Is access to banking a human right ?

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I think it should be forum policy that moderators confine their comments to BITOG's core subjects. In other words I don't think moderators should participate in "thought-provoking" threads such as this one.

Scott
Moderators are people, too, and can offer good/bad advice just like anyone else. Who is to determine which threads a mod might participate in? I'd certainly not leave it to you or Hillbilly Deluxe.
 
AG, some research on the subject may show the big banks have spent multiple billions of USD over the past 25 years to include activities so smaller financial institutions can't comply with excessive regulations. A reasonable speculation is the big banks would like to be like cell phone carriers, only three or four real players.

I am fully fluent on things like the Cummunity Reinvestment Act (CRA) and other mandatory programs that claim to support banking in underserved communities.
Oh yes, for sure. That goes for every product and business in the nation its why mom and pop retail stores can no longer compete.
People think regulations are an assault on corporations but the corporations know they have the capital to comply and regulations hope the big companies put the small out of business. They only complain once their less funded competition goes out of business.
Corporations rule, even Americans who vote do not understand, do they actually believe their representatives in Washington have the intelligence and education to create the legislation that they pass? It's not possible, who do you think wrote the ACA? The health industry. Every significant piece is written by a lobby to the way the representative wants it written and of course with the lobbyists best interest.
(no politics and we are on the same page in case you dont realize it but wont comment further because we cant get into the workings of DC)

Ps I am fluent too and I know for fact it's a money loser for many big banks but they have to maintain a presence.
 
I have never thought about the relationship between banking and human rights. At first thought this strikes me as an odd question, but there must be a reason for the post.
We have enumerated the need for a bank (or credit union) account; I wonder what the rules are that might prohibit one from opening an account?

Above my pay grade, for sure...
 
Weren‘t the three enumerated as Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness?
Those are inalienable rights. They were granted to you by your creator, hence no government can take them away.

Human rights are supposedly to be provided by your government at minimum. The concept in the USA is fairly foreign. You have the right to pursue shelter and food. No one is obligated to provide it.

Hence I think much of the confusion on this thread.
 
Those are inalienable rights. They were granted to you by your creator, hence no government can take them away.

Human rights are supposedly to be provided by your government at minimum. The concept in the USA is fairly foreign. You have the right to pursue shelter and food. No one is obligated to provide it.

Hence I think much of the confusion on this thread.
I agree.

If you read Pelican’s post, he lists three different inalienable rights. I was responding to the post in which he said
There are ONLY 3 inalienable Human Rights!
1) Right to Self Defense
2) Right to Nourishment
3) Right to Shelter
These one is born with!

All others are NOT human rights, they may be rights or boons bestowed by society upon an individual or group of individuals.
That's why I find befuddling that a University gives a degree in human rights with a 3 yr study.:eek:
 
Interesting topic - there is a reason check cashing stores are common in areas of lower economic status. Even Walmart has check cashing services. It would seem that by reducing bounced check fees, banks (in the US anyway) are trying to increase their depositor base, or avoid government regulation pushing the issue.

On the flip side - with services like Venmo, and Cash app, is a "bank" even needed anymore? (I don't use them, so have no idea if they need to be linked to an account). Just dealing with contractors, some even look at me funny when I ask if I can pay by check. I have to imagine they pay their workers via some type of non-banking service.
 
I think it should be forum policy that moderators confine their comments to BITOG's core subjects. In other words I don't think moderators should participate in "thought-provoking" threads such as this one.

Scott

I think you're wrong. If moderators were demonstrating personal bias when carrying out their duties, that would be a problem. If they can maintain the distinction between forum rules and their personal opinions, they should have no restrictions on their own participation.

Unless of course they are receiving a generous compensation package I'm not aware of. In that case, you may have a point.
 
On the flip side - with services like Venmo, and Cash app, is a "bank" even needed anymore? (I don't use them, so have no idea if they need to be linked to an account).
I use Venmo to send and/or receive money but it's linked to a bank account. I suppose you could create a Venmo account, receive money, send some to another person, receive more money, send more to someone else, and so on but I don't know how you'd ever get access to it otherwise. Then again, I'm sure you can request a debit card from Venmo now that gives you ATM access to your balance or to use at a credit card terminal.
 
Analogies are never perfect, but the question about banking causes me to draw a parallel to clothing. Societal rules say you can't run around naked in public. If one isn't provided with at least a burlap sack to wear, is that reasonable?

I think the banking issue is less a question of a "right" than something society/government should see as a basic necessity. If the government requires those who are struggling to function in society to have a bank account to receive government assistance entitlements, there should be some process to get them a basic account for that purpose at no cost to them. If it's an eligibility issue, limit the account (as others have suggested) to a minimal number of transactions, no overdraft, etc.
 
I think you're wrong. If moderators were demonstrating personal bias when carrying out their duties, that would be a problem. If they can maintain the distinction between forum rules and their personal opinions, they should have no restrictions on their own participation.
fedora, your thoughtfully crafted response is appreciated.

Scott
 
Use a search engine to look at the Nigel Farage case in Britain. He's a politician whose bank account was closed because he's considered a "politically exposed" person due to legislation there aimed at combatting money laundering. He says he was targeted for political reasons.

Family members of such "politically exposed" people in Britain are also denied bank accounts or seeing their accounts closed, often with little warning.
 
Use a search engine to look at the Nigel Farage case in Britain. He's a politician whose bank account was closed because he's considered a "politically exposed" person due to legislation there aimed at combatting money laundering. He says he was targeted for political reasons.

Family members of such "politically exposed" people in Britain are also denied bank accounts or seeing their accounts closed, often with little warning.
FBI approves this post.
 
Use a search engine to look at the Nigel Farage case in Britain. He's a politician whose bank account was closed because he's considered a "politically exposed" person due to legislation there aimed at combatting money laundering. He says he was targeted for political reasons.

Family members of such "politically exposed" people in Britain are also denied bank accounts or seeing their accounts closed, often with little warning.
Banking is not a universal right. Here is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Quite a utopian document.

https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
 
Moderators are people, too, and can offer good/bad advice just like anyone else. Who is to determine which threads a mod might participate in? I'd certainly not leave it to you or Hillbilly Deluxe.

Whatever.

I'm not the one that would be locking a thread because someone's feelings got hurt.... I'm a big boy and I can handle adult discussions about adult subjects... I am grown enough to be able to scroll on by, engage or ignore.
 
On the flip side - with services like Venmo, and Cash app, is a "bank" even needed anymore? (I don't use them, so have no idea if they need to be linked to an account).

I'm not 100% sure, but my daughter just linked her Venmo account to her bank account, which I guess she had not done previously.

The reason she did is she accepted a $1400 transaction for me in which I sold some tools to a fella on Sunday; he was not able to withdraw $1400 cash from an ATM on the weekend....

My daughter told me that there would be no fees if she transferred the money to her bank account and let it sit for a few days. I don't know the rules, but I do know that most every other cash transfer means there is a fee. We will see. I have no idea why her venmo account wasn't linked prior, don't care.... as you can imagine I don't use that or any other cash app garbage.
 
I can't have a job without an account to deposit my pay into.
I can't do my tax (or child support) without a bank account.
Can't buy a house, car etc....
Can't hold stocks or bonds..

So with the inability to exist without one ?

Should access to a bank account in Western society beva human right ?

I think it's got to that stage where yes it's a basic human right.

(edit - MOD)

Fee-free basic bank accounts are for people who don’t have a bank account or don’t qualify for a standard current account.

This could be because you haven’t been able to build up a credit history. Or maybe you have a poor credit history because of money problems and want to use a fee-free basic bank account until you qualify for a standard current account again.

Fee-free basic bank accounts offer fewer services than a standard current account, and you can’t use an overdraft, and you won't get a chequebook. But you can:

  • have your wages, benefits and other income paid into your account
  • pay in money and cheques for free – as long as they’re not in a foreign currency
  • take out money over the counter or from a cash machine
  • pay regular bills by Direct Debit or standing order
  • check account balances over the counter, at a cash machine, online or on your mobile
  • use a debit card to pay for things in shops and online.
 
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