Citigroup Inc., the third biggest U.S. bank's profits rose 74%,

[efhmc]

beating analysts’ estimates on a $1.9 billion accounting gain and a reduction in losses tied to soured loans.

Enough said.

[marmar]

1. ........

[efhmc]

3. Great cartoon.

I belong to a credit union and have for over 25 years. That is the only way to bank and still be a bank "customer", because you are actually a member. I have kept the same bank even though I moved from Houston over 15 years ago. I do all of my banking on line.

[FBaggins]

2. Easy to rise by large percentages from lousy performance.

Some banks profits will expand tenfold if last year just returned them to minor profitability after a couple years of losses.

[efhmc]

5. Good business practices would have

prevented those losses and aided their customer but they don't seem to be in a user friendly business. They seem to be in a "gut them while you can" business.

[FBaggins]

9. Can you be more specific?

What sort of "user-friendly" practices involve increasing profits without charging people fees or increasing interest spreads (IOW, "gutting them while you can")?

I guess the question is. What do you consider a reasonable profit for a bank to be (ROI/ROA/ROE - whiatever you like)?

[DocMac]

10. Are the banks paying property taxes to the city? nt

You know, all those foreclosed homes.

For that matter...are the churches paying property taxes.

Those funds are what pays for schools last I checked.

Not attacking your post, just bringing up issues.

[FBaggins]

13. They had better be.

Tax liens would come in front of mortgage liens. If the bank doesn't continue to pay the taxes, the municipality can take the home. It may not bring enough to pay off the mortgage, but almost all of them would easily pay the taxes.

For that matter...are the churches paying property taxes.

No. Churches don't pay property taxes.

[tridim]

4. Is that what happens when you arrest your customers for attempting to close their accounts?

Fuck you Citi.

[efhmc]

7. Credit unions!!!

Regular banks do not deserve to keep your money.

[K8-EEE]

11. I have to put in another plug for my credit union First Entertainment in L.A.

I was at B of A before we got married and consolidated everything into one account -- I couldn't believe how much more pleasant banking was with a CU. That was 25 years ago I am always telling people FIND A CREDIT UNION AND MOVE YOUR MONEY. If you have debt MOVE YOUR DEBT. At least you will be paying interest to an institution that supports Unions and not REPUBLICANS like all the big international banks do, and they are "job creators" as much as those bastards are! BETTER JOBS AND BETTER BENEFITS!

[K8-EEE]

12. OOOPS SORRY DUPE

I was at B of A before we got married and consolidated everything into one account -- I couldn't believe how much more pleasant banking was with a CU. That was 25 years ago I am always telling people FIND A CREDIT UNION AND MOVE YOUR MONEY. If you have debt MOVE YOUR DEBT. At least you will be paying interest to an institution that supports Unions and not REPUBLICANS like all the big international banks do, and they are "job creators" as much as those bastards are! BETTER JOBS AND BETTER BENEFITS!

[Mz Pip]

6. So hire some more people

Hire back all those people that were let go in 2008.

[efhmc]

8. Oops. There go the profits.

No can do.