Banks need a holiday

This has been a difficult time to be a bank. Having had to fess up to losing bucket loads of cash they are now rebuilding their balance sheets by issuing more shares and thus diluting the poor saps who have continued to hold on to their piece of the pie. The sensible thing to do? Maybe, maybe not. The point is that they don't have many options. The investors who take up these new shares will of course be hoping that this will all go away quickly and that the banks will soon return to harvesting their "jabba the hut" sized profits.

Profits that, as any small business owner will tell you, are normally shaved from the client by way of fees, charges, excesses, overages, facilities, and assorted flim flammery.

But what now the banks have lost the first round in the fight against all these charges? How robust will the banks profits be going forward if they are forced to repatriate their clients with their cash. Well, it is a pretty safe bet the banks will react in a robust and mature manner, by taking their ball home.

Yes, although for all these years we have charged you thirty pounds to bounce a cheque, or charged you usurious interest for exceeding your overdraft facility, we are going to withdraw free banking options and not lend you any money. Nah nah nah nah nah.

Well, hello! If you were bouncing checks and going over your limit you weren't getting free banking anyway. So the only people to suffer are the goody goody customers. Go on. Punish them. That'll go down well.

Yes, the banks are definitely caught, to coin a phrase, between a rock and a hard place. This must be very trying times to be a bank, very stressful. A good time to take a holiday.