actively addresses with you potential fee issues, and educates you on how to properly use the services your bank offers. A smaller institution is more likely to have personalized service although the trade-off is usually convenience, cost, and product variety.

If you want good employees to stay at your bank-be nice to them. Don't yell about your money problems or accuse them of your irresponsibility. Bankers that care are few and far between, but dealing with yelling every day on top of sales pressure, corporate policies, and the customer behind you, creates a feeling of helplessness. We fuel anger in each other, and fuel compassion, but remember no one is obligated to understand YOU.

During this time, I've reflected that perhaps returning that $33 helped shape a community more than lending a million dollar loan-it gave an individual hope, a feeling of good will often lost in today's profit race. However, if giving away the bank is the solution, then what kinds of lessons are we teaching today's generation? You truly do get what you pay for.