Bankers are doing it to themselves.

[Mich the Tester]

Like I said Mitch, HSBC haven't made those loans. They bought out a bank in America (Household Bank) years ago that did do that sort of stuff, and then made provisions for the bad debts a few years back so they could turn it around.

Then they have said they will lend money to small business who can repay normal, responsible credit.

It's a good, well run bank. I don't bank there. My accounts are with a bank that has had to take the Government shilling, but they do deserve recognition as a bank that isn't in trouble and if the whole banking sector had followed their lead over the last decade then we would not be in this mess now.

But to try and make a political point over the sad death of a very poorly man with small children is reprehensible.

Perhaps the way I said it was unfair, but I'm bleeding furious. I have freinds who are threatened with reposession, not because they borrowed irresponsibly, but because the normal credit lines their shop needed in the run up to christmas have been cut, and after missing one mortgage payment the bank start threatening with bailiffs. I don't know what's necessary to sort out the banks, but I'd start with legally enforcing an end to all 'bonusses' and six figure salaries in the banking sector until repos and bankruptcies have returned to normal levels. I still don't see banks living up top the responsiblity of what they have done.

[deano]

Including the banks that don't do that? Have your friends taken their business to HSBC? Or Lloyds. I know a business development manager at Lloyds who have said they are lending more now to small business than ever before.

Is their business viable? Can they take their accounts and business plan to another bank to see what can be done? Or is it that customers don't want what they are selling? If that's the case then tough. Welcome to free markets.

[Mich the Tester]

Including the banks that don't do that? Have your friends taken their business to HSBC? Or Lloyds. I know a business development manager at Lloyds who have said they are lending more now to small business than ever before.

Is their business viable? Can they take their accounts and business plan to another bank to see what can be done? Or is it that customers don't want what they are selling? If that's the case then tough. Welcome to free markets.

They were at a bank that was seen as 'reputable' (whatever that means these days). They have tried to go to other banks, but no bank will take on a shop that needs credit to buy in for the christmas season when about 70% of their turnover comes in. Their business was profitable for 9 years. They never missed a repayment. You hav a point in that it's a big downer if well-run banks have to suffer for the actions of their competitors, but I'm afraid that at a time like this there is such a thing as collective responsibility.

[sasguru]

They were at a bank that was seen as 'reputable' (whatever that means these days). They have tried to go to other banks, but no bank will take on a shop that needs credit to buy in for the christmas season when about 70% of their turnover comes in. Their business was profitable for 9 years. They never missed a repayment. You hav a point in that it's a big downer if well-run banks have to suffer for the actions of their competitors, but I'm afraid that at a time like this there is such a thing as collective responsibility.

Mich you're bang out of order. This man has killed himself. We don't know why. No doubt its a tragedy for his wife and kids. There is no indication so far of any wrong doing on his part or that of his bank.
To say all bankers are guilty is just plain stupid. I'm afraid you're a strong contender for Village Idiot of the Day.

[Mich the Tester]

Mich you're bang out of order. This man has killed himself. We don't know why. No doubt its a tragedy for his wife and kids. There is no indication so far of any wrong doing on his part or that of his bank.
To say all bankers are guilty is just plain stupid. I'm afraid you're a strong contender for Village Idiot of the Day.

I'm not saying all bankers are stupid. I think a lot of them are, and in any profession there's a responsibility to weed out the incompetents and the quacks. At the moment I don't see bankers doing that; I don't even see them admitting that there's a serious problem within their profession that needs to be adressed. I'm sorry if I offended with the way I said it, but I stand by my assertion that banking is a profession in disgrace and now it's up to the good professionals to take responsibility for sorting out this bloody mess. And for helping out this guy's family and a lot of other families that they've put into severe misery.

[BrilloPad]

Mich you're bang out of order. This man has killed himself. We don't know why. No doubt its a tragedy for his wife and kids. There is no indication so far of any wrong doing on his part or that of his bank.
To say all bankers are guilty is just plain stupid. I'm afraid you're a strong contender for Village Idiot of the Day.

I feel very very sorry for his kids.

[sasguru]

I suppose everyone here who works for a bank should also top themselves?

[AtW]

Like I said Mitch, HSBC haven't made those loans. They bought out a bank in America (Household Bank) years ago that did do that sort of stuff, and then made provisions for the bad debts a few years back so they could turn it around.

Yes, they have not made the loans themselves but they bought company that did loads of those - same thing in my book. Now if they stood out of it completely (mostly like Lloyds TSB) then they'd be totally right, though one should say that HSBC did not act as bad as other banks.

Hanging was a wrong move - if he had no family, nothing etc then maybe, but he had no right to leave his family like this. If he was guilty of crime he should have gone to jail, did his time and get out.

Hanging should be reserved exclusively to war criminals and such scam anyway, bankers - as bad as they are - don't qualify (unless they fund those regimes and profit big from it).

[deano]

I worked for a "Big Five" bank for most of the last decade and now have a contract with a global manufacturing company.

Should I kill myself, or just hurt myself a bit. What about getting into a persistent vegetative state? Or would I then have to join the Labour Party? All these, and more, on our next episode of...

[Mich the Tester]

I worked for a "Big Five" bank for most of the last decade and now have a contract with a global manufacturing company.

Should I kill myself, or just hurt myself a bit. What about getting into a persistent vegetative state? Or would I then have to join the Labour Party? All these, and more, on our next episode of...

People all over the US and the UK are losing their homes, very well run businesses are being driven to destruction, taxpayers are bailing out banks with the biggest welfare cheques ever handed out and I’m pretty sure there are a lot more suicides going on among completely innocent people. You guys sit there getting wound up about my bad taste humour while this is happening? The press jump on the story about one banker killing himself while there are countless sad tales like this and the world’s banking industry, with all of it's unfathomably well paid 'experts', has singularly failed to present a plan of how they are going to take their responsibility to get this bloody mess sorted out. Instead, governments are being blackmailed into bailing out banks, who then refuse to carry out their basic function of bringing together surplus capital and the need for liquidity. Until I see that kind of action from the whole banking industry, I consider all banks equally guilty. Of course that doesn't mean the average employee, but the senior management of the banks who have conned us all with their psuedo-professional quackery for years on end.

Really, this guy’s suicide is very sad, but there going to be a hell of a lot more which will be directly caused by what the banks have done, and it’s time for the management of the banking industry to be held responsible for the bloody mess they’ve made.