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Keep Two Bank Accounts To Beat Cyber Attacks, Says Bank of England Adviser (thestack.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Everyone should keep two bank accounts so they can still access their money if one bank is hit by a cyber attack, a former Bank of England adviser has warned. "I'd certainly rather have two [accounts] in case my bank was attacked. I would want to know I could still get money out of the other one," banking expert Peter Hahn said in an interview with BBC's Today, ahead of the Bank of England's latest Financial Stability Report. According to the report, cyber risk is one of the five greatest dangers facing the UK banking industry.

172 comments

  1. standard by sociocapitalist · · Score: 2

    Always keep at least two accounts in two non-related banks in at least two different countries.

    --
    blindly antisocialist = antisocial
    1. Re:standard by Number42 · · Score: 2

      Isn't it at least 3 accounts in at least 2 different currencies, at least one of which is in another country?

    2. Re:standard by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Actually it has long been advisable to have more than one account if you have more than the maximum protected amount. It used to be £35k, but they increased it to IIRC £75k. If you have more than that in an account and the bank goes bust or is robbed, you only get £75k back so you should split your money over a few different banks. It gets more complicated because many banks have the same parent company and the £75k is split between all the child banks.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:standard by jellomizer · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The US has FDIC which works simularly where in case of robbery or bank closing up to 100k USD will be covered.
      Now most people I know including multi-millionaires don't keep over 100k in the bank. The bank is only good for holding money for high liquidity.

      But for most people having multiple accounts will not make their money any safer as it will just be insured.

      However on the government/insurers point of view having multiple bank accounts means less of a payout on the odd bank collapse.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    4. Re:standard by jabuzz · · Score: 1

      For most people getting a bank account in two different countries is quite difficult. I would further argue that two different bank accounts is overkill.

      What you need (and what I do) is three different credit cards from completely different suppliers. That is I have one Visa card from one bank and a separate Mastercard from another bank. These live in my wallet. I have a third credit card that lives heat sealed in a draw in an metallized antistatic bag between two sheets of cardboard.

      The idea is that the two different cards in your wallet/purse insulate you from problems with a card when you are out and about. That could be anything from a problem with the bank, your card suffering physical damage or in my experience your card being stopped due to fraud.

      The third card in "tamper proof" packaging that makes access to the card information impossible without me knowing is in case your wallet/purse gets lost or stolen. Once you get back home you will have easy access to making purchases again until the replacement cards arrive. This third card is linked into PayPal and used for PayPal purchases to keep it ticking over.

      The thing is having your card stopped due to fraud on it, or having it lost/stolen is way more likely than having your bank hit by a cyber attack. That said in a UK context and your bank comes under the RBS umbrella they appear to have a track record of shooting themselves in the foot so just move to another bank would be a good starting point.

    5. Re:standard by amberdalan · · Score: 3, Informative

      The standard insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category.

    6. Re:standard by sociocapitalist · · Score: 1

      For most people getting a bank account in two different countries is quite difficult.

      Only if you're American as there are some banks that refuse to do anything with Americans now because of draconian requirements such as FATCA.

      Even as an American, it isn't very difficult because Mexico and Canada aren't very far away, not to mention the Caribbean.

      If you have all three cards in one country, per your example, and you have your ID stolen and/or the IRS/Inland Revenue decides your a bad guy (even if you aren't), then you're screwed.

      --
      blindly antisocialist = antisocial
    7. Re:standard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Arguably, if you have more than 75k in an account, you are not making the best use of your money - it should be invested in something more profitable than a bank account.

      Of course, if you have several million in your stock portfolio, three homes, and a trophy wife, I guess it's hard to avoid having 75k or more in an account.

      The rest of us tend not to have that problem...

    8. Re:standard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey, I know a guy who knows a guy in Sicily who knows a guy in Bern who has a cousin in Panama. Your money will be completely safe and earn a huge amount of interest. Tax Free Interest. We just need you to do this one little favor for us.

    9. Re:standard by cdrudge · · Score: 2

      Even those limits can be worked around. Banks that participate with CDARS for instance allow you to to effectively have a single account that exceeds the normal insured amount fully protected. The funds automatically get split up among multiple participating banks on the back end.

    10. Re:standard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Dollars in the bank, euros in your paypal, pesos under the mattress, and rubles in the coffee tin.

    11. Re:standard by lucm · · Score: 1

      Now most people I know including multi-millionaires don't keep over 100k in the bank. The bank is only good for holding money for high liquidity.

      You'd be surprised. Call your bank and ask for the interest rate when the balance stays above 100k or even 250k. In many banks this VIP rate beats money market instruments like certificates of deposit.

      This is a good solution in a few situations, such as wealthy senior individuals, who have plenty of other assets and no long term incentive to invest.

      --
      lucm, indeed.
    12. Re:standard by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      I would further argue that two different bank accounts is overkill.

      Why? What is your argument? I have several UK bank accounts in order to keep under the 75k guarantee limit - not cheque accounts for ready money but long term investment bonds.

      What you need .. is three different credit cards from completely different suppliers. That is I have one Visa card from one bank and a separate Mastercard from another bank ....

      A bit off-topic (unless it is different where you are), as in the UK at least a credit card is nothing to do with a bank account (although a bank may "front" it). I could get a credit card from my old uni for example. There are bankers in the background of course, but it is not your bank.

      Anyway, you have three credit cards? I have lost count of mine, at least twelve - my card holder is bulging with them and Debit cards, but I only carry two or three around with me. Now and then I get some offer like 50 GBP credit to join up so I go for it, buy 50 worth of petrol, and never use it again. I have had crates of wine too. Or I get a 20% discount buying some clothes in a department store if I sign up to their card on the spot.

    13. Re:standard by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      For most people getting a bank account in two different countries is quite difficult.

      Only if you're American

      It has become difficult in the UK to get a bank account in the UK. I have had two applications refused in the last year because the version of my address in the database that the bank uses to auto-complete my address when I type it into the application form is different from the version it then looks up in the electoral roll. At another bank the manager only succeeded in opening an account for me by fiddling the computer somehow.

    14. Re:standard by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2
      At present day interest rates you could also stuff some in your mattress.

      Until the internet of things allows them to hack your mattress as well.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    15. Re:standard by Xest · · Score: 1

      "I have had two applications refused in the last year because the version of my address in the database that the bank uses to auto-complete my address when I type it into the application form is different from the version it then looks up in the electoral roll."

      This seems odd, addresses are broken down into discrete fields in UK credit reference data so unless the bank is doing something really odd then it sounds more like one of these databases (the credit data, or the ER data) has a completely different address, which is more likely if the problem has spanned multiple banks for you.

      I would suggest getting a copy of your credit report (you can get much of this for free online nowadays - Google for Noddle) and check that credit data held about you is correct. Don't be misled by the term credit either - it's not just for loans and credit cards, this data is typically even used for current and savings accounts nowadays due to the fact they often offer things like overdraft products. If there's something wrong here either contact the source of the data, or contact the relevant credit reference agency and they have a legal obligation to sort it.

      You shouldn't really be having problems opening a UK account if you're a UK resident and if you are that does point to either a bad financial history or some invalid data on you that needs correcting somewhere.

    16. Re:standard by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 1

      Call your bank

      Unfortunately, if we're still talking about the UK here, your comment deserves (+5, Funny) for that suggestion alone...

      "We are experiencing very high call volumes and all our agents are busy at the moment. Your call is being held in a queue and you are number three... hundred and... fifty... six... thousand... four... hundred and... ninety seven. Your call is important to us, and we will answer it as soon as possible."

      Later, in a thick, probably Scottish or Indian accent, barely audible: "Hello, my name is Bob, how can I help you today?"

      Followed by five fruitless minutes of trying to explain to someone who understands English even less well than they read the statements off their flowchart that you have an enquiry about interest rates.

      Followed by hanging up in frustration when they ironically ask "Is there anything else I can help you with today?" as if they had actually helped with what you originally called about.

      Seriously, if you have an important question for your bank in the UK, it's probably worth dropping in to speak to someone in a branch personally, or writing to them. They aren't all as bad as the above all of the time, but a lot of them seem to be disturbingly close a lot of the time.

      --
      If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
    17. Re:standard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Co-operative.

      Been with them for about four years now. Get through within two or three minutes every time. The person on the other end is a scouser, but an intelligible one.

      I've also dealt with Halifax, HSBC and few other banks in my time. None of them come close, on customer service at least.

    18. Re:standard by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 1

      You shouldn't really be having problems opening a UK account if you're a UK resident and if you are that does point to either a bad financial history or some invalid data on you that needs correcting somewhere.

      Unfortunately banks seem remarkably incompetent at doing that. My wife and I run a business together, and I have lost track of how often we have physically visited the bank and told the person across the desk that she changed her name when we married several years ago. Every time they say they can't find anything on their system in that name, yet every month they persist in sending statements for one particular aspect of our business banking in her old name. This is literally going to cost them our business if they don't fix before whenever we next move house, as there's no way we're leaving that kind of information being sent to someone else at our old address!

      I've been the wrong side of an identity mix-up with HMRC, too, where potentially quite unpleasant consequences were only avoided at the last minute by a stroke of luck. I encountered one of their staff who had seen a similar problem before and therefore realised why their computers might be giving the wrong information, and I suspect whatever he did to fix it was not following normal procedures.

      --
      If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
    19. Re:standard by idontgno · · Score: 1

      The Internet of Things will never include the buckets of gold coins and ammunition buried in my back yard.

      No, not really.

      --
      Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
    20. Re:standard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I second this. Spoke to a very sexy sounding scouse lady last week after less than 2 minutes on hold.

    21. Re:standard by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      TSB used to have theirs in Wales. I could imagine it was Nerys Hughes on the other end sometimes.

      Then they moved it to India.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    22. Re:standard by Number42 · · Score: 1

      Just you wait. Bullets will soon tweet every kill.

    23. Re:standard by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      This seems odd, addresses are broken down into discrete fields in UK credit reference data

      Stop there. That is the problem - my address does not fit into those fields.

      I live on a country road that has no name. The address I give is House name - Nearest Town [10 miles away] - County - Post code That is how it is in the Electoral Register and in the Royal Mail database too.

      However, when I (or a bank staff member) fill in a computerised application form, the computer insists on a road name or it will not proceed. (As you say, there are discrete fields). So I make a [plausible] road name up. Then the computer goes and checks it against the Electoral Register (or some other datbase it gets from God knows where) and, guess what, it does not match. I am rejected.

      I have this problem over and over again, with all sorts of things. People I am dealing with over the counter can see the problem, but they cannot beat the computer system. It is going to get worse with the UK Government talking about requiring address verification for any money transfer. They need to get databases created with a bit of intelligence first.

    24. Re:standard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Could be worse, Ireland doesn't even have postcodes- until recently, anyway:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_addresses_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland#Eircode

    25. Re:standard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are old, and out of date. The FDIC individual account insurance limit is $250k and has been for years. And the reason we don't keep all that in cash is not because the bank isn't required to return it. It's because the bank pays such low interest rates on cash accounts.

    26. Re:standard by Cederic · · Score: 1

      Thanks for that. I now need to design an internet enabled bullet that can identify and broadcast its terminal action.

      "Shot into air. Landed in remote sandy location"
      "Shot at fast moving man. Hit brick wall"
      "Travelled 800 metres before dismembering slow moving woman"
      "Shot at paper target. Almost hit."

    27. Re:standard by Cederic · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, if we're still talking about the UK here, your comment deserves (+5, Funny) for that suggestion alone...

      Lets just say that my annual income crossed a very specific threshold and my bank (that I've been with for over twenty years) contacted me to let me know that I'm now a very valued customer; here's a new contact number, here are some additional services we'd like to offer you, here are some benefits we'll grant to you for no fee.

      It's fairly safe to say that someone with over 100k in the bank will get all that and rather a lot more. Banks LIKE money.

    28. Re:standard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Used to work there. Hopefully they're doing better now. But even though you can easily get through to a UK based contact centre, I strongly recommend against investing large sums.

      Posting anon. for pretty fucking obvious reasons.

    29. Re:standard by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      You'd be surprised. Call your bank and ask for the interest rate when the balance stays above 100k or even 250k. In many banks this VIP rate beats money market instruments like certificates of deposit..

      It definitely does.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    30. Re:standard by swalve · · Score: 1

      I would love to have that kind of address. "Rutherford Manor, North Cheswickfordshire, Yarmouth, UK"

    31. Re:standard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unfortunately, if we're still talking about the UK here, your comment deserves (+5, Funny) for that suggestion alone...

      Lets just say that my annual income crossed a very specific threshold and my bank (that I've been with for over twenty years) contacted me to let me know that I'm now a very valued customer; here's a new contact number, here are some additional services we'd like to offer you, here are some benefits we'll grant to you for no fee.

      It's fairly safe to say that someone with over 100k in the bank will get all that and rather a lot more. Banks LIKE money.

      Ooh, tell me more.

    32. Re:standard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How easy / fast does the FDIC cover issues? Is there just a bold text on your ATM receipt saying "Note: This withdrawal courtesy of FDIC" as if nothing happened? Or do you have to ask Janet Yellen personnally to withdraw $17.50 just to make it through the end of the month?

  2. Make it three by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Two is certainly not enough, you should at least have three bank accounts

    1. Re:Make it three by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

      Fuck everything, we're doing five back accounts.

      http://www.theonion.com/blogpo...

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    2. Re:Make it three by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This advice is actually supposed to protect the banks, not the customers. If a bank is hacked it has to repay any losses you suffer. Say a business has its account locked and can't pay wages, or someone moving house can't pay for their new home and the sale falls through. The knock-on financial losses could be huge. Hundreds of employees having regular payments fail, black marks on their credit records that they have to get removed, a whole chain of house buyers falling apart, fees for late payments etc.

      So if you have two accounts you can use the other one to make payments, thus lessening the bank's financial liability.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:Make it three by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Stuff this I'm stuffing my mattress again.

    4. Re:Make it three by TonyJohn · · Score: 2

      a business has its account locked and can't pay wages, or someone moving house can't pay for their new home and the sale falls through.

      It is unlikely that the business/mover will be able to keep enough money in both accounts to pay in the scenarios that you envision. Having two bank accounts gives you guaranteed access to at most half your money: it will normally work for getting some ready cash, and will often suffice for paying monthly bills, but not the really big items.

      The other hazard is the other things that your bank keeps for you: all the payment details, amounts, dates that are used. The redundant bank (i.e. the one not normally making payments) is unlikely to have the facilities for storing this information for use in a failure - and you'll have to make sure it is all kept up to date. In the UK the direct debit scheme doesn't have a failover mechanism, so that won't work yet.

      All of these issues are soluble, but just highlight that digital banking is built more on 19th century principles than 21st.

      --
      Owl tried to think of something wise to say, but couldn't.
    5. Re:Make it three by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If it "protects" the bank, that's only a side effect, and an irrelevant one at that. MY choice to use two different banks was made to protect ME from temporary loss of service, and it was made independently, without being advised or solicited, and that's the end of the story.

    6. Re:Make it three by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

      One day you'll meet the right woman.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    7. Re:Make it three by drunk_punk · · Score: 1

      "Just keep another bank account" smacks of "We can't promise you we abide by best practices" to me. So yeah. Why NOT 5 bank accounts? Why not 10? I say fuck all that, just give me ONE Bank that takes it's (and my) security seriously. One that has an active Risk Management Plan for when things start to go south. I don't think that's too much to ask, considering that my checking and savings accounts together don't make enough interest to account for inflation...

    8. Re:Make it three by KGIII · · Score: 1

      I'd go a bit further and suggest, having listened to those wiser in the subject than I, that a multiple account scenario with using both banks and credit unions (preferring the latter) is a prudent thing to do if one wishes to maintain access in varied situations, avoid certain legal issues, or minimize risks. You don't get to choose what the holder does, necessarily, but you can act in your own self-interest.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    9. Re:Make it three by cheater512 · · Score: 1

      I'm not worried about cyber attacks against banks.

      I'm worried about the fairly regular bank outages.
      They haven't hit my bank yet, but with cost cutting I'm sure it will eventually.

    10. Re:Make it three by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not everything has to be about the big bad corp and the peon dude: they're offering very practical advice so you can access funds to pay your bills in case your bank gets DDOSed--the bank is still liable if the actual funds in their coffers held as a credit to your name are somehow taken. You do know that banks do NOT want credits to your name (deposits), in one sense, given that those mere deposits represent liabilities, right? (They only want them to be able to lend to convert them to a 100%+some credit to their name but then by giving-out those funds they also take a risk due to the fractional leverage.)

      This advice isn't "supposed to protect the banks": that's not the focus of the article. It's sound practical advice.

    11. Re:Make it three by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And if everyone does this it's a wash. So, not so helpful to the bank.

    12. Re:Make it three by swalve · · Score: 1

      You use a vendor, or do it inhouse. The vendor writes the checks, you pay the vendor the value of the checks. If you do it inhouse, you just change the name and account number on the checks you print.Or you get an insurance policy that provides cash in the event of a bank failure.

  3. Five? by Big+Hairy+Ian · · Score: 0

    one of the five greatest dangers facing the UK banking industry.

    The other four involve filing for moral bankrupsy

    --

    Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.

  4. Or by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A shed load of Cash hidden at home.

  5. Doesn't always work by Snotnose · · Score: 2

    Some 30 years ago the ATMs on the west coast went toes up. Seems a backhoe had dug up a line on the east coast, without that line ATMs didn't work. Doesn't the dumbass bank have redundancies, you ask? Turns out the dug up line was the backup. A week earlier a heavy snowstorm had collapsed the roof of a building that banks needed to run the network.
    I've effectively got 2 banks: a credit union and a stock brokerage account I can pull money out of quickly.

    1. Re:Doesn't always work by jafiwam · · Score: 1

      Some 30 years ago the ATMs on the west coast went toes up. Seems a backhoe had dug up a line on the east coast, without that line ATMs didn't work. Doesn't the dumbass bank have redundancies, you ask? Turns out the dug up line was the backup. A week earlier a heavy snowstorm had collapsed the roof of a building that banks needed to run the network.

      That was most if not all of the entire US. (Or, a similar outage happened in '88 or so.)

    2. Re:Doesn't always work by Snotnose · · Score: 1

      I think it was '91/'92. I'd forgotten about it until my earlier post, but I've been remembering the conversations I had with coworkers about it (almost all of the "hey, the money machine is busted. Can I borrow $20?" "Sorry, mines busted too. Can I borrow $10?". I was consulting back then and had jobs for 6-12 months at a time, that narrows it down quite a bit.

    3. Re:Doesn't always work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      are you a racist?

    4. Re:Doesn't always work by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      The early 1990's were good years for backhoe accidents in Silicon Valley. One fiber optic cable with 50,000+ lines got torn out on three separate occasions by the same backhoe operator at a construction site. After the third repair job, the utility stepped in and did the backhoe work themselves.

    5. Re:Doesn't always work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Knowing what we know now from the Snowden leaks, how many of those backhoe accidents do you think were actually accidental?

  6. The five big dangers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    According to the report, cyber risk is one of the five greatest dangers facing the UK banking industry.

    The others:

    1) Bankers
    2) Banking
    3) Lying
    4) Cheating

  7. Wrong by Chrisq · · Score: 4, Insightful

    According to the report, cyber risk is one of the five greatest dangers facing the UK banking industry.

    The others:

    1) Bankers
    2) Banking
    3) Lying
    4) Cheating

    Those aren't dangers - they're just business as usual

  8. In other news... by KenDiPietro · · Score: 1

    Would the good gentleman from the Cass Business School, also enlighten us as to where this extra money might be secured?

    This is a perfect example of what happens when people who have more than enough money believe they are communicating with the rest of the world.

    1. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure I get you.

      I'm in the UK and I have two bank (current) accounts, I don't pay anything to have them (of course, I pay through lousy interest &c.), I also have an isa investment account and another bond account. They're all with different banks, and they only cost me the time and effort of a bank visit to set up each of them.

      Unless you mean something I don't understand by 'be secured', they're secured in the other banks?

    2. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He means that most people and businesses don't have tons of extra cash laying around to keep two accounts filled with enough funds.

    3. Re:In other news... by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1

      Would the good gentleman from the Cass Business School, also enlighten us as to where this extra money might be secured?

      I'll enlighten you with my own experiences. Innovation is key to a plan to acquire more funds above the average person.

      This is a perfect example of what happens when people who have more than enough money believe they are communicating with the rest of the world.

      You seem to be assuming I am not part of the rest of the world. You're just as guilty of the generalizations you're trying to apply to that person.

      --
      Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
    4. Re:In other news... by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      I'm in the UK [...] Unless you mean something I don't understand by 'be secured'

      He does. Have you considered learning the language of the place you live in? Or failing that, using google?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    5. Re:In other news... by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      I'm in the UK [...] Unless you mean something I don't understand by 'be secured'

      He does. Have you considered learning the language of the place you live in?

      I am also in the UK and also struggled to understand what the GGP meant by "secured", and I don't consider there is much wrong with my English apart from the occasional typpppppo.

      I think what the GGP meant by "secured" is "obtained". In UK English, "secured" generally means "made safe", hence the trans-Atlantic confusion. It is particularly ambiguous in this discussion which is in fact about making money safe.

      I believe that what the GGP is saying is that many people do not have enough money to worry about the bank losing or stealing it, or even to be worthwhile putting in a bank at all. Yes, we know that.

    6. Re:In other news... by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      I'm in the UK [...] Unless you mean something I don't understand by 'be secured'

      He does. Have you considered learning the language of the place you live in? Or failing that, using google?

      I think he refuses to on principle, because that would just make him one of us fat cats who have money.

      What I am surprised at is that anyone would need to be told to have their money in more than one bank. I've had mine in several banks since long before the intertoobz.

      But then again, we live in a world where many people think it is smart to take out 30 year mortgages rather than 15 year ones. Then wonder why they don't have any money.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    7. Re:In other news... by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 0

      Would the good gentleman from the Cass Business School, also enlighten us as to where this extra money might be secured?

      I'll enlighten you with my own experiences. Innovation is key to a plan to acquire more funds above the average person.

      As well as an ability to understand some pretty basic math as applied to personal finances.

      Let's take the example of a mortgage. Almost everyone I know took out a 30 year mortgage when they bought their homes

      So let's see about this.....

      Using rounded figures: 200,000 dollars mortgaged at 5%.

      30 year payoff = Monthly payment of 1,073.64

      15 year payoff = Monthly payment of 1,581.59

      Wow! these folks are saving over 500 dollars a month!

      So many people actually someway, somehow, think that they are saving money!

      When in fact:

      $1,581.59 times 180 months = $284,686.20

      $1,073.64 times 360 months = $386,510.40

      This means that they have given away $101,824.20

      Which would be nice sitting in a bank account or two.

      I have no idea why people cannot figure out this simple stuff, and just imagine that extra $1600.00 dollars a month in your pocket after 15 years. But given that the 30 year mortgages are still the standard, It looks as if I'm in a minority.

      I suspect our friend with his stereotypes belongs to that majority group - giving away their wealth with no insight as to how they are giving it away.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    8. Re:In other news... by KenDiPietro · · Score: 0

      I'll enlighten you with my own experiences. Innovation is key to a plan to acquire more funds above the average person.

      Implicit in your response is the attitude that you are somehow better than the average person because you are innovative. Or that because you have more money that somehow makes you something other than wealthy. Interestingly, one has to wonder how this will turn out for you in the longer run.

      You seem to be assuming I am not part of the rest of the world. You're just as guilty of the generalizations you're trying to apply to that person.

      Damn, you mean to say that you assumed something about me and then addressed that assumption without having any idea if it were true? If only there were some internet-related meme to describe such an action.

    9. Re:In other news... by KenDiPietro · · Score: 0

      Did it ever occur to you that many people will never qualify for a mortgage based on any number of factors such as location? After all, a fair portion of the people who live in San Diego or New York City will never make enough to buy within 50 miles of where they work - but they probably understand the math that you laid out intimately.

    10. Re:In other news... by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Did it ever occur to you that many people will never qualify for a mortgage based on any number of factors such as location?

      It occurs to me very much. But then, that was part of the reason I don't live in places where I cant afford to live. Pretty simple math.

      After all, a fair portion of the people who live in San Diego or New York City will never make enough to buy within 50 miles of where they work - but they probably understand the math that you laid out intimately.

      One of my favorite parts of this recurring conversation is that people always have a litany of excuses. But in reality- it is simple. If your career doesn't pay you enough to live in a certain area, then perhaps you don't want to live in that area.

      Besides, if you can't afford a house in those areas, it really doesn't matter, because you won't have a mortgage anyhow.

      Reminds me of my boss. He refused to believe me that I was going to retire. He said I couldn't afford to. I gave 5 years notice that he laughed at. Each year at review time, I outlined what would keep me there. Three years to go, I noted my mortgage was paid off. Two years to go, I sat down with him at review time, and went over the numbers, because he still said I couldn't afford to retire. One year to go, I outlined the last matter it would take to get me to stay on, which involved a raise that would affect my numbers positively.

      One month to go - I put in my notice. Amazingly enough, it came as a total shock. "I just thought you were venting" was his reply when I noted that I had actually given him 5 years notice. So after retirement, they brought me back as an emergency rehire.

      I can talk and talk, but the other side has to listen. But so few people take telling.

      Leonard Cohen said it well:

      You are locked into your suffering, and your pleasures are the seal.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    11. Re:In other news... by afidel · · Score: 1

      Yes, but $500 a month invested in the stock market at 7% average returns would be worth $610,000 at the end of the 30 years so you're up a half million. It only works if you're disciplined, but if you're not then it's unlikely you'll be able to handle the 15 year mortgage payments anyways.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    12. Re:In other news... by afidel · · Score: 1

      Sorry forgot about the 1600 a month over the last 15 years, it's still a net gain of 322k in the investment scenario.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    13. Re:In other news... by whoever57 · · Score: 2

      You are just as guilty of being financially illiterate as the people you claim "cannot figure out this simple stuff". The situation is made more complex by:
      1. Affordability. People may not be able to afford the monthly payments on a 30 year mortgage
      2. Taxes. Depending on what other deductions you may have, the interest may be tax deductible.
      3. Other loans: A smart person pays off the highest interest loans first.
      4. Security: it may be a good idea to pay off a loan more slowly if it means that you have cash available for emergencies.

      --
      The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
    14. Re:In other news... by KenDiPietro · · Score: 1

      While I find your screed somewhat myopic, your points are well taken.

      Personally, I completely agree with you in as far as living in locations where the cost of living is moderate. I also accept that many people cannot do that due to family constraints or other priorities which keep them anchored.

      As far as retirement, I sincerely hope that neither of us have to fight against the kind of inflation we witnessed during the Ford and Cater Administrations but understand that this could happen.

    15. Re: In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can talk and talk, but the other side has to listen. But so few people take telling.

      You sound like a complete fucking moron... No doubt people ignore you.

    16. Re:In other news... by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Words can have more than one meaning. And it was obvious, at least to me, which one was intended.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    17. Re:In other news... by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Yes, but $500 a month invested in the stock market at 7% average returns would be worth $610,000 at the end of the 30 years so you're up a half million. It only works if you're disciplined, but if you're not then it's unlikely you'll be able to handle the 15 year mortgage payments anyways.

      Awesome. This all reminds me of the retirement schemes that are heavily stock market oriented. Man you'll always be rolling in the dough, a 5Xmillionaire when you retire. You are always going to get a 7 percent return all the time.

      Why? Because, in the long run the stock market ALWAYS goes up.

      And bedamned if that isn't the truth.

      But as many of my co-workers found out, it doesn't matter a tinkers damn. What is important is where the stock market is, and where you have your money on the date you intend to retire. I've had multiple coworkers who lost most everything in 2000, and again in 2008.

      The problem with your scenaro is of course if you invest in exactly the right vehicles, and pull and place your money around in the other exact right vehicles, you might just do that. And don't forget, if you aren't doing it yourself, you need that 7 percent after commissions.

      I've got money in the market, but it's all expendable money. And the game is not rigged for people with only a few hundred thousand to invest.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    18. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can talk and talk, but the other side has to listen. But so few people take telling.

      Yep. What do you tell a woman with two black eyes? Nuthin! The bitch already been told twice...

    19. Re:In other news... by Diss+Champ · · Score: 1

      I think it is smart to have a 30 year mortgage rather than a 15 year one because my rate is much less than I expect from my investments, and the difference in payments is being invested.

      Yes, this does mean that I am somewhat more leveraged, but if the house value really drops enough to be less than I owe on it, well the reason the bank is charging me more than prime is because they are taking the risk of getting the house instead of the money in that case.

      Paying off a loan is only a good return if the loan is at a higher rate than you can make using the money, with appropriate risk adjustment

    20. Re:In other news... by Cederic · · Score: 1

      I'm too drunk for this, but..

      I think it is smart to have a 30 year mortgage rather than a 15 year one because my rate is much less than I expect from my investments, and the difference in payments is being invested.

      So.
      Monthly payment: M
      Principle (amount borrowed): P
      Interest rate (monthly): i
      Number of repayments: n

      M = P [ i(1 + i)^n ] / [ (1 + i)^n â" 1]
      (stolen from https://www.nerdwallet.com/blo... )

      So 30 year mortgage:
      T = P(i(1+i)^360) / ((1+i)^360 -1)
      vs 15 year mortgage:
      F = P(i(1+i)^180) / ((1+i)^180 -1)

      Frankly that's a pain in the arse for me to calculate while drunk - and wolfram alpha can't tell me the difference between T and F. So lets assume

      i = 4% annually, so 0.04/12 = 0.00333 recurring
      P = 400,000, on the grounds any less means you're not investing enough to generate a decent return anyway

      T = 1910
      F = 2959

      Now, you're stating that you can generate greater returns than the mortgage would cost. That equates over a 30 year timeframe to:

      ((2959-1910) * ( (1 + x)^360 â" 1) / ( x(1 + x)^360)) - (30 * 12 * 1910) > (2959 * ( (1 + x)^180 â" 1) / ( x(1 + x)^180 )) - (15 * 12 * 2959)

      Ok, that's ignoring the time value of money. However, at no point on that equation does any value of (x) actually translate to a real number. You have to start using the square root of -1 to make that equation resolve.

      Maybe my maths is broken. I'm not terribly good at it and I'm drunk, but frankly it's looking pretty unlikely for you.

    21. Re: In other news... by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      I can talk and talk, but the other side has to listen. But so few people take telling.

      You sound like a complete fucking moron... No doubt people ignore you.

      Yup. I do believe you believe I'm a complete fucking moron.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    22. Re:In other news... by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      I can talk and talk, but the other side has to listen. But so few people take telling.

      Yep. What do you tell a woman with two black eyes? Nuthin! The bitch already been told twice...

      Ehrmagherd! That reminds me of the old days on alt.tastless.jokes. Thanks for th flashback!

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    23. Re:In other news... by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Maybe my maths is broken. I'm not terribly good at it and I'm drunk, but frankly it's looking pretty unlikely for you.

      Your maths are fine. I had people coming down to brag about how much money they made and put into their retirement investments all the time.

      They stopped doing that in 2000 when the tech bubble burst.

      Some others did the same until the housing market drug us into the great recession in 2007-2008.

      They stopped too.

      And through conservative investments, saving and paying my bills off as quickly as I could, I am where they would have been. They are all still working and looking forward to a severely lessed retirement income. But they had a hellava run for a few years, when they too believed I was a "fucking moron" as one of our AC's so cutely put it.

      Perhaps this fellow has found that special kind of stock that returns a solid 10 percent every year and never goes down. That way he can pay off his broker and live in fat city.

      Which for my maths is magic, and the stock is probably in the Unobtanium Corporation.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    24. Re:In other news... by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      200,000 dollars mortgaged at 5%.

      Seriously, using a calculator is being a troll?

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    25. Re:In other news... by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1

      Implicit in your response is the attitude that you are somehow better than the average person because you are innovative.

      Better is subjective. I don't judge myself above others, in fact, this is why I expect everyone to be able to do anything I can do.

      Interestingly, one has to wonder how this will turn out for you in the longer run.

      In my case, because I take a lot of risks, it will likely be a rollercoaster of having money, no money, money etc. But, I go forward doing these things and lead a happy life.

      If only there were some internet-related meme to describe such an action.

      I heard you like assumptions, so I put assumptions in your assumptions?

      --
      Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
    26. Re:In other news... by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1

      I have no idea why people cannot figure out this simple stuff, and just imagine that extra $1600.00 dollars a month in your pocket after 15 years. But given that the 30 year mortgages are still the standard, It looks as if I'm in a minority.

      Especially in this day and age when you have online mortgage calculators, mortgage comparison websites and a wealth of information out there on how to get an effective one, yet so many people just get a mortgage from their bank without even shopping around, never mind calculating.

      I suspect our friend with his stereotypes belongs to that majority group - giving away their wealth with no insight as to how they are giving it away.

      Possibly.

      --
      Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
    27. Re:In other news... by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      I have no idea why people cannot figure out this simple stuff, and just imagine that extra $1600.00 dollars a month in your pocket after 15 years. But given that the 30 year mortgages are still the standard, It looks as if I'm in a minority.

      Especially in this day and age when you have online mortgage calculators, mortgage comparison websites and a wealth of information out there on how to get an effective one, yet so many people just get a mortgage from their bank without even shopping around, never mind calculating.

      Well, that is how the subprime lending crisis caught so much steam. The first ads for the huge mortgages with the ridiculously low monthly payments told me what was coming. The interest only loans were impossible to believe. Further research showed me that it was much worse than even that. Towards the end, there were ancient people with 50 year mortgages. And they still have them! http://www.nationwidemortgages... People act like that one guy who foresaw the collapse was some kind of genius. Dunno what that makes me. A fscking moron at least one AC believes. And when people with houses already got into refis, that Escalade is now in the junkyard, and seriously, how many of us pull all of the equity out of our house and invest it in some mythical high yield stock.

      The problem such as it is, is this ain't rocket surgery. All of the math is pretty standard stuff, and actuarial tables tell us other needed information.

      The weird thing is how angry some folks get with me. Even the ones who rubbed it in as to how much money they had before they lost it all. I never did a told-ya-so to them, but man did they get pissed. But I think people have been raised to believe there is some kind of secret formula to accumulating wealth, and refuse to accept it when I bring out a pocket calculator and disprove the stuff the smart guys tell them.

      Stocks early, munis and market tied accounts later, paying attention to the bank's solvency and the amounts you have so you can move it around, Living on a cash back credit card and paying it off every month - I make money off my credit cards, and have a record of what I spend. A separate card for fuel, just for easier attention to fuel costs. Live within your means. Become debt free as soon as possible. Financial discipline. Only in voodoo economics world is that bad advice.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    28. Re:In other news... by KenDiPietro · · Score: 1

      Better is subjective. I don't judge myself above others, in fact, this is why I expect everyone to be able to do anything I can do.

      Indeed, better is subjective, unlike having the ability to comprehend and then act on knowledge which was passed on to you as part of your being raised by educated and caring parents or through a decent school system. Then there is that ugly issue of mental health which some estimates range as high as afflicting one in four Americans.

      In my case, because I take a lot of risks, it will likely be a rollercoaster of having money, no money, money etc. But, I go forward doing these things and lead a happy life.

      The reality is that in the next thirty years your life will likely transition into something wholly unrecognizable from today's perspective. If we look at the increasingly rapid rate which technology is obsoleting what used to be lifelong professional careers as well as institutions we could count on, unless serious changes are made in how society is managed, the likelihood of you reaching any level of stability are decreasing at a rate closely following the rate of change.

      I heard you like assumptions, so I put assumptions in your assumptions?

      Touché.

    29. Re:In other news... by swalve · · Score: 1

      They would be stupid not to. Maybe not full 2x coverage, but at least enough to span the bank outage.

    30. Re:In other news... by swalve · · Score: 1

      We probably won't. That was caused by all the boomers hitting the job market at the same time the US was going off the Bretton-Woods system. The value of the dollar had to correct itself away from the more or less arbitrary fixed price in gold, to representing the value it actually represents.

    31. Re:In other news... by swalve · · Score: 1

      Your admonition is sound, but I have a minor quibble about the losing everything in 2000 and 2008 part. They only lost if they were holding raw stocks and/or if they sold at the bottom. I lost a lot of money in my retirement account too, but what I didn't do was sell at the bottom. I let it ride, and I was back to even in just over a year. It wreaked havok on my long term return number, but I was still up. Which is pretty good in a deflationary spiral.

    32. Re:In other news... by KenDiPietro · · Score: 0

      We probably won't. That was caused by all the boomers hitting the job market at the same time the US was going off the Bretton-Woods system. The value of the dollar had to correct itself away from the more or less arbitrary fixed price in gold, to representing the value it actually represents.

      I fail to see how this has anything to do with leaving the gold standard. The gold standard was an absurd and arbitrary system which was obsolete when it was enacted - and more to the point it failed to further our needs. As to the arbitrary price of gold, that was also an imposed rate, one which made little sense looking back at it over time.

    33. Re:In other news... by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1

      Indeed, better is subjective, unlike having the ability to comprehend and then act on knowledge which was passed on to you as part of your being raised by educated and caring parents or through a decent school system.

      I would be at a bigger disadvantage than the typical American then. My parents were too busy with their own problems to deal with mine and I couldn't even speak the language used at the school I went to, and the schools I went to had no concept of even teaching a foreigner (in fact I've been accused of stealing their land, jobs etc). The schools themselves based upon the ex-soviet communist system where you learn by heart and obey, no thinking allowed mythos in a county where anyone 'thoughtful' under the soviet rule would have been silently disappeared since they are inferior to Russians (fascinating history you don't see in history books).

      I fully admit, the only reason why I got this far was because I had access to the Internet and absorbed a lot from it.

      Then there is that ugly issue of mental health which some estimates range as high as afflicting one in four Americans.

      I was also at a disadvantage, because the country I was in when growing up did not take understanding of mental issues beyond the biomedical. Everything was a chemical imbalance; autism, ADHD etc? Not recognised. I also went through a few traumatic experiences that no child should be exposed to. I was also prone to being the target of prejudicial hate crimes, which made it impossible for me to seek any sort of support. I fully expect I have some mental issues.

      the likelihood of you reaching any level of stability are decreasing at a rate closely following the rate of change.

      Maybe, but, if I can manage the situation having being, at least, in my opinion, significantly disadvantaged in life, others can too.

      --
      Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
    34. Re:In other news... by KenDiPietro · · Score: 1

      Maybe, but, if I can manage the situation having being, at least, in my opinion, significantly disadvantaged in life, others can too.

      Some others can, many cannot. We all face challenges, my friend, some of us are more capable of dealing with those challenges than others. If you're surviving and even prospering, more power to you but as someone who has faced his own demons, we need to remember that many lose that battle.

    35. Re:In other news... by swalve · · Score: 1

      Instead of letting the supply/demand curve naturally set the price of the dollar, they had it set by fiat against other currencies using gold as a middleman of sorts. When this ended, the free market found that the dollar wasn't worth nearly as much as we had said. On a macro level, there was a glut of dollars against poor demand for them. This makes prices go higher, which fuels the inflation fire.

      I'm not saying the gold standard was good- it wasn't. Only that the transition away from the gold standard was painful and was a big part of the stagflation problem.

    36. Re:In other news... by KenDiPietro · · Score: 1

      Interesting.

      My understanding is that the root causes of that period of Stagflation was the near instantaneous dumping of a million and a half men on the job market due to the abrupt end of the Vietnam war. You just know that had to have a profound effect on an economy even one the size of ours.

    37. Re:In other news... by swalve · · Score: 1

      I'm sure it had an effect, but an influx of workers should mean dropping wages and lower prices. By my math, anyway. More people competing for a limited resource should raise its value rather than lower it.

    38. Re:In other news... by KenDiPietro · · Score: 1

      That would be true if these people could have found jobs but at the same time they were dumped on the job market, the defense industry was contracting. Instead, what we saw were hundreds of thousands of people added to the welfare ranks and a downward spiraling economy which was the stagnation part of the stagflation. Why we saw inflation at that time is likely attributable to inept handling of the economy by the Fed.

    39. Re:In other news... by afidel · · Score: 1

      Whatever, there's only been one better vehicle for wealth creation than the NYSE in the last 1,000 years and that was the Dutch East India company. If you invest in a broad basket of stocks you'll get an average 7% return pretty reliably. If you're less than 5 years from your expected retirement you probably need to diversify the first decades spending money into bonds and cash equivalents. This is investing 101. If your friends withdrew their money in 2000 or 2008 then they were suckers. Let the money ride and live on other sources (bond dividends, cash equivalents, or if you have to continued wages). Panicking and pulling it out at or near the bottom is how not to invest 101. People who think the stock market is somehow rigged against them are people without a rational/analytical mind who do things on emotion, which is how you get crushed in the stock market. The market is somewhat tilted against the small investor in that you are going to have some of your profits taken by rent seekers, midtown isn't built kisses afterall, but if you invest in low load mutual funds (or better index funds) you will get your returns pretty much without fail over the long term.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    40. Re:In other news... by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      This is investing 101. If your friends withdrew their money in 2000 or 2008 then they were suckers. Let the money ride and live on other sources (bond dividends, cash equivalents, or if you have to continued wages).

      Despite your silly investing 101 comment, perhaps because of it you are missing the point.

      Time.

      Using the money.

      I'll use the example of the guy who lost out twice.

      in 2000, he was 65, which is a pretty normal retirement age. He will be living on the money he made by investing through the years.

      Give me the scenario in which him losing almost all of his money means something to him at that time.

      So since he did not have the money to retire on any more, he did not retire.

      Being a little desperate, he socked away a lot more money between 2000 and 2008.

      He was now 73 years old, and simply not going to be working much longer.

      After the second big loss, he gave up, worked another year, and retired with SS being his major source of income. The only upside being that he had delayed to the max pulling his SS.

      Now we can say how stupid people like him were - but he and the others were not stupid. They were greedy. They just bought into the mantra that "the stock market always goes up", paying no attention to the fact that when building a nest egg, the most important part is not the general upward trend, but where your investments are when you need to start drawing them down.

      The country is full of people who for one reason or another simply cannot make the distinction. It's expressed in some of the dumbass ways we invest. It's expressed in greed taking over from sound financial savvy.

      I built much of my money via the stock market. But I always had some money in very conservative investments. Then as I came closer to retirement, I moved more and more to safer investments. Now that I'm retired (did it at 55) most of it is in pretty safe stuff, with some tied to the stock market, and a little in the riskier stuff just for fun.

      What can I say - it worked a whole lot better than the people who tried to maximize every investment, and who had almost no money at the time when they needed it most.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  9. The five big fears of banks by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    1. Getting bank regulation that deserves that name
    2. Not getting bailed out next time the gambling backfires
    3. A country being able to pay back its debts and thus free to make a move on them
    4. People catching on how things worked out for Iceland and Iceland becoming a role model
    5. Anyone with some clout declaring "this bank is bankrupt". Because that can bankrupt any bank. No matter the size.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:The five big fears of banks by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1

      4. People catching on how things worked out for Iceland and Iceland becoming a role model

      This is also what pro EU entities fear.

      --
      Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
    2. Re:The five big fears of banks by BitZtream · · Score: 1

      2. Not getting bailed out next time the gambling backfires

      Okay, this one bothers me. While partially true, its unfair the way you have stated it. The recent #2 is a direct result of #5

      You realize that the bank 'failures' were not because the banks were actually failing, right? Its because the government changed the laws that governed how much of their assets could be out 'on loan' and how much they actually had in cash so that all the loans they had made recently put them in a situation that was illegal.

      It wasn't illegal when they made the deals. The government changed law after the deals but it effected the result of the deals.

      Suddenly banks that were perfectly fine and running business properly, making good on all their obligations EXCEPT this one brand new law ... were suddenly no longer legally allowed to operate, and governed by a whole other set of laws designed to deal with banks that are actually unable to meet their financial obligations.

      So the reason the banks actually failed in the US was not because of the mortgage industry, it was because the government pulled the rug out from under them DUE TO THE BULLSHIT IN THE MORTGAGE INDUSTRY. So back to your number 5 ... The government said they were insolvent. That ended several large banks for no other reason.

      --
      Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
    3. Re:The five big fears of banks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I don't like the government owning things, but honestly, since the government effectively owns currency* in most countries, the government may as well own the banks.

      * - Okay, depending on how you look at it, they don't own it. But when they tell you that if you make your own you go to jail, or if you deface it (with intent to use it) you go to jail, and they can decide they're tired of you using it and make it all completely worthless (by flooding the market with so much of it there's no point in having any); yeah, I think they own it.

      After all, isn't that even more power than a landlord has over a tenant? And no tenant would ever think they own the place they're staying in!

    4. Re:The five big fears of banks by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Actually, I have to argue that the government owning certain things leads to a healthier economy. With certain basic facilities being provided by the government rather than private businesses, it can be ensured that businesses have to compete on an even ground rather than businesses enjoying advantages due to owning basic facilities, thus creating a de facto monopoly situation.

      If phone lines were owned by government facilities that have to, by law, let them to every ISP on the same conditions, we'd see far more competition and far better service than what we have now where the cables are owned by a company and the price to enter into competition is far too high for most potential competitors, not to mention that they would be at a severe disadvantage.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    5. Re:The five big fears of banks by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      You're not claiming that governments told banks to go on high risk businesses and basically betting their complete financial well being on venues that amount to nothing short of gambling, are you?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    6. Re:The five big fears of banks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      0. Realizing that the Federal Reserve is in charge of the money supply and entirely owned and operated by Banks. Therefore the people controlling your money have the opposite of they your best interests in mind.

    7. Re:The five big fears of banks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually the Telecom Act was passed to break up the local Bell monopolies and let other players into the market without letting them tear up streets and buildings across the nation. You may recall the heated DSL competition in the late 90's, early 2000's. That was made possible by legislation.

      Of course, monopolies don't like competition, so the Bells started upgrading to fiber, since it wasn't covered by the telecom bill and they could maintain their same monopolies without effectively subsidizing competition. Thankfully a few cable companies followed suit and now noncommercial internet speeds in the US are nice in many cities and reasonably affordable.

  10. looking up 2nd opinion on alphabet.com by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    everybody's got one? https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=stallman+privacy

  11. Or... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just don't leave your money in the bank to begin with. Keep it under your bed~

  12. Requires Money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    In order to have two bank accounts, one needs to have money. So, Peter Hahn, where do I get all this magic money you speak of? Working full time does not do it. Maybe you could give us all some so we can open multiple bank accounts?

    1. Re: Requires Money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Exactly, what a useless solution.

    2. Re:Requires Money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The core principle of capitalism is laziness: rather than working, you make money by investing money. Surprisingly, it works better than one might expect, but it's far from perfect.

      This contrasts socialism, which has the core principle that one gets what one needs by actively working. A good dose of socialist principle helps a country, but pure socialism tends to invite corruption.

      (Oddly, the right-wing press swap the two around, and claim that socialism is for the lazy. The point in socialism - which is in its traditional form merely cooperative ownership of business - isn't to support laziness, but to make sure nobody has to work too hard to feed the laziness of others.)

      To answer your question, then - getting rich requires capital. There are three sorts of capital, all of which must be combined with good health (over which most people have some influence, but many people have no influence) and less-than-awful fortune:

      1) Material - having cash in the first place. You can't really start here unless you've earned it. Most people who start here are too oblivious to realise that not everyone is in the same situation;

      2) Social - knowing the right people. Some people start from this position, but usually only those who already have 1). Schmoozing will help. You may find it hard to sleep at night. Most people who get rich via this method are socially cunning, so are hardly going to tell you how effective it is;

      3) Intellectual - being smart enough that people will pay you handsomely for a skill. This is the hardest method, and not really open to anyone who isn't naturally talented. Most people who take this route wrongly assume that they have got there through "hard work" and fail to see that an equivalent or greater effort from the average person will not product the same outcome.

      tl;dr life isn't fair and the answer for most people is "You can't get it". A good society is one where not everyone has to be rich to be able to live a fulfilling and secure life. For the past 36 years, Great Britain has crept away from this post-war dream to something rather backwardly Victorian. (And I say this not as a bitter poor person, but as someone born into money who knows just how fucking lucky I am.)

    3. Re:Requires Money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      If you are no longer a member of your student union, you should no longer be harbouring socialist views.

      Socialism is an unrealistic idealist theory which doesn't work in practice.

      Capitalism assumes that people are both greedy and lazy - they will work only as much as they have to. If they can benefit from working more, or harder, or in a niche, they will. That's why we have all these nice things. Some greedy people decided that if you make stuff that nobody else makes, you can be rich.

      Capitalism uses the bad parts of human nature and uses them to benefit everybody. Hooray for that.

    4. Re:Requires Money by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1

      In order to have two bank accounts, one needs to have money. So, Peter Hahn, where do I get all this magic money you speak of? Working full time does not do it. Maybe you could give us all some so we can open multiple bank accounts?

      I work full time and can spread my money around different accounts just fine. Clearly, you're doing it wrong.

      --
      Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
    5. Re:Requires Money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's like you didn't even read what I said. The crux of my message was that both pure socialism and pure capitalism are "unrealistic idealist theory which doesn't work in practice", and that a working system combines elements of both.

      Capitalism assumes wrongly, because not everyone is greedy and lazy, and the wealthy elite often go risk/reward balances which cause greater damage to wider society - just as socialism assumes wrongly, because not everyone wants to nor benefits from purely cooperative labour. We have "all these nice things" in some cases because people got educated and built them, and in other cases because a good dose of psychology has convinced us that certain things are nice. From the USSR to the USA, this formula has worked. The economic detail is not unimportant, but it is secondary.

      Reduced to those simplistic terms, socialism uses the good parts of human nature and uses them to benefit everybody. Both exist, and it is a dysfunctional society that only lifts up one side of human nature. A successful country is a country with a mixed economy.

    6. Re:Requires Money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're trolling right?

      Because this is too stupid to be true.

      signed, GLMDesigns

    7. Re:Requires Money by nukenerd · · Score: 0

      where do I get all this magic money you speak of? Working full time does not do it.

      Sounds like I am better off than most here, so here are a dozen tips :-

      1) Avoid rip-offs. Because all tradesmen (plumbers, decorators, electricians, car mechanics, carpet-layers) rip you off, do everything yourself. I do my own car maintenance (even repairing gearboxes), I have replaced facia boards and guttering around my house, done bricklaying, been up the roof to the chimney to repoint it, even built a chimney.

      2) Don't go on fancy holidays. Millions of people (even people who tell me they've "got no money") spend their money to travel around the world on holidays to the Valley of the Kings, Thailand, the Outback etc. Stay at home, or just go locally.

      3) Dont eat out or use take-aways.

      4) Don't buy stuff (like coffee) from vending machines.

      5) Don't go into coffee shops.

      6) Don't buy insurance (unless legally required), it's a serious rip-off. Take the risk.

      7) Don't go into bars.

      8) Never throw anything away. It's suprising how often something is needed again years later.

      9) Make your own stuff. Preferably using material you saved in (8). Like making new furniture from the timber of old furniture (which is better timber than you can obtain these days anyway).

      10) When you need to buy stuff, buy stuff that's out of fashion, cheap.

      11) Don't buy Microsoft products.

      12) Don't buy Apple products.

      Hope this helps. Sounds too austere? The choice is yours.

  13. Redundant Money is a Great Idea! by EmagGeek · · Score: 1

    All I need to make it happen are redundant paychecks.

    1. Re:Redundant Money is a Great Idea! by afidel · · Score: 1

      Your employer doesn't allow you to send your direct deposit to multiple accounts or you're living paycheck to paycheck and hence have no reserve savings?

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    2. Re:Redundant Money is a Great Idea! by EmagGeek · · Score: 1

      Or, afidel doesn't understand humor?

  14. NEWS: Banker recommend we have more bank accounts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    NEWS: Banker recommend we have more bank accounts

    This just in. Overdraft at 11!

  15. Duel Bank accounts (business) by jameswesty12 · · Score: 1

    Hi seems to be giving this advice in terms of personal banking and cyber crime but speaking as someone who has to juggle 3 different businesses I'm not sure if he would allude to this advice for business banking also. As far as I know we have the same protection as personal banks. currently I run 2 websites one based on http:www.freegaydatingworld.co... hs it's own account while the other 2 are in the same one. Presumably he is saying each of the entities should have 2 accounts each but this is pretty unworkable as it costs quite a lot business acocunts arent free while personal ones are here in the UK

    1. Re:Duel Bank accounts (business) by asylumx · · Score: 4, Funny

      Duel Bank accounts

      Is that a typo and you actually meant "Dual" or are you actually suggesting we have banks fight each other to the death? Because I'm OK with either.

    2. Re:Duel Bank accounts (business) by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1

      Presumably he is saying each of the entities should have 2 accounts each but this is pretty unworkable as it costs quite a lot business acocunts arent free while personal ones are here in the UK

      Maybe you need to look a little harder, I have had business bank accounts in the UK that do not have monthly fees etc. Talking from personal experience, it doesn't take that long to make a spreadsheet of the options.

      --
      Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
    3. Re:Duel Bank accounts (business) by KGIII · · Score: 1

      It's just clever spam - paid forum posting is a thing.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  16. Matress by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just put your money under your bed, you'll get better interest rate, right now the real interest rate is negative.
    Don't use a bank, simple.

    1. Re:Matress by jafiwam · · Score: 1

      Just put your money under your bed, you'll get better interest rate, right now the real interest rate is negative. Don't use a bank, simple.

      You still have to contend with inflation with cash.

      With an account, you have fees.

      In a lot of ways you are better off buying non-perishable commodities that you will use eventually. Most of the time the price goes up as somewhat of a hedge against inflation. That way you can purchase utility now for price X where it will be used when it is costing price X plus Y fudge factor.

    2. Re:Matress by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      Use a credit union. I'm getting 3% interest on my money market account.

  17. Monthly fees? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Here in Canada, having two accounts means paying twice the monthly fees... That can easily be $50/month for the average person. I guess that's why the big banks posted $35B in profits...

    Glad to see that our banks or innovating to add value to their shareholders.

    1. Re:Monthly fees? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Even in Canada you can find banks with no monthly fees, a quick google search turns up many.

    2. Re:Monthly fees? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ya, sure bud... And actually READING the details shows that no-fee chequing requires a MINIMUM monthly balance... Now you need twice the minimum balance to hold two no-fee accounts. How many typical people can do that?

    3. Re:Monthly fees? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure for the first 6-12 months....

    4. Re:Monthly fees? by Moof123 · · Score: 1

      If you buy less crap and watch your expenses it is not hard to build up a decent balance in your savings plan. Most folks instead choose to buy lots of junk and services, then freak out when they need to replace the roof, or have a car repaired. They can mostly manage to pay the loan payments and credit card bills used to cover those "emergencies", but can never manage to put regular contributions to their savings account.

      In our house we have put all bonuses into savings, and have put most of every raise into automatic transfers to savings. Our roof replacement going on now is all cash. Our new fence this coming summer is already saved for. I am hopeful to get it up to 6 months of expenses to cover any loss of work within a year. We live within our means, which means planning ahead for the predictable expenses of life. We take few vacations, have no cable, and super cheap cell phone plans.

  18. I have a better idea by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Keep zero bank account and invest in a good safe.
    "Cyber attacks" might be among the biggest threats to the banking system, but the banking system is the biggest threat to people's worth.

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
    1. Re:I have a better idea by Moof123 · · Score: 2

      Mice a a vastly bigger risk to your home safe than the banks are to your savings.

      When was the last time someone lost their FDIC insured account balance?

      Go home, buy some gold, and put your tinfoil hat on you nutter.

  19. This "beats" cyber attacks? by asylumx · · Score: 1

    Keeping two or more accounts is good advice for keeping yourself out of trouble if a cyber attack happens, but I don't think this beats them. They still managed to steal your money and disrupt your life.

  20. Re:bank of england? by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1

    I never heard of the Bank of England,

    Why don't you just visit their site instead of making yourself look like a fool?

    --
    Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
  21. Drumming up new business by Kardos · · Score: 1

    What does it cost for a bank account in the UK? Are they pursuing collecting two monthy fees from each consumer?

    1. Re:Drumming up new business by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What does it cost for a bank account in the UK? Are they pursuing collecting two monthy fees from each consumer?

      Generally nothing, if you stay in credit. There are premium accounts where they will throw in a bundle of stuff (e.g. travel insurance, higher interest on current accounts) but they are a minority.

    2. Re:Drumming up new business by Xest · · Score: 1

      Actually it's unlikely this will net the banks any additional profit and will in fact lower profits per-bank. If you stay in credit in the UK then they simply skim the interest paid by the central bank on your proportion of their holdings and pay themselves with that.

      Say for example you had £100 in your account for a year, and central bank interest rates were 3% then they'll just take that £3 as payment. I believe the average rolling holdings in a UK current account is something like £1500 and interest rates have been 0.5% for a long time, so they're netting about £7.50 a year per account right now.

      Of course that's not the only way they make money, they can also use your money as capital for investments too and make profits that way, similarly they can convince you to pay for extra services (like travel insurance), tempt you with a credit card and charge you interest on use of that, or simply hope that you go into the negative on your current account and pay penalty fees as a result.

      Given that here people wont have more money, nor will they pay more money, but will simply spread the same money across multiple accounts there's no really benefit for the individual bank, only for the sector as a whole in that people's finances will inevitably become more evenly spread if shared between banks - the wealthier banks will lose out, and the poorer banks will do better from encouraging this policy. This guy works for The Bank of England, which is pretty much our equivalent of the Federal Reserve - so there may be some policy benefit for them in this policy, in that making people hedge their money across banks and hence balance money stored across banks more evenly will help stabilise the banking system as a whole. It means well capitalised banks will see some money moved to less capitalised banks allowing those less capitalised banks to be better capitalised and hence less likely to ever need a bailout in future.

      Hence, whilst more of this sort of hedging wont help any individual bank, it will help protect the tax payer and make the Bank of England and the government's job a lot easier.

    3. Re:Drumming up new business by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      What does it cost for a bank account in the UK? Are they pursuing collecting two monthy fees from each consumer?

      It costs nothing. In fact UK banks used to give interest even on cheque accounts (but no more)

      Having said that, some banks have "Gold" accounts (or some such name) which do charge a fee in return for allowing a bigger overdraft or "personal attention" from the manager whatever that involves. I pay no fees, don't need personal attention, never need an overdraft, but am constantly bombarded with hype urging me to "upgrade" to a "gold" account. My banks also have a Byzantine system of fees for stuff like cancelling a cheque or raising your overdraft limit temporarily. I never need any of it.

      The day any of my banks (I have about five) try to charge me fees I will withdraw the lot.

    4. Re:Drumming up new business by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      There are premium accounts where they will throw in a bundle of stuff (e.g. travel insurance, higher interest on current accounts) but they are a rip-off.

      There, that's sorted.

  22. cash by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He's missing the point. You need cash, real, green money (don't get me started on the 'real' part). It's not just hackers, it's backhoe-fade, it's screwups where they seize your assets because of a bit-flip at the tax department, it's getting your account frozen because you googled something about Iran.

    Plus, with the new "negative interest" trend, why keep money in the bank at all?

  23. What's wrong with cash? by jafiwam · · Score: 1

    What's wrong with cash? Or is that too independent / liberty-y for the brits? Using two banks just doubles your risks of card / account / user/pass getting stolen.

    If you go the "two banks" route, check which core processor they use for their accounting first. In the US, there are about 5 companies that smaller institutions use to run their account and transaction data. If the breach is one of the core processors, you don't want to have your two redundant banks on the same processor.

    Of all the things to worry about, "my bank was breached" is pretty low on the list. Do brits lack something like the FDIC / NCUA?

    1. Re:What's wrong with cash? by Xest · · Score: 1

      "What's wrong with cash? Or is that too independent / liberty-y for the brits? Using two banks just doubles your risks of card / account / user/pass getting stolen."

      You wont get interest paid on cash held, so it'll lose value over time compared to that held in a savings account.

      In the UK, having your banking details stolen is not too big a deal. Unless the bank can prove you were seriously negligent (which they basically have never been able to do unless you really did something stupid like posted your plain text payment details to an online forum) then they're liable to cover your losses.

      The principle here is that the very job of banks is to keep your money safe - that was there core, founding reason for existence, and as such that is their job. Therefore, if money gets stolen from you because say, your card details were stolen from an online shopping site, then that's not your fault, because the bank issued you the card as a payment method, thus the bank is responsible for the security of that payment method (again, bar you being completely and almost wilfully negligent). The bank may pursue the retailer in court for compensation of course if the retailer had shit security, but you'll never see any of that as a consumer - you'll typically get your money back and a new card within weeks and will often be given an interest free overdraft in the meantime to make sure you can still pay your bills etc. until they return your money to your account.

    2. Re:What's wrong with cash? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "You wont get interest paid on cash held, so it'll lose value over time compared to that held in a savings account."

      Interest is a joke right now anyway, but even when it is not, it is just the cost of security to be able to buy fuel and groceries for a couple weeks should the banks have a problem. It's not like you have to have a fortune in cash on hand, just figure out your fuel and grocery needs for however long you think the bank(s) might be down. Two weeks sounds about right to me.

  24. Availability vs Security by KreAture · · Score: 1

    Isn't this the same as raid for disk storage?
    You run multiple disks spreading and duplicating data so that your availability is higher in case one (or more) disk(s) goes down.
    For every disk you add, the chance that something will happen goes up, but the chance of you recovering your data can go up as well.

    For your bank account I claim the same to be true. Two banks with different systems double the chance of you experiencing one that has a break-in.
    Each bank may have different systems leading to different attack vectors.
    You thus spread the money, getting less interest as you have less with each bank (interest level is often linked to ammount in steps.), and their liability if compromised is lower. I see the benefit from the banks perspective but not from yours.

  25. Hmm. The majority snarkiness is interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ive had a second account for Paypal, electronic bill pay, and such for a few years now. Both credit unions so it isnt like Im getting hit with fees and it at least makes me feel better to know that my important funds are less likely to suffer a disruption with at least some separation from the other funds that get the most e-churn.

  26. NO! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have a better suggestion; Keep your money out of the bank.

    Today, it's more likely your money will be seized by a corporation, a bank, or by government than by any criminal. If you keep your money out of the bank in in a safe location, then even the IRS can't take it without you willingly giving it to them.

    1. Re:NO! by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      A safe location? If even the bank is not a safe location, what do you think is a safe location? What if there's a fire? Somewhere safe where, for instance, it will all be instantly seized if law enforcement happened to figure out where it was? I mean you never know, your kid could be a pot smoker and they could bring drug/currency dogs to sniff around your house. And a large pile of cash would be instantly seized, because "everyone" knows only drug dealers and criminals have large piles of cash, right?

      I mean, shit happens. Ask Copperfield. I'm pretty sure he still hasn't had that $2 million back.

      I guess you could always have a safe deposit box in a bank. Oh wait...

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    2. Re:NO! by afidel · · Score: 1

      A cyberattack on a bank isn't going to keep you from accessing your safety deposit box.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
  27. Probability by Dunbal · · Score: 2

    But wouldn't that make you twice as likely to be attacked?

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    1. Re:Probability by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 1

      Yes, but it leaves you half as likely to be unable to buy food/gas/whatever as a result of a successful attack.

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    2. Re:Probability by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well said. Twice the surface area but half the probability of being wrecked.

  28. Let them eat cake by devnullkac · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Typical advice from an out-of-touch banker. This is impractical for those most at risk of serious consequences if their bank closes for a few days. It's not like getting an extra hard drive and copying your money to the backup bank. You have to split your limited assets and make sure you meet the minimum requirements of two institutions. And heaven help you if each requires you to have direct deposit in order to avoid monthly fees.

    --
    What do you mean they cut the power? How can they cut the power, man? They're animals!
    1. Re:Let them eat cake by Xest · · Score: 1

      "You have to split your limited assets and make sure you meet the minimum requirements of two institutions."

      Those requirements are hardly difficult to achieve though. The government has an agreement with banks such that even homeless people can get basic bank accounts (with no frills things like overdrafts excluded) - this was to allow the government to pay welfare digitally rather than have to maintain a process of having to provide, manage, and secure, cash handouts.

      Basically anyone in the UK should be able to open two bank accounts one way or another in this day and age even if it means you have to have a special account because you have a history of financial fraud, or defaults against you.

    2. Re:Let them eat cake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In America, banks want either your direct deposit paycheck, or a minimum balance, or both, otherwise they start taking 10 or 20 a month in fees.

  29. The other risks being by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    greedy bankers and greedy inept politicians.

  30. At best you'd have access to half your money... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    and worse, what if both banks "get hacked"?

    I'd rather see banks spending money to make their systems secure, than take any effort to spead my risk. I'm pretty certain that any investigation of bank hacks will turn up plentiful examples of cases where the bank could have spent some time and money on protecting the assets BETTER.

    So what exactly are the banks doing to earn their profit? Nothing much.

  31. Ha, silly Brit by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    I'm an American, I don't hand any money in my bank account. Take that Cyber Criminals!

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  32. Only a banker by MondoGordo · · Score: 1

    Would assume that everyone has enough money to fund two bank accounts to the the level necessary to keep them solvent in the event of the inaccessibility of one of them ... must be nice to have that kind of money available.

    1. Re:Only a banker by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      My biweekly paycheck is direct deposited into three accounts: $10 into a prepaid debit card for laundry, $100 into an online savings account, and the net balance into a credit union checking account. The only time I remember about the money in the online savings account is when I'm reviewing the monthly statements.

  33. I already use more than one account by U2xhc2hkb3QgU3Vja3M · · Score: 1

    I have one account with fiat money, one with Bitcoins.

    And one with Dogecoins, one with Litecoins, etc.

  34. No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If your bank gets attacked, they have insurance, you can still get your money. Their fuckups are not your problem.

  35. Jokes on them by netsavior · · Score: 1

    I am completely insulated from cyber banking attacks, I don't need to spread my risk across 2 bank accounts, because 0 + 0 = 0

  36. Two of Everything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I should also have two cars, just in case one of them fails I can still get to work without disruption.
    I should also have two homes, just in case one of them catches fire I can live in the other.
    I should also have two doctors on call 24/7, so that if one takes vacation I can see the other in an emergency.

    I should also have all the money to do all these things, including being able to afford the fees to open accounts at two separate banks.

    Since I don't, I'll just have to keep on doing what I'm doing now. And expect that banks meet the challenge of cyber attack in a way that does not disrupt my being able to visit my branch and withdraw cash (in short, they do their job as custodian of my money and I'll do mine.)

  37. Sounds Out of Touch by ImprovOmega · · Score: 1

    That advice seems really great for people that have tons of disposable income where they can split their assets like that. Meanwhile, the 75% or so of the populace that's living paycheck to paycheck is going to take one look at that and be like yeah...no. If you're barely making enough to pay the bills how are you supposed to fork your assets into two different accounts like that?

  38. not always possible by j2.718ff · · Score: 2

    There have been times when I've had multiple bank accounts. However, eventually, one bank ended up buying the other, leaving me with two accounts at the same bank.

  39. Simpler solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Ban general purpose computers. No computers, no computer crime: it's really that simple. Locked-down smartphones and tablets can fulfill all of a user's needs. I know not everyone has the scope to see this but eventually society will see the light.

  40. two is one, and one is none by hagnat · · Score: 1

    refer to several articles on Art of Manliness about 'antifragility'

    --
    "life is a joke, and someone is laughing at me"
  41. Keep cash on hand, don't trust it all to banks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Better advice: keep cash on hand in two locations (secured safe and a hidden book-style location). It doesn't need to be a fortune - just enough to buy gas and groceries for two weeks.

  42. What the headline should really say: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hawker of Product X says use Product X more.

    What do you expect a banker to say? Use cash or barter? Nope they're never going to say that.

    I just found out last week my housekeeper has never had a bank account. They never have to worry about "The Evil Hackers" getting their bank info because they don't have any. They have a prepaid credit card they put money on whenever they want to buy something online. Given how low interest rates are, there's no real loss of interest. In fact it sounds easier to me. You don't have to put up with the ridiculous withdrawal limits, hold times for checks, reports to the Feds, or any of the other nonsense banks do.

  43. Obviously by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I keep multiple bank accounts, just in case. I also keep enough in each account to be able to buy a Mercedes, in case my main one happens to get stolen on the same day my bank is cyberattacked. I thought about keeping enough in the accounts to pay cash for a new house if my main villa happens to burn down on the same day my bank gets cyberattacked, but that just seemed silly and over the top.