Young people today use an expression: I’ve got your back!  It basically means you can rely on me if you need anything.  I guess it comes from one of those cop shows where two gun-toting detectives enter some dangerous place and require back-up and someone to trust. Oh that life was always like that!  Wouldn’t it be great to always have someone looking out for you – lest your feet stumble or your tongue utter something stupid, or your bank account become slightly impecunious.

I suppose the government had to introduce some scheme so that people could begin to invest again without losing the house! And yes, we are in the global financial crunch, as it’s called, because people who borrowed money could not be relied upon to pay it back – with or without interest!  But, I presume and hope that the government guarantee extends as far as what people invested in these sometimes dodgy financial schemes.  I certainly hope our money is not paying their interest too.

When someone says –“I can make you money if you lend me some cash”, I suspect we all like to think that’s a better deal than leaving it rotting in the bank.  For many years the Church was against the paying of interest on a loan – which was called the crime or sin of Usury.  Today in more (modern and enlightened?) times we save usury to mean an interest rate that is exorbitant.

We pay to use someone’s car at Hertz and Avis so we should pay to use someone’s money.  But the golden rule of investing, lending and borrowing is still true.  If the deal is too good to be true then it is too good to be true.  So what I’m saying is – if you invest your money with Mr Shonky at Getmerichquick.com then is it any wonder your investment is worth very little very soon.

So should the rest of us pay for your stupidity… well no, I don’t think we should.  So I hope that the government soon slows down these companies and we don’t have to bail out every poor investor and stupid finance company.

The government the other day declined to stop some finance companies charging exorbitant interest.  Those thieves certainly need their legs broken!  Oops, you know what I mean.

Lord, save us from the unscrupulous and from ourselves when we think that making money is better than making friends and being generous.

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