I read people well. Instinct and experience. I don’t really think about it. Perhaps you’ll let me tell you something. When you, dear girlfriend, get married you’d do best to keep things in your name and both your names.
We were recently served notice from the owner of our building that we were not paying our utility bills and would be evicted. Neither the utility company (my husband came here two weeks before me so I put it in his name) nor our bank which will remain nameless, would talk with me.
When we married over ten years ago I let my husband be on my bank account and created another so I’d have my own name on an account and also savings. We are co-signators on each account. Now my bank will not speak to me about my original account without my husband’s authorization.
After 18 calls and emails, I finally found out how to send an email to the bank from my grocery account. Oh, I also said if they didn’t help me I pay all the bills and decide where the money goes and after 15 years I’d find another bank.
I also found that by keeping under $200 per month in my grocery account is costing us $8 per month so we’re going in together this weekend to change things.
The bank called and had our utility provider on a conference call. It was all worked out, and the next four months of utilities are pre-paid because for some reason our money was going to somewhere in Texas. They have the funds and it is their error.
So, everything is hunky dory in Dee-Land. We did have a dog play-date/walk today. Lesson learned, especially you, gal, is to keep your name on everything. If they don’t let two people sign up for cable or whatever, I’m making my name Josiah Danielle Murphy.
As the Privacy Queen I ask why government and banks they bail out have “privacy rules” that prohibit joint account holders access to information unless their husbands authorize access? I could see it under the Bushes, but now?
Think about it, Dee
Cooking with Dee 