'Banking While Black': How Cashing a Check Can Be a Minefield

[OldWiseGuy]

What banks?

The aforementioned banks?

 

[Hammster]

The aforementioned banks?

Evidence?

 

[pdudgeon]

Are you suggesting this bank is in the business of harassing black people who make transactions as small as $200? Are you kidding me? I challenge you to find a single black person who is afraid to make a $200 transaction at a bank.

Sorry, but I know several who people personally, who have had that same problem.
Around here it's not unusual.

Wells Fargo requires 2 ID's with pictures to cash a check.
They will accept a Driver's license, a Military ID, a Visa, (for travel, NOT the credit card) or a local business license, or major employee ID.

So that means that the employers have to get into the picture, and give their employees cash payments instead of a pay check. And that's demeaning.​

In this neck of the woods that virtually eliminates poor people, because all those types of day jobs are usually found in larger cities.

Even having a driver's license (something that lots of us take for granted) is beyond their financial ability, when you add up the cost of a car, Insurance, driver's license, and yearly car inspections.
Instead many of them walk for miles, ride the public busses, or have bicycles that they routinely use for transportation everywhere.
The city busses around here are all equipped with bicycle racks, and it's not unusual to see several bikes parked outside of businesses downtown.

And one other thing. Since the employees can't cash their checks, they are almost forced to open up an account at...you guessed it!.. Wells Fargo bank... so they can deposit and then access the money that they earned legally.

Again, it's demeaning.
Even if the tellers know these customers personally, and grew up with them, they can't break the bank's check cashing rules.

But around here, thoses are the rules.

 

[bèlla]

They could open up an account online with Capital One. The bank accepts eDeposits and the money is available in minutes. No minimum balance and they’ll receive a debit card and checks.

~Bella

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Evidence?

It's all anecdotal, but where there's smoke...

 

[Ken-1122]

Sorry, but I know several who people personally, who have had that same problem.
Around here it's not unusual.

Wells Fargo requires 2 ID's with pictures to cash a check.
They will accept a Driver's license, a Military ID, a Visa, (for travel, NOT the credit card) or a local business license, or major employee ID.

So that means that the employers have to get into the picture, and give their employees cash payments instead of a pay check. And that's demeaning.​

In this neck of the woods that virtually eliminates poor people, because all those types of day jobs are usually found in larger cities.

Even having a driver's license (something that lots of us take for granted) is beyond their financial ability, when you add up the cost of a car, Insurance, driver's license, and yearly car inspections.
Instead many of them walk for miles, ride the public busses, or have bicycles that they routinely use for transportation everywhere.
The city busses around here are all equipped with bicycle racks, and it's not unusual to see several bikes parked outside of businesses downtown.

And one other thing. Since the employees can't cash their checks, they are almost forced to open up an account at...you guessed it!.. Wells Fargo bank... so they can deposit and then access the money that they earned legally.

Again, it's demeaning.
Even if the tellers know these customers personally, and grew up with them, they can't break the bank's check cashing rules.

But around here, thoses are the rules.

Are white people required to present 2 forms of ID? If so how is this a racial issue?

 

[Ana the Ist]

'Banking While Black': How Cashing a Check Can Be a Minefield


This is one reason why I am thankful for direct deposit, less headache and fewer issues.

Mary Eshet, a Wells Fargo spokeswoman, said Ms. Middleton had begun yelling “abusive and profane language” at the employees when she saw her ID being scanned.

Employees tried to address Ms. Middleton’s concerns by explaining our policies, but Ms. Middleton continued to yell profane language,” Ms Eshet said. “She was asked to leave the branch multiple times and refused, so our employees followed their processes to engage law enforcement.” She added that the bank “appreciates the sensitivities of engaging law enforcement and the importance of continually reviewing our training, policies and procedures.”

It doesn't sound like her skin color was the issue.

 

[Hammster]

It's all anecdotal, but where there's smoke...

So...nothing.

 

[Arc F1]

It's obvious that you haven't read any studies on issues of racism. The reason why they know it's not just about poverty is because when controlling for poverty level, income, crime in the area, etc., there is still a disproportionate effect on Black people, which suggests that racism is still an issue. People seem to be more upset that racism is mentioned than by the fact that racism has been demonstrated in numerous studies. The inequality is not from being in a poor neighborhood or whatever excuse is used to paper over racism.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

So...nothing.

One either believes the stories, or not.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Your anecdote<black person’s anecdote.

I agree. If a black person had done this I'm sure the cops would have been called immediately.

 

[Hammster]

One either believes the stories, or not.

Anecdotal stories are just that.

 

[Hammster]

I agree. If a black person had done this I'm sure the cops would have been called immediately.

Let me know when you find the story that this has happened to every black person at any particular bank.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Let me know when you find the story that this has happened to every black person at any particular bank.

These stories don't suggest that all black people face this problem. Very few do I'm guessing. However I'm also guessing that any black person wanting to deposit $30,000 in $100 bills would raise some eyebrows.

 

[Hammster]

These stories don't suggest that all black people face this problem. Very few do I'm guessing.

Exactly. So systemic racism cannot be claimed.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Exactly. So systemic racism cannot be claimed.

Not in these cases, no.

I have a problem with the general idea of "systemic racism". I think of as someone claiming to be drowning... in two feet of water.

 

[SummerMadness]

Exactly. So systemic racism cannot be claimed.

An incident must not happen to every person for systemic racism to occur. As said in an earlier post, there were successful Black people in the 1920s, that does not mean racism was not a problem in the United States. When a disproportionate group of people are negatively affected, even after major factors have been controlled for, that's evidence of racial bias. The main point you seem to be ignoring is that there should not be a difference in treatment; for instance, you should not receive more scrutiny when your credit score is higher than your white counterparts. Are there Black businesses treated the same as others? Of course, but the fact that a significant number are not treated the same substantiates the argument that racial bias is still a problem.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Is it because they are black, or because they aren't financially sound?

This article reveals that denial of minorities by banks isn't really a race problem, but one of the general financial condition of the applicants. Interestingly it is Asians that fare the worst.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/real...c19ffc-5d1b-11e8-9ee3-49d6d4814c4c_story.html

 

[OldWiseGuy]

What isn't generally appreciated is that banks can relax their rules for a customer who has a good record of repayment of loans. However they can also impose strict, but lawful, rules on any whose credit worthiness in shaky.

My family banked with the same bank for many years and when I applied for a loan (several over time) it was granted based on my family's good credit history. However, when the bank tighten it's rules and applied them to everyone I was caught in it as well. I wanted to buy a used car but lacked the full one-third down payment required and was denied the loan, even though I was well able to make the payments. I was so offended that I cancelled my account and joined another bank.

 

[Hammster]

An incident must not happen to every person for systemic racism to occur. As said in an earlier post, there were successful Black people in the 1920s, that does not mean racism was not a problem in the United States. When a disproportionate group of people are negatively affected, even after major factors have been controlled for, that's evidence of racial bias. The main point you seem to be ignoring is that there should not be a difference in treatment; for instance, you should not receive more scrutiny when your credit score is higher than your white counterparts. Are there Black businesses treated the same as others? Of course, but the fact that a significant number are not treated the same substantiates the argument that racial bias is still a problem.

There’s no systemic racism.