Today I received my annual Privacy Policy from TCF Bank and unlike 99% of most Americans I took the time to read it. I was prepared for some far overreaching legal and marketing scum tactics but this approximately 3000 word fine print tri-fold had some information contained within that still managed to shock me.

Halfway through page 3 you’ll find the following:

tcf_privacy_notice_small

What They Share – Your name, address, assets, income, transaction details, account balances, payment history, who you do business with and other information about how you use the account.

Who They Share With – Financial service providers (insurance, brokers, etc) and Non-financial companies (retailers, direct marketers, etc), therefore anyone willing to pay for your information will get it.

In order to opt-out I couldn’t simply check a box on a piece of paper that contained my account details like they give me when I owe them money. No, that would be far too easy and may reduce how much money this greedy bank will make. I had to manually fill out a form with all my information (x2 including the wife) and mail it back to them using my own envelope and stamp. They provide no 800 number or website. I can’t believe this is legal.

Year after year the companies we do business with have found ways to sink even lower into the abyss of these scumbag business tactics. Make sure you take the time to read these things and opt-out at every opportunity because there is no telling just how low they will go.

For the record, I am not specifically picking on TCF Bank, I actually like them because of the weekend hours they keep. They are however another one of many companies taking advantage you everyday.