August11 The bank

We joined Bank of America. It’s weird having to start all those basics again . Identification and credit history are one of the first and continuing obstacles we have to deal with . Medical necessities have to be proven . I’ve got to show proof that I’ve had my tuberculosis shots to work in any job involving children . All I have is a scar on my arm . So I must go and get a test shot . The kids have to get further shots .Emma and I are on basic prepaid mobile phone plans , the same as our 12 year old son ( Tex).We are still in the lengthy process of getting our drivers license. Testing , driving lessons and a driving test to come .The banking system seems basic and dated back to the early 90s Australia. Check books are still an essential requirement for paying in certain circumstances.Just 2 years ago they introduced the 4 digit pin code for paying with card,and you still sign your signature for a lot of transactions .The chip in 1st is the new requirement now but swiping your card is still common . No tap and go , yet. You can see that some places have the facility but it’s not used or even talked about.Theres an environment here that harbours suspicion on anything new that involves your money . Theres still a major petrol station chain that does not accept credit cards as a form of payment, its cash or debit card only. The ‘tap and go’ will cause vigorous public debate, as this is the place for your scammer to thrive on corrupting the system.We have a bank manager that we see regularly, Rahul. It’s a throw back to the way it used to be , service is personable . We don’t get upsold on life and job insurance . The bank staff are not pressured on quotas, they are there to serve you . They are only just moving towards a paperless system .When we told Rahul about our ‘offset’ loan on our mortgage he was like , ‘wow’! I seriously doubt you could get interest only loans and negative gearing and other cross pollinated methods of using your property equity . I’m sure you could find it but it’s not commonly there for the masses. Owning your own property here is a real privelage. There are many top earning professionals that rent rather than own . The cash society of the states is now in the midst of the card revolution that we went through 15 years ago . Cash is the fabric of the tipping culture . I rarely carry it but if your going to get out and about you need small notes to tip . It’s interesting coming from a little country on the other side of the world to find a super power like the states is well behind in certain areas . They love their technology but they don’t implement it with the speed we do .