At Your Expense....
ATLANTIC BANK HITS SMALL SAVING ACCOUNT HOLDERS WITH NEW TAX, OR SERVICE CHARGE. Imagine my surprise last week, when out on Caye Caulker I went to get $200 out of my account for living expenses. My home is out WEST in the twin towns. Like most ATLANTIC BANK small savings customers, most husbands and wives have a joint account. Often one works somewhere else in the country and returns on weekends, or thereabouts. My wife at home keeps the savings passbook, as she has to meet the house living expenses. I ran short of cash and went to the local branch of Atlantic Bank on the island and was told this time around, that a penalty was being charged for not having the passbook with me. In order to take out $200 I would have to pay a FEE of $6.05. Well they had my back against the wall. I only had $2 in my pocket. Needed my money, so accepted the service charge. There was no other change. Same look up the account on the computer, same withdrawal slip and signature. Same photo I.D. and no problem. Just that my small needs cost me $6.05 extra. If I had known I would have taken out a few hundred more. I´m hoping I can hang on long enough for the next visit from my wife out here at the island and she can bring me a few hundred dollars. The bank being a bit expensive to use. Makes you wonder what is going on in the banking circles in Belize? Friendly banks seem to be a thing of the past and the bottom line profit seems to rule the roost nowadays.
Ray Auxillou
AmbergrisCaye.com 
