(04-13-2026, 11:57 PM)727Sky Wrote: If any of this is true the west may not have to worry about China's misdeeds in the near future ?
The insight here to banking touched a nerve with me. My wife and I have a 'joint account' with our Australian bank. Bout over 25 years now. Her wages and my pension goes ito the account. We live out in the sticks so I did the banking on the computer. Bills, Utilities, purchases for the house and farm.
My wife also uses card access for fuel, food etc but being at work during here 10 to 11 hour days away on shifts etc finds it, understandably, difficult and now costly, (fuel) to go to town which is a detour of her normal hour to hour and a half trip to work.
Our bank in it's wisdom decided to issue a PIN code system when she is required to access the account. So different number each time via mobile phone. This is to prevent fraud/misuse so we're told. Well that's good but left me out of the equation as I can't access our account. So we rang up. They will not issue a PIN code to my own mobile account. Some of the many excuses came across to prevent the usual scams but the one that got me was that people can use it to trade in bitcoin and other, out there, on line trading. Hang on, I just want to pay bills and go shopping. Told, "well Mr ......, you'll have to get your own account and own phone/PIN access)"
Wait, what? Through this bank for years now I've accessed my retirement super, payed for he house/farm/vehicles etc and I feel I've been given the flick. Not my decision any more, not my money. The bank owns it and makes decisions without consulting and then flex their muscles telling us it's in our best interests'.
It appears this is now the policy of the other banks.
So if anything ever happens to my wife (God forbid), her phone or availability to access the code through the net (which happens occaisionally) I'm/we're in the septic tank without our blow up arm floaties.
Withdrawing cash whether over the counter or through the banks' magic electronic teller incurs fees.
So the plan, presently, is to withdraw the daily capped maximum cash, stash it and save most at home leaving only sufficient in the card to use when travelling.
Now I can only see these restrictions getting tighter like experienced in China where you have to have a legitimate reason to withdraw cash.
My rant as it's not just China. Like to go back to where we were payed in cash. (On that note, I can cut wood and get payed in cash but it's not a living).
Kind regards,
Bally)