ING Gets It Right – The We The Savers Statement
I thought this was so well thought out and written that it deserves a mention. ING Direct put out a We, The Savers statement that clearly identifies how we can be responsible for ourselves during this rough economic stretch. I appreciate the sentiment, plus ING is my bank for both checkings and savings and I love their services.
Here is the list :
- We will spend less than we earn.
- We will use our home as a savings account.
- We will take care of our money.
- We will defend our credit worthiness.
- We will ignore unsolicited credit card marketing.
- We will know the cost of borrowing.
- We will invest for the long term.
- We will take care of the things we have.
- We will remember what matters.
- We will be heard.
Click here to read the full statement to get a breakdown of each point.
What’s Happened To The Happy Rock?
The Lost Art Of Saving To Pay Cash For Purchases
If only more people believed in these statements and the power of saving, staying out of debt and being responsible with their money.
The first rule resonates the most with me. I had a conversation with a co-worker about spending beyond one’s means and I think his sentiments summed up our economy’s financial troubles
“If I can keep borrowing money, and I can keep getting credit cards, why shouldn’t I spend now, and then just die leaving behind 400,000 dollars in debt. I’m fine with having a monthly payment.”
After admitting I did not have extra money to afford lasik eye surgery he retorted:
“neither did I, but I would rather live my life with perfect vision and debt, than wear glasses and have no debt.”
It’s a culture we created, and now we must reverse it.
I really like this… This is a fairly ambitious activity, if anything reflects just how stuffed (read f****d) the US economy is. I think it’s a great idea of using “Social Proof” to create momentum, by this I mean they publicly display (and use to competitive nature between states) the number of people who have ‘signed on’. Of course, above all else, they’re building brand and a bloody big email marketing list 😉 Thumbs up to the Dutch Orange