Being Bought, Being Sold

YEARS AGO I opened a bank account at a local one horse bank called "First National Bank", which was later purchased by the Worthen Bank Corporation. This in turn was bought out by Regions Bank, which was taken over by Nations Bank, which was swalloved up by Boatman's, which in turn was consumerd by the Bank of America, which it remains to this day. All this happened within the span of a few short years, and it set my head to spinning. Every few months, entirely new checkbooks. But I stuck with it. Doesn't that souond rather "predatory", the same company being bought and sold by ever larger companies a half a dozen times? Just think, somewhere, at the very bottom of all that, covered in layers and layers of corporate money and other paper, lies the little "First National Bank"...there must be long list of banks and companies which are now deep inside other companies, having been eaten by them. I remember something called the "Chemical Bank". And the "Chase Manhatten Bank". Also, you'll recall a telecommunications company called "Alltell". Or maybe you won't. Worthens Bank used to be called "Big Blue" I recall. Boatman's had a cool looking logo. But no more...no more. What really annoys me is that these huge corporations buy and sell us, their customers, as readily as they buy and sell each other. The other day I walked with head held high into my local Bank of America branch, and inquired about a home refinace. I was confident of being given good treatment. After all, I had stayed with my bankd all through the many changed of ownership, proving loyalty, and my credit and mortgage equity were in good shape, I gave the lady my phone number, and she said she'd call me within a day or two. She never did. I was angry at first, then it struck me, like a thunderbolt. My mortagge was no longer held by the Bank of America. Indeed, just a few weeks prior, I had received a notice in the mail from my new lender; the B o A had sold my contract to another home financing firm, entirely without my approval. That lady at the bank must be laughing her head off. My loyalty had no been rewarde after all. No wonder all these huge financial companies are constantly being convicted of crimes, and paying huge fines to the government. Just the other day the B o A was convicted of "mortgage fraud", whatever that is, and will be paying even more money to uncle sam, digging deep into their pockets full of ill gotten gains. How lovely it is to be an expendable commodity!