Splish: I want to keep my street address if I move. Why won't they let me?

My street address was changed recently, and I didn't move. Updating everyone to what the city decided to rename my street was a real hassle. Nice how my utilities still managed to find my house, but the companies didn't know where to send my bill...

Yay for backdoor national identification!

Seriously, folks will cheer for this at the same time they decry the idea of a national ID, not realizing they're one and the same.

I really see no need for this. My credit union changed all of my account numbers awhile back, after taking over two other CU. So it was like changing banks anyway. It's not like I have the number memorized.

Don't see how this can work. Your bank code has to change otherwise, duh, wrong bank, but if you change the back code but keep the account number then what if someone else already has that number at that bank?

Therion: I've already kept the same account numbers through three bank changes -

[img824.imageshack.us image 640x414]

I'd love to see that chart adjusted so the width of each bar was relative to the size of the banks over that time period.

In any case, this is a stupid farking idea. Bank account numbers are irrelevant, this is a stupid bill and time shouldn't be wasted on it.

Why not do it? Because some dingleberry at BoA will screw up and start taking all of your direct deposits but none of the the charges and will make it hell to get your money back from them.

Howie Spankowitz: Best if read in Indian accent:

"Um...yes, Mr. Spankowitz, my name is Phil and I am happy to provide excellent customer service to you today. The $79.99 charge you see on your bill is the 'Account Number Continuation Fee.' Have I provided excellent customer service to you today?"

That's the way I figured it, one charge to keep your account number with your existing account and another fee to transfer your old number to a new account. Gotta love convenience charges.

Flint Ironstag: Don't see how this can work. Your bank code has to change otherwise, duh, wrong bank, but if you change the back code but keep the account number then what if someone else already has that number at that bank?

The reason this is an extremely stupid idea is really this simple ^ ^ ^ ^

I'm sure glad our representatives are wasting their time with crap like this.

GanjSmokr: Flint Ironstag: Don't see how this can work. Your bank code has to change otherwise, duh, wrong bank, but if you change the back code but keep the account number then what if someone else already has that number at that bank?

The reason this is an extremely stupid idea is really this simple ^ ^ ^ ^

I'm sure glad our representatives are wasting their time with crap like this.

And now that I've read the article... "Miller's bill doesn't go all the way to requiring account-number portability, he says", I now know that it doesn't actually require number portability.

Having said that, there are still many things much more important than this for these people to be working on, damn it.

GanjSmokr: Flint Ironstag: Don't see how this can work. Your bank code has to change otherwise, duh, wrong bank, but if you change the back code but keep the account number then what if someone else already has that number at that bank?

The reason this is an extremely stupid idea is really this simple ^ ^ ^ ^

I'm sure glad our representatives are wasting their time with crap like this.

I'm assuming that enacting this would involve creating some national bank number registry. Existing banks would still have a legacy account number in their internal systems, but the number you see on your checks and online banking site would be the new number.

Pointless legislation is pointless.

TheGreatGazoo: Why not do it? Because some dingleberry at BoA will screw up and start taking all of your direct deposits but none of the the charges and will make it hell to get your money back from them.



Shhhh, that's the plan

ABQGOD: Splish: I want to keep my street address if I move. Why won't they let me?

My street address was changed recently, and I didn't move. Updating everyone to what the city decided to rename my street was a real hassle. Nice how my utilities still managed to find my house, but the companies didn't know where to send my bill...

Fill out a mail forwarding card at the postal service from your old address to the new address (even if it is the same place). A lot of utilities and other companies will automatically update your billing address based on those forwarding requests, and for the ones that don't you'll still get them in the mail.

/You'd think the postal service would automatically handle this when the city changes a street name.

I don't give a shiat. My account number is on a note in my phone and in a safe place at home.

EvilEgg: Wow, what monied interest is pushing this?

I just can't see anyone working up enough interest in this to push against the tide of the banks that don't want to do this. Because if the banks wanted to do this, they would and it wouldn't require a law.

The company wanting to set up a relay for all electronic transactions Only charging $0.01 per transaction.

Flint Ironstag: Don't see how this can work. Your bank code has to change otherwise, duh, wrong bank, but if you change the back code but keep the account number then what if someone else already has that number at that bank?

Oh, it'll be easy. The Feds will simply set up a central registry for all accounts and banks so when a transaction comes through they can look up your current routing. It'll be seamless, instantaneous, and there's no logical reason not to do it.

And of course, the registry and associated transactions will all be held in the strictest confidence and absolutely positively never abused by the Federal Government by, for example, monitoring your transactions without your or your banks knowledge.

Oh, and the cost of all this will simply be paid for by a nominal tax on your bank's obscene, greedy profits which they will be absolutely forbidden from passing on to you and will have nothing to do with that minor monthly debit card fee that they will shortly announce.

Did I mention that in order to work, there's no opt out?

Kelbel: Yes they have routing but the actual account numbers that are set up are on different systems and not all the same length. How will that be required?

It doesn't matter, the account number is just a string on a computer. That's why Well's Fargo ATMs always remember my "preferences" even though I have a Schwab Debit Card.

Likewise, I kept my account number through a series of bank mergers. (I only lost it because Citibank is a shiatibank so I closed the account.)

vestona22: there's no opt out?

Cash.

dustlesswalnut: vestona22: there's no opt out?

Cash.

Not for long, Citizen. (new window)

vestona22: dustlesswalnut: vestona22: there's no opt out?

Cash.

Not for long, Citizen. (new window)

Interesting, what has the federal response to that been? I have a feeling that law goes against the whole 'all debts, public and private' thing.

dustlesswalnut: vestona22: there's no opt out?

Cash.





/they laugh in your general direction

I Am The Egg Matt Drudge Smears Upon His Body: dustlesswalnut: vestona22: there's no opt out?

Cash.





/they laugh in your general direction

Those aren't things you buy, they're property you rent. Not the same thing.

FormlessOne: Yay for backdoor national identification!

Seriously, folks will cheer for this at the same time they decry the idea of a national ID, not realizing they're one and the same.

Camer here to say this.

/unnecessary bill is unnecessary
//this solves no real problem

I don't see how this can work. Unlike cellphone numbers, bank account numbers mean something.

In NZ the format is aa-bbbb-cccccccc-ddd where a is the bank, b is the branch, c is your actual account, and d is the type of account (so you can have multiple types of account under the same number such as chequing, savings etc).

The only part of the number that would be portable is c and what if someone else already has that number at another bank?

In order to make account numbers portable here for a start they'd have to change the c section so that it was a hell of a lot longer, and give a new one to every single account in the country. Yeah, that wouldn't be a problem at all.

I Am The Egg Matt Drudge Smears Upon His Body: dustlesswalnut: I Am The Egg Matt Drudge Smears Upon His Body: dustlesswalnut: vestona22: there's no opt out?

Cash.

/they laugh in your general direction

Those aren't things you buy, they're property you rent. Not the same thing.

/point = a person can't typically opt out does not have the option of using cash to rent a hotel or car

//i say typically since there may be some small print of:

you may rent this hotel room with cash if you put down a deposit of a brazilian dollars



/luckily, I still have the option to buy this in cash....

dustlesswalnut: I Am The Egg Matt Drudge Smears Upon His Body: dustlesswalnut: vestona22: there's no opt out?

Cash.

/they laugh in your general direction

Those aren't things you buy, they're property you rent. Not the same thing.

I think the point is, they are more conveniently rented if you have a credit card.
Even if you pay for them with cash, a credit card is usually required.

Though, in most cases, there are allowances to put up very large cash deposits or other instruments at the time of rental.

Apparently the idea of uniqueness is beyond this bozo. Bank account numbers are 10 digits. Do you really think that every bank uses a different number range? Your bank account number is already being used by somebody else at a different bank for their account.

/farking idiots.
//way to solve a non-problem

SoundOfOneHandWanking: Apparently the idea of uniqueness is beyond this bozo. Bank account numbers are 10 digits. Do you really think that every bank uses a different number range? Your bank account number is already being used by somebody else at a different bank for their account.

Your bank account number is unique if you take into account the numbers that come before your account number (institution codes and the like)

As they said, the FDIC already does this.

dustman81: You have to tell all of your creditors who are on autobillpay (or use your debit card for autobillpay) that you have switched banks. If you happen to forget one, hello overdraft fee.

I recently ran into that problem when I switched banks over the summer. It sucked. It was also entirely my fault and never once thought I'd need some stupid law allowing me to keep my bank number switching between banks.

picturescrazy: dustman81: You have to tell all of your creditors who are on autobillpay (or use your debit card for autobillpay) that you have switched banks. If you happen to forget one, hello overdraft fee.

I recently ran into that problem when I switched banks over the summer. It sucked. It was also entirely my fault and never once thought I'd need some stupid law allowing me to keep my bank number switching between banks.

Quiet, citizen, you have no idea what you do or do not need.

SoundOfOneHandWanking: Apparently the idea of uniqueness is beyond this bozo. Bank account numbers are 10 digits. Do you really think that every bank uses a different number range? Your bank account number is already being used by somebody else at a different bank for their account.

/farking idiots.
//way to solve a non-problem

My bank account is not 10 digits.

The "routing" number is just that, a routing number.. My cell phone gets calls anywhere in the country no matter which area code I happen to be in at the moment. There's no reason your routing + account number cannot transition around the banks.

My tin foil hat is that this is to stick it to the smaller banks who will have to do big expensive software upgrades, whereas for the big guys it's a drop in the bucket.

I don't see how this is going to work...other banks that swallow the smaller ones sometimes have an overlap so their numbers are changed anyways. Next, the routing number will change as well. Finally, most banks when you switch to another bank offer a switch kit to move your info over with the new acct number. This is one of the dumbest ideas that should die before it goes further.