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Financial Literacy in Action
Introduction
 

Diane, walking on the street, sees her friend Joe and calls after him

Diane: Hey, Joe! Where are you going in such a hurry?

Joe: I’m going to the bank to put some money in my account.

Diane: Why waste your time going there? Putting money in a bank is only for rich people.

Joe: I was always told it’s the safest place to keep your valuables.

Diane: I don’t like banks. The people who work there are so unfriendly. Those bank guards look like the secret police from my home country. Every time I ask a question, the teller looks annoyed. On top of that, the bank charges a fee for almost every service it provides. You even have to wait on line and complete lots of paper work to get your own money out.

Joe: I need a checking account to pay my bills. What do you do when you have to write or cash a check?

Diane: When I want to pay a bill, I either pay in cash or get a money order—it’s just as good. To cash a check, I go to a check casher. There’s one on almost every block in the neighborhood. Where I live, there’s only one bank and it’s six blocks from my house. Joe, I once thought that you were the smart one.

 
Banking - Introduction
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