forgiveness is sexy

Article from The Economist: Describing how a move by First Direct could lead to the end of free consumer banking in Britain.

There is much about British life that puzzles foreigners, but little is more perplexing than the discovery that most Britons do not pay fees on their current accounts. It’s uniquely British, says Philip Middleton, a banking expert at Ernst & Young, an accounting firm.

But now this cherished free banking for customers who keep their current accounts in credit is under threat. First Direct, an internet-and-telephone bank, last week unveiled plans to start charging customers £10 ($19) a month for running their current accounts. The charge will affect only the minority of customers who do not hold a minimum balance of £1,500 or who deposit less than that each month, and it can be avoided by signing up for any of the bank’s other products. However, the decision was still greeted with howls of protest and dire warnings that other lenders would follow suit.

It wasn’t until I met S that i realised that we were in any different in that regard. Since my childhood running a current account has been free. My ignorance to the extent was to view the German system — not that it is unique — as a little backward.

I won’t hold my breath though, periodically the UK banking industry decides that ATMs should carry a fee. Uproar in the press but they are a hardy lot those bankers. Within a few months, sometimes weeks, a supermarket or smaller bank or bulding society has decided to waive the fee to attract migrating customers apalled at the liberties taken by the banks. It is expected that the amount of fees and profits banks make anyway that ATM charges ought to nil — out of courtesy if nothing else.

As The Economist points out however, nothing comes for free — least of all from financial institutions

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There are 88 items on Not Usable’s usability checklist. Described as the ultimate you can at least read the full checklist.
For the weak of clickfinger I have a subset here as a taster but its really at its most useful en masse.

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One concern of mine is to consider how we can treat our neighbours ethically by crafting the physical city in such a way that it can be easily used by all of its people – so that not only able-bodied, well-off adults with cars but also children, the elderly, the poor, the blind, the halt, and the lame can have freedom of movement and convenient access to all the good things that cities offer. We can strive for no less if we imagine ourselves to be a just and ethical society. Political and economic freedom in the abstract mean little without any practical freedom of movement or action.

Good urban design enables people to get around safely, efficiently, and in pleasant surroundings, creating value in a fairly direct and obvious way. Nevertheless, good urban design also creates value indirectly by enabling a city’s people to create value and make it available to others through free exchange. At one level, we are concerned with the cities hardware; at another level, we are concerned with the software – with what people do in the city. As we shall see, the most important thing that people do in cities is exchange things – goods, services, and money, but also ideas, beliefs, knowledge, and love – with other people.
Exchange depends on proximity. Moreover, proximity is business of cities.

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