Down and dirty drawers

[Lew Hodgett]

-------------------------------------------------- If I want to bullshit, I'll go to the boat yard.

Lew

[clare]

The bull barn at the local ABC has fresher BS and a whole lot more of it- - - - - - - -.

[dpb]

On 11/8/2013 2:24 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote: ...

...

There are many levels on which the bull session is valuable--different folks are at different spots and the resulting "information" is for an alternate universe depending...I partake of several from the sale barn to...

[Swingman]

Good for you. It hasn't been that way in the urban jungles of Texas since the bank shakeout in the mid to late 80's.

Enjoy it while you can.

[dpb]

A quick search found several local, independent banks in the Houston area so the model isn't _completely_ dead...even in TX urban blight. :)

[none]

I'd guess what really counts is how long those independent banks have been there and if its employees live and work in the same neighbourhood.

Forty years ago, I knew my bank manager's name without having to read it and I might be greeted by one or more of the bank's employees if I was out shopping somewhere. And, this was in a big city. Those days are long gone.

[dpb]

Several seem to have been around at least 30-40 yr, a fair number are newer...that's all w/o any knowledge at all of Houston and very quick looking...

The point is they're not _necessarily_ "long gone" unless one allows it to be so by not finding and using the ones that are there. If you were with an outfit that was bought out and stayed that may be what it looks like from that vantage point and it may not be worth the effort to make a move, but there are other options available if one wishes.

Even here one of the old locals got caught up in the merger mania and ended up being swallowed up again and again until it's now a sorry BOA branch w/ no live tellers at all. But, the other two in town remained independent and thrive along with a third that formed about 20 yr ago and another from nearby OK panhandle that has opened a branch in town and also seems to be doing well. Being a relatively small town, I know the principals in all of these except the BOA and do recognize them on the street and see them regularly. In TN w/ 1M people in regional area, I _still_ knew the people and saw them on occasion outside as well but again I didn't go to one of the big name outfits or even 1st TN that's regional.

Largely it depends on how important it is to one to go to the effort to not just take the apparently easy road first in choosing.

[clare]

When I bought my first house, back about 1978-ish I assumed the existing first mortgage and was a bit short of cash for the down payment come closing day - I had the cash coming, but not in hand. I went to my bank manager (who I had been dealing with since about age

8) and asked for a bridge financing loan. He said "you don't need a loan, just sign the cheque" - so I did. About six weeks later the cash from the sale of my truck came through, and that was that.

[Swingman]

Yep, you and Google have it all figured out, from a thousand miles away, no personal experience with Texas banking and history, and "w/o any knowledge at all".

Good luck making that believable.

[nailshooter41]

I can't decide. I don't know if that last statement was ignorance, stupidi ty, or arrogance. Maybe some of all.

First, since you obviously live in a different banking environment than I d o, you can't possibly know the banking culture we have here in Texas. I kn ow, I know... "but Google said Robert!"

State charters mean little here. Banks are banks. We aren't in Mayberry R FD. There are no doubt some banks that have that old time Mom and Pop atmo sphere somewhere in this state; somewhere that has the old men in the corne r playing dominoes around the cast iron stove, the president's wife make co okies for their customers every once and a while, and there is still a free toaster with a 1000 S&H Green Stamps with every new account.

You are an complete idiot if you think I don't have the same banking relati ons I had 25 years ago because

not just take the apparently easy road first in choosing. >

You think I wouldn't do what it takes to take care of my company and my bus iness? You think monetary relationships aren't important to a contractor w here half of you business is managing money/budgets? You think someone lik e me doesn't have a bank president that will sit down and bullshit with me because I am too lazy to look for one?

Maybe you should Google, "Daddy, how come people all over the USA aren't ju st like me?" Maybe if you could see beyond the end of your street...

Sheesh.

Robert

Don't be a

[dpb]

Yep, but I'd be pretty certain having looked at several of the individual bank's filings they're pretty solid...

The point is, however, that there _ARE_ individual local banks even in the metro areas still if you go find them. Not all are necessarily the conglomerates.

[Leon]

Ok, consider local. For instance a bank across town for you "might" mean a 10 mile drive. For me a drive across town would take 40 minutes on a Sunday morning. Then 40 minutes back.

[dpb]

On 11/9/2013 12:30 PM, [e-mail] wrote: ...

I don't think any of that, really...other than what you (seemingly) complained of earlier that the rep's you've been assigned keep changing on you.

If you get adequate service and are satisfied, that's good -- but even in large locations and in TX (and yes, I _do_ know something of the _state_ of TX even if not Houston as we're within spittin' distance of the panhandle so do have business dealings in TX) there are still independents.

There were a bunch who were (again at least seemingly) saying there simply are none any longer and I'm certain that isn't true.

And, for Leon before I kill-mark the thread to not be inclined to continue what has gotten far too far afield, yes, I understand that in a large metro area it may be there isn't a convenient branch of a smaller bank within that area that despite how good they might actually be that they are a logical choice. Then again, here where things are sometimes widely separated for the opposite reason of there being none of a particular service within a 100-mi or so radius, we're pretty used to commuting for some things or having to make parts runs to the nearest JD or CIH dealer that has the particular part that local doesn't when need it... :)

If one thinks one has to have a blue borg then you're talking a 65-mi drive, minimum. Before gas prices got so high it wasn't at all uncommon for folks to fly to Colorado Springs or Denver for a supper and return that night when there was no restaurant that was of the sophistication of actually using real table linen in town... :)

[Mike M]

I can remember over 30 years ago when we had drinks at lunch driving around with the banker passing a bottle around in the car. I was the youngster and to this day I admire the friendships that my dad had from WWII. Those guy got a lot done. Back then all the government offices had plain steel furniture. Seems like now they are all trying to create the perfect job environment.

Mike M

[Mike M]

The funny thing was Lew you voiced your opinion of why you didn't want to go inside, and I told you why it was to big deal for me because of where I lived. Look where this thread has gone. Just shows life is interesting.