HSBC Love Me

Not sure where this originates from but Liz sent it to me earlier today. Very fitting, me-thinks. They've "upgraded" my account to a Graduate Account, telling me that I get to make use of all the excellent new features. I'd like to see something new but it looks exactly the same to me, except for one difference: Now whenever I exceed my limit, instead of sending me a letter telling me I've exceeded my limit, they ring me and charge me £20 for the privilege. Wankers.

HSBC Mastercard are no better. I didn't receive a bill last month and now they've charged me a late payment fee and keep ringing me and bugging me for money. Once I get my finances in order I think I'll tell HSBC where they can shove their shite account and I think I'll go have words with NatWest instead. It'd make a pleasant change to be with a bank that actually gives a shit - oh and that hires staff who can actually speak the same language I do. I'm sick of trying to have conversations with their Indian call centre staff. They can't understand me and I can't understand them. What is the point of hiring telephone operators with whom we cannot communicate?!

Anyway I start work on the 5th and I can look forward to my first pay-cheque some time around the 23rd. Just the thought of an income makes me salivate. Before then, though, I plan to have words and get myself a graduate loan. I want enough cash to pay off my credit card and my overdraft. Most of my money is currently being eaten by HSBC; every time I get a little bit of money they take it off me in the form of intrest, which leads to my account going over-overdrawn again which leads to them taking another "account misuse fee". So once I pay off the overdraft and the credit card I'll be able to get on with a normal life again, without the fear that Mastercard are going to send round the bailiffs.