I have to admit, I am rather unusually disturbed today. It wasn’t due to my busily packed snuggly fitted schedules although it does, to a lesser proportion, invariantly (perhaps) contributed to this adversity in the mind. Ok, to a larger proportion, come to think of it…I hopped from meetings after meetings and, in four working days I only sat on my seat hardly long enough to warm it. Even video conference calls needed to be postponed until next week as I am never around. I forgotten to bring my blackberry, got myself the wrong phone (un-roaming version) and more importantly left my glasses (for presbyopia) in my other jacket! 
No, that’s not all. The real culprit is the news that our great HSBC, cunningly and sneakily, decided to cut interest rate to 0.001 % for deposits of HK$5000 or above. It was set at 0.01 % last March, and every Hongkongers were seen complaining then. Yup, in mathematical terms, it is loosely translated as for every $1000 you have, the bank pays you 1 cent. I guess that’s too small a figure to visualize, so if you have $100,000 in the bank, you get $1 as interest per year. Theoretical, you need to wait 20 years for your cup of Starbucks, and that’s only plain old coffee, not the Latte or Mocha! That Kopi had better be worth waiting around for, mind you.
It is rather insulting that your local bank, as HSBC so proudly and affectionately proclaimed, has made this decision to slash its savings rate to practically zero. And the sobering thought is, they still can insist on best lending rate of 5%. Bankers!!!! What can you say about these people, eh? They rip you to pieces in the loans and they squeeze you dry for any ‘extra’ money in your pocket. No wonder they say bankers are the greatest thieves and lawyers the worst criminals.
I don’t want to sound as a critic for a trade I knew the least, but I do have a simple plausible rational explanation to all these. They, the bankers, are doing this to stimulate the economy. Here are some of my logical plausible scenarios:
a. In the wake of the financial tsunami, and well before the 2nd wave, the about to pension bankers wanted a bit more in their gratuity. They give you much much lesser than the amount you ‘loan’ them.
b. In giving you less, you have two choices. Take the money out and invest in their stock. Or, put the money in their bank and keep whatever miserable dollar you have in your pocket.
c. Take the money out, buy a property and make a loan through HSBC. And, guess what, they will charge you 5% as the best lending rate.
Folks, you can’t win. You know why? In front of the headquarters, two bronze lions, Stephen and Stitt, closely guard the World’s Local Bank!
I am going for my Starbucks; I have no intention of wasting 20 long years for my kopi. Trust me, it is when life laughs at you for taking best savings strategy. And I will not save for the rainy days because a penny a day doesnt keep poverty away! 
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