I got my $9.95 back

I dislike banks. I dislike their business practices.
I didn't have any opinion about banks when I was little, or in my teen years, and even after that. When I was younger I thought that banks were there so that we can borrow money when we need it. I also thought that you can actually save money if you put it in a bank, and that you can gain more money because of interest that banks were paying to you. I thought that bankers were good people that were helping this world to become a better place by helping us to build what was needed to build.
When I say "bankers", I am not referring to countless front line or back office banks employees. I am referring to those who call the shots, to those who run this "business". To those that don't have the upper limit, and who propagate this ever-present culture of "more".

Apparently, they, the bankers, this system of theirs, this financial system, this corporate "world" has helped the world to advance and become better. That's what bankers, financiers, economists and all propagators of this system have been telling us for a long time. If you challenge them, and say that this system has created a modern day slavery as well, they ask you:"How would you buy a house without a bank?" "How would you pay for school without banks?", "How would you buy a car without banks?". They would even continue their defense, by stopping any debate, by labeling you: "You must be some lefty red communist-socialist".
Suddenly you would be accused of modern day heresy, and if they could, these bankers, financiers and economists, they would burn you, but after long and slow torture. They are shutting down any conversation about something different, about some other ways of doing business.
(These questions are actually good questions, and I can add more of them: How can you buy a decent house, let's say in Vancouver without a bank? Is there any other way of doing it? Is there any other alternative that would make banks obsolete?)

I've been observing how average people get scared and get used by banks. They lack knowledge that bankers possess. So called "products" knowledge, financial "knowledge". This lack of knowledge makes them feel small and insignificant, once they are in front of bankers. They are made to feel inadequate. Another aspect is obvious lack of money, as average people don't have it. This means that banks can bully them and use them any way they can.

Hundreds of million people have been bullied by banks since 1980s, when banks decided to "expand" their reach with new "products". It is not my intent to write about these products, because I don't know enough about it, but I will buy lunch anyone who can explain CDSs, derivatives, or any other new "product" and if actually was able to get into this world of investing.
Imagine, how much average people know about these "products".

Banks can change anything at any time anywhere in regards to your accounts. They can charge you more for any "service", at any given day. They can change terms and conditions whenever it pleases them. They can switch plans on your accounts at any way that gives them financial advantage. Of course, they will "inform" you, by sending you "changes in terms and conditions", but who can understand all of that, realistically?
Banks have tremendous power of you as they possess all information about you. Their data mining departments can uncover all patterns in your life.
On the other hand, you as an average citizen don't know anything about banks. Majority of their activities are  secretive and they operate in grand secrecy. That's "normal", as you've been told. "That's how we do business", you've been told that too.

I was plainly naive. For many years. I was naive about banks, about this financial system, about bankers, about this economic system. It took me some time to get it. But I did get it.

I am writing this because I want YOU to start opposing banks by decreasing your involvement with banks. I want you to read that small print they put in their letters and their product materials. I want you to check your account on a weekly basis, by checking all transactions, especially those that involve charges by your bank. Pay attention to dates around New Year, that's the time when they will change your plan and charge you more.
Don't be afraid when you talk to the bankers. Ask them questions. Ask them if they knew how many customers they have. Ask them if they knew how much their CEO made. Ask them who are the real owners of the bank. Ask them why interest rates for saving accounts are so low. Ask them why interest rates for mortgages are low. Ask them who owns Federal Reserve in USA and who owns Bank of Canada. Ask them interesting questions.

If you don't pay attention to a small print and if you don't check your account, there is a big chance that you will be robbed. Banks will  always offer you "help" to "protect" you from external culprits (of course, you pay for this help), but they'll never tell you that you should be afraid of them. They won't tell you that you actually have to protect yourself from them. Of course, all of that is "normal" business.

Little country of Iceland wasn't afraid of bankers, they let their banks fail and they jailed bakers. Of course, resistance will say that "Iceland is insignificant"...See on video below how Iceland president is saying "Let banks go bankrupt".

Now let's go back to my $25 dollars.
On January 3rd this year I discovered that balance on my chequing account with one of 5 big Canadian banks (bank from now on in this post) was different from one that I expected. This was an account that I was forced to open in 2011 by the bank because I opened a foreign currency account. I didn't chose any monthly plan, as I didn't have any intentions of using this account. The balance was $0.00. Later, in 2011 I transferred some money to the bank and as I paid $25 fee for this transfer to my previous bank, the bank reimbursed me with $25 by depositing this $25 to this chequing account. This account had a balance of $25 at that time. Well, the bank got my business and they acted on it, by basically giving me this money for free. I was thankful for that. Well, that was my money. They automatically deposited this money into this chequing account (they didn't ask me what I wanted to do with it - perhaps I wanted to get it as cash, or to have it deposited to my foreign account.....). Well, I wasn't complaining as I got my $25. I was naive.
In next more than a year, throughout the rest of 2011 and 2012, I never touched this account. Balance was always $25.

And then, on January 3rd of this year, I found out that this balance was now $15.05. I was trying to remember if I used this account for anything. I didn't - only charge was $9.95 on December 31st, and this was charge for my new account plan.
Well, I never requested this plan to be activated, I never ask anything about it, and the bank still changed it. The bank practically stole my $9.95. I say that they stole it from me and I am repeating it, they stole it. Of course, business people will say that bank was only doing their business, and their business is to get more profit, so all of that was clean. I am aware of their "business", as they probably have their policies and who knows what procedures that kick in in case of accounts like mine.
However, they did this without my knowledge. It is same as if I had $25 in my pocket and someone took $9.95 without me knowing it, because of some "service" I never wanted. Imagine if I took $9.95 from any bank?
I phoned the bank and asked what was going on. They said that they converted my account to this $9.95 monthly plan. I said that I didn't want that, I didn't authorize that and that I wanted my money back. They said that they would reimburse my money. They didn't explain why they "upgraded" my account. They didn't apologize. It was OK that that person on the phone didn't apologize. They make so little money in call centres. I would want apology from someone from their so called executive team.

They actually did reimburse me. Then, I went to the bank branch, withdraw my $25 and closed the account. The teller asked me why I was closing the account and I explained that to him. I also asked if he knew how many customers the bank had. He didn't know. I asked because I wanted to calculate how much money the bank would gain from people if they "upgraded" plans to 0.1% of their customers. Well, the bank has 7 000 000 customers, and if let's say they try to do "business" by "giving" the monthly plan of $9.95 to 1% of all of their customers, and if 1% percent of this number was unlucky not to notice that they were paying now $119.40 per year for their account, and they had same plan as me, the bank would earn amount of (7000 customers X $119.40) = $835 800.
When you compare this amount with $3.2 billion that this bank made as pure profit for 2011, it looks awfully little, but the bank would have gotten this only because people didn't check their accounts and changes in their plans. Obviously, this is assumed calculation, but think that I am talking here about only one 'product'. Imagine how much money they make on all products and fees.
Again, this is normal practice, all of this is OK, it is completely legal, it is the way how this business is done. Money, banks and their business (and much more) is explained in the video below.

Fortunately for me, I did check my account, and I got my money back. Someone might say that $9.95 is not much, but I don't agree with them. That money was mine, and this bank (I used it as an example, but all other banks are same) used their business practices to try to fool me and rob me. Again, someone might say that these words were too strong and I am also sure that majority of people would still support the banks.
They would support them because they've been told for a long time that this economical system is the one that is right and that there are no other alternatives. They've been told that Earth was flat, again. And they believe it.

I say, don't trust them. Question bankers, economists, and all those who spread their "truth". Question them and by doing that you'll start protecting yourself in a long run. Don't get loans from banks. Don't spend without reason. Decline their credit cards and other tempting offers. You really don't need any of that. Bank with a Credit union. Use cash instead of debit and credit cards. It is a start of a process that will contribute that all of these unpeople lose their power. Inevitably they will get their der untergang. Even better, think about alternatives to todays banking and financial systems. There must be some other ways. Perhaps big banks and other big companies could be cut down? For now. Think about what is opposite of mergers and acquisitions.
Interesting question: Do you really need banks and why do you need them?

(Half) Fat Ass 2013

I haven't done any long (running) races since 2006. When I say "long" I am referring to the races longer than 20 K, so that would include everything longer than a half-marathon. I did plenty of shorter races, the longest were 10 K, and majority were very quick X-country races, between 4.5 and 8 K. It certainly doesn't mean that all those races were easier, or less interesting - they were just shorter.

Last time I did a long race was in August 2006 when I did a 4th leg of Canadian Death Race. It was a year in which I ran the most in my life. In 2006 I did a "baby" ultra race (Half) Fat Ass, I also did a Hypothermic Half Marathon and finally, I did the Death Race, leg 4. I was even thinking doing longer distances, real ultra marathons. However, after that year, I was never back to that amount of running, as I was either injured, sick, or absent, travelling. When I was absent that meant I was out of shape.

Not able to do it

Since 2006, during some years I was prepared to do a Half Fat Ass, but something would always stop me in doing it.
In 2012, I played tennis on a last day of the year (2011) and I injured my foot, and that meant that I was out of commission for all January, so Fat Ass was just a dream. A year before that I got sick during Christmas, and then I was sick until almost end of August - some nasty lung bronchial virus brought me to my knees. There was no way that I could run.
In 2008 I had my left groin injured and I wasn't able to run at all. In 2007, I had a cold that suck out all energy from me. In 2009 I didn't think about it at all.

To mention, this race happens on a first Saturday in a New Year. "Fat Ass" is 50 K, and Half Fat Ass is exactly half of it.

Wanted to do it

This year, I started thinking about doing (Half) Fat Ass race at the end of November, as I was clocking 60 K per week, something I haven't done for a long time. I felt strong. Even though I didn't include too many long runs in my training, the longest was 14.4 K, I also felt extremely confident. I felt healthy, and perhaps I was really healthy now, or I just learned to tolerate all ailments I've been feeling since 2007. There was no groin pain, there was no hip pain, there was no knee pain. I was running effortlessly emulating sailing boats. It felt wonderful.

Then I wanted to test myself, to see if I can actually run 25 K at once, again. Obviously I was wondering if I can still do it, but also, I was somehow pumped up to do it as fast I could. I knew I could go 3/5 of the distance as I was doing it on a regular basis, but I didn't know if I can go 10 K more. Finally I entered the race, after all of my Christmas skiing - I was healthy and I was ready. This was significant, to be healthy after all heavy skiing I did during Christmas.

On the race day, it was exactly -12 C. I started as one of the last people (we had a luxury to start between 7 and 9 AM), and I pushed from the start. In this race you actually run against a clock. You run by yourself, as everyone starts at a different (their own) time. I knew I would start passing people at some point but I didn't know when. The morning was nice - cold but calm and quiet. It was sunny, but it was still not possible to see the sun - that would come later. I passed first of fellow racers doing my descent from Summit Point. It took me 7 K to actually finally see someone.

Doing it

I started feeling a bit of heaviness in my legs during next 3 K, as I was following the windy single track trail by the frozen river. I did run through this section couple of times in previous weeks, but I went the other way, a bit farther from the river, where the trail was flat and wider. After I passed our first check point I was still feeling strong, but I didn't predict that I would need almost 20 minutes to do a loop around Fort. I didn't anticipate that I would start getting tired there. At the second check point, and that was almost after 16 K, I drank some water, thanked volunteers for all of their help, grabbed two cookies and increased my speed on next 1.5 K, as I wanted to use a flat terrain there.

I passed more runners on a hill after the flats by the farm, and then attacked the descent towards the river. I wasn't (still) feeling much pain in my legs. My lungs were working flawlessly. I still felt strong. And then, after I reached the river, I hit the wall, and slowed down. I knew I still had to do 5.3 K, and I was already at 1:37. I also knew that this last 5000 m was mainly flat, so I thought there wouldn't be too much pain. But there was - as  I started feeling my right knee, my LCL, that was somehow getting tight. I was now passing more and more people, approximately 20 by now.

Last 2 K I must say I was hurting. It was first time since 2006 that my body was taken to this distance. It was gently complaining about this 'abuse', but at the same time, it was telling me that it was "all good". I finished it strong, by passing 4 more runners in last 300 meters. That felt good - I felt strong and I had a strong finish that I was happy with. It also felt good when I checked my watch - I did it in 2:04:05.

Did it

I was happy that I did it and I was happy that I enjoyed this race so much. I briefly talked to volunteers, thanked them for organization and all efforts to make sure this race happens.

It was a nice way to spend first Saturday in 2013. I was thinking how our ancestors, some 5000, or 10000 years ago were running too. They didn't need (or want) to test themselves if they could run for a long time - they had to do it, otherwise they and their families were hungry.