The Notorious Banker

James Baca
  • 4.6 (63)
  • Business

(FKA: Why Your Bank Sucks) The Notorious Banker is a podcast from a banker who spent 13 yrs @ Bank of America in various roles, including manager. This podcast takes you into the greedy, seedy world of big time branch banking. Learn about big banks & why they charge you $15/month to earn 1 cent interest & other atrocities We also discuss interesting stories from my 13 yrs in banking, thoughts on news, ideas & products in the banking world, & give uncensored commentary about an industry we all can dislike as one, while also interviewing employees & customers impacted by big, bad mega-banks!

  1. 10/26/2023

    I Flip-Flop on Cannabis Banking + Great Bank Bonus Deals Out There

    I very rarely am anti-customer as you can tell by my content, but a local El Paso TV report about how over 100 cannabis dispensaries have NOT paid their State of NM taxes last year, has made me change my mind on allowing them to bank. Taxing pot has long been a talking point for pro-cannabis folks in their fight to legalize pot. While I am pro-legalization, and am happy new small businesses are popping up everywhere, I would say to be cautious before allowing them to bank just based on this news about the lack of tax paying. I feel seeking that business is more trouble than its worth, and I explain why. Plus, I talk about some awesome bank bonus offers out there, and why I plan to do a couple, and why you should do too, especially if you are looking to switch banks NB Has recovered over $4 Million from big banks back to consumers 40k+ Followers on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram ⁠⁠⁠Buy My Book "High-Risk Transaction"⁠⁠⁠ Find all my social media and other links at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheNotoriousBanker.Org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Substack - "Consumer Beast" ⁠TheConsumerBeast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MY PATREON Page! For as little as $1, you can help James in his fight against big banks. ⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/NotoriousBanke⁠⁠⁠r

  2. 10/16/2023

    Goldman Sachs Wants Nothing To Do With You Scrubs and Your Apple Cards + Book Announcement!

    According to an article in the WSJ and Gizmodo, Goldman Sachs, the humongous Mega-Bank, wants out of the Apple Card and Apple Savings business. Facing tough earnings this week, a lot of people who are familiar with GS expect them to try to offload them to another bank, likely AmEx. In this podcast, I will talk about how I predicted that Apple Card would succeed like the GS and Apple CEOs said it would in changing how we use cards, although Covid had a big part of that as well. I also talk about how the bread and butter of GS is hedge funds, big companies, and rich a-holes, so the fact they want to dabble in little $500 credit cards never made sense to me. I discuss how they saw an opportunity, but realized it wasn't worth their time. I saw it coming in 2019! :) Plus, I talk about my new book, "Predicando" out November 13th, and how you can purchase it and help a worthy cause! :) NB Has recovered over $4 Million from big banks back to consumers 40k+ Followers on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram ⁠⁠⁠Buy My Book "High-Risk Transaction"⁠⁠⁠ Find all my social media and other links at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheNotoriousBanker.Org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Substack - "Consumer Beast" TheConsumerBeast.com⁠⁠ MY PATREON Page! For as little as $1, you can help James in his fight against big banks. ⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/NotoriousBanke⁠⁠⁠r

  3. 09/29/2023

    MyPillow Guy Gets Credit Line Cut At AmEx: Why It Is Banks Being Banks and NOT Political + BofA Pay Raise Evergreen Segment

    Mike Lindell, the loud, creepy guy who owns MyPillow and is known for his 2020 Election crusade or misadventures, wherever you come from, had his AmEX credit line slashed from $1 Million to $100,000. He cites politics as the reason American Express did it. As I have mentioned in many podcasts before, it's NEVER about politics, because banks want to make money with you. It is however something where if the line he was referring to has a points/miles/rewards system, and his successes selling old people foam pillows makes him millions, and he uses the line to funnel the purchases through there for free travel/cash back/etc and pays in full, banks HATE that, and that is likely the reason why it happened. They are losing money on his relationship so they try to cut ties. I explain why without defending the man. He can defend himself. Plus, my yearly Bank of America is giving a pay raise tweet. I explain how an announcement several years ago of a $25/hr minimum wage would have been awesome if they had just started paying them the raise when announced instead of making a press release spectacle out of it every damn year. Ugh. NB Has recovered over $4 Million from big banks back to consumers, with nearly $800k of it being Zelle fraud! 30k+ Followers on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram ⁠⁠⁠Buy My Book "High-Risk Transaction"⁠⁠⁠ Find all my social media and other links at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠TheNotoriousBanker.Org ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Substack - "Consumer Beast" - ⁠TheNotoriousBanker.Substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ MY PATREON Page! For as little as $1, you can help James in his fight against big banks. ⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/NotoriousBanke⁠⁠⁠r

  4. 09/11/2023

    How a Sign About Staffing Issues At a Local Starbucks Changed My Perception of Management

    Trying something different today. I am doing a podcast about something I would do a column on. The Starbucks near my house, inside a grocery store has not been open during the hours you would expect a coffee shop to be open lately. I am assuming it was staff going back to school and not being able to do morning shift. Last few times I have gone to that store, a homemade sign was taped to the door (I hate homemade signs btw) informing the customers of the store, "Due to lack of certified staff at Starbucks, we would be closed today" and in another case, opening late. The wording is such that it actually doesn't give me closure as a consumer advocate and customer service expert. It actually makes me thing of more questions, and for someone not enlightened as me, it gets them mad, which means they get mad at staff that is working at the store, or worse yet, take it out on future baristas who are hired to make sure the sign never exists again. It's a weird quandry, and I just wanted to talk it out to you, and give you a podcast. NB Has recovered over $4 Million from big banks back to consumers, with nearly $800k of it being Zelle fraud! 30k+ Followers on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram ⁠⁠⁠Buy My Book "High-Risk Transaction"⁠⁠⁠ Find all my social media and other links at: ⁠⁠⁠TheNotoriousBanker.Org ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Substack - "Consumer Beast" - TheNotoriousBanker.Substack.com⁠⁠⁠ MY PATREON Page! For as little as $1, you can help James in his fight against big banks. ⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/NotoriousBanke⁠⁠⁠r

  5. 08/07/2023

    The Business of Dying: How My Grandpa's Death Has Spawned 2 Auto-Related Customer Experiences

    My grandpa passed on July 16th, and what I can help with, I have helped from afar in Las Cruces, NM, 150 miles away, with my mom handling the bulk of the issues. But she calls me out of the blue the other day and tells me that First Financial Credit Union who holds my grandpa's car note is demanding immediate payment without allowing his estate to go through probate. Also, Melloy Nissan told my mom to take the car into the dealership to fix an issue that was on a recall notice. The car was not driveable, so she paid $400 for a tow. Melloy in Albuquerque, 80 miles away says they can't help her with the recall repair and to pick up her car. Since Gramps died, she hasn't had time, so Melloy is threatening her with "Storage Fees" if she isn't going to pick it up any time soon. Dude... NB Has recovered over $4 Million from big banks back to consumers, with nearly $800k of it being Zelle fraud! 30k+ Followers on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram ⁠⁠⁠Buy My Book "High-Risk Transaction"⁠⁠⁠ Find all my social media and other links at: ⁠⁠⁠TheNotoriousBanker.Org ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Substack - "Consumer Beast" - TheNotoriousBanker.Substack.com⁠⁠⁠ MY PATREON Page! For as little as $1, you can help James in his fight against big banks. ⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/NotoriousBanke⁠⁠⁠r

  6. 07/25/2023

    Predicando Zamora 1937-2023 - Navigating the Business Side of Losing a Loved One - Banks and Funeral Homes

    I lost my Grandpa Candy last Sunday. He was 85. While of course we prep for the end always, it is never easy when it gets here. In this podcast, I share a couple personal stories about the day he passed, and the day after, which saw some interesting things at a local bank in Socorro NM where my cousins work and the bank felt a little...off. Plus I also talk about the sales pitches of being a funeral arranger, and how it is something I could never do because of my past experiences. You will enjoy this podcast... Listen in honor and respect of my Grandfather. RIP Candy Zamora.

  7. 07/11/2023

    Emergency Podcast: Bank of America Fined $250 Million for Stuff for Shady Things…Shocker.

    Live from Fort Worth, a very truncated Emergency Podcast about Bank of America. Bank of America fined $200 Million by CFPB for unauthorized credit card accounts, double dipping fees, and so so much more. CFPB Article Here In this podcast, I explain that most of this had to have been when I was still there (I left in 2018) because aside from allegedly no sales goals now, BofA has internal controls in branches that almost eliminate this problem on a grand scale. While it still happens, I think a lot of this comes from years ago when the Customer Authorization Form was not a thing for bankers and they had checks and balances to get them and their bosses fired. It's a quick 30m podcast on my iPhone, check it out! NB Has recovered over $4 Million from big banks back to consumers, with nearly $800k of it being Zelle fraud! 30k+ Followers on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram ⁠⁠⁠Buy My Book "High-Risk Transaction"⁠⁠⁠ Find all my social media and other links at: ⁠⁠⁠TheNotoriousBanker.Org ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Substack - "Consumer Beast" - TheNotoriousBanker.Substack.com⁠⁠⁠ MY PATREON Page! For as little as $1, you can help James in his fight against big banks. ⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/NotoriousBanke⁠⁠⁠r

  8. 06/16/2023

    The BigBankification of Smaller Banks and Credit Unions + Consumer Beast: Panda Express

    I am back from a hiatus! Thanks for everyone who asked me, "James... Where's your podcast?" Been busy and working through some writer's block issues, but I am here to talk about things I love...Like arguing about s****y customer service. First, we will talk about how a local CU near my house ripped out the Drive-Up mechanisms, installed full-service ATMs in its place, and became everything those small bank clients hated about a place like my former bank. I will explain how post-COVID, poor customer service has crept into smaller institutions, impacting their once proud reputation as being different that most banks! Plus, I describe an incident I had at Panda Express where I discovered that associates there fudge their wait time numbers to make it look like they are more efficient at the detriment of their clients, myself included. I am going to describe how a mobile order was allegedly put together and ready in two minutes, yet 15 minutes later when I arrived, my order was never started. I explain the managerial bad habits that led to something like this. I promise it is interesting. NB Has recovered over $4 Million from big banks back to consumers, with nearly $800k of it being Zelle fraud! 30k+ Followers on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram ⁠⁠Buy My Book "High-Risk Transaction"⁠⁠ Find all my social media and other links at: ⁠⁠TheNotoriousBanker.Org ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack - "Consumer Beast" - TheNotoriousBanker.Substack.com⁠⁠ MY PATREON Page! For as little as $1, you can help James in his fight against big banks. ⁠⁠http://patreon.com/NotoriousBanke⁠⁠r

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4.6
out of 5
63 Ratings

About

(FKA: Why Your Bank Sucks) The Notorious Banker is a podcast from a banker who spent 13 yrs @ Bank of America in various roles, including manager. This podcast takes you into the greedy, seedy world of big time branch banking. Learn about big banks & why they charge you $15/month to earn 1 cent interest & other atrocities We also discuss interesting stories from my 13 yrs in banking, thoughts on news, ideas & products in the banking world, & give uncensored commentary about an industry we all can dislike as one, while also interviewing employees & customers impacted by big, bad mega-banks!

Information

  • Creator
    James Baca
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2023
  • Episodes
    223
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © James Baca
  • Show Website
    The Notorious Banker