We decided to end the year with our blog superlatives. Our winners were selected by our social media team after a very lengthy nomination process. Each day this week, we’ll share one of our superlative winners. Please feel free to share your comments below as we’d like to hear if we voted for your choice!
Tough-Talking Troy accepts his blog superlative award for "Best Rant."
Our next superlative winner for Best Rant goes to the one and only Tough-Talking Troy. His winning blog post “Do we really need a Bank Transfer Day?” prompted media attention and everything! Read on…
At first blush the question in the headline might make fans of #Tough-talkingTroy think he has gone off the Tough-talk mountain. Seriously folks, do you need someone to help you organize an effort to be smart about where you bank and to watch out for fees, like a Bank Transfer Day? If the recent news that the major banks are going to charge consumers more for their debit cards wasn’t a good clue, then Tough-talking Troy suspects those who didn’t get it will continue to put up with the same “stuff “as before, which includes nickle-and-diming consumers, corporate decision-making without local input, and money squandering antics that have been occurring on the “Wall Streets” of America for years. (Would have used another word in place of “stuff”, but this is a PG-rated blog.)
From Tough-talking Troy’s perspective, it’s wonderful that credit unions have finally emerged as the “good guys” and that many respected investment gurus like Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey are helping send the message that there is a value for credit unions in the financial services market. What does make TTT a little crazy is this whole November 5th thing. After All, the day was chosen to honor 17th Century British folk activist, Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up the British House of Lords on November 5th. But, before too many patriotic flags start waiving and mad cheers are heard from the crowd expressing “thanks for sticking it to the big guys”, there are a couple of key facts readers may want to know:
- The plot did not work.
- Guy Fawkes was arrested and tortured.
- On January 31, 1606 he was hung for treason.
Maybe the organizers of this movement could have selected another date in history … say, like November 9th. That is the day in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell. The wall (aka Wall Street) might have a stronger connection, especially since many of the organizers believe that there is a “wall” between the 99% (not so rich) and the 1% (very stinking rich). If folks truly see themselves divided then the symbol of the Berlin Wall falling is huge. Just saying…
Getting back to what’s really important. Tough-talking Troy is simply saying, “Don’t wait for someone to tell you the day to manage your finances. That day is now and always has been. In fact, credit unions like yours has been serving folks for over 75 years. Built upon the cooperative spirit that allows every account holder to actually be a member-owner. Credit union board of directors are non-paid positions (yes, they volunteer their time) and they are elected as part of a democratic process (getting the connection between Berlin Wall? Democracy? Communism?). As a not-for-profit organization, each credit union returns its profits in the form of better products and services and let this come out loud and clear: “It did not take a Durbin Amendment to make credit unions become more financially responsible to its members, either!”
Well now, Tough-talking Troy feels much better. He hopes you will heed the good advice of moving your money to a credit union, and will do it post haste.
