Banks Are Landlords

Internet banking. Two groups. The first one is the young and wild who cannot imagine wasting time standing in line in a bank to withdraw or transfer money. They might not even know that their local bank relocated to the new mall.

The second group is older, scared of being of burnt and losing life’s savings because someone hacked their account.  I don’t think this group still exists because wages, salaries, money from tax returns, pensions everything, is done electronically.

On second thought, we visit the bank once in a while, especially when there’s no money in the account. We harass tellers, even accusing the bank of a misdemeanor. It doesn’t help. You broke, you broke.

Scared of internet banking? There’s an alternative, the old school way, hiding money under the mattress. Our great grandparents did it for many reasons. One, they slept soundly, knowing they were sleeping on their money.

Two, evil banks could not siphon a fee from the $100. For what? For keeping it in cold vaults? Three, it was easily accessible. There was no need to take a bus or walk long distances to withdraw it.

That was a long time ago. Today the fear is caused by stories of internet fraud, nameless thugs roaming about breaking into your account through devious digital means.

Life is a risk, an endless danger, so hiding money under the mattress is not the solution. Thieves you know might find it. Family.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.