I unfortunately hold both a checking account and a Visa credit card account with Bank of America. I've been a good, monthly-paying customer for over seven years, paying my account on-time each month. I also had an auto loan with B of A, which I never missed a single payment on, and paid off in February.

I logged into my Bank of America checking account yesterday, to check my balance before making a purchase at Home Depot. I was expecting to find about $1200 there, though I wouldn't have been surprised if I were off by $100 or so. Instead, I was horrified to see that my balance was a mere $216 and change. Needless to say, I put off my trip to Home Depot.

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I've recently fallen a couple of months behind in making payments on my credit cards. So apparently Bank of America took it upon themselves to just take what they considered theirs. Without my knowledge or my authorization, they deducted nearly $800 from my checking account to put towards my credit card debt. And away goes my December rent ... poof! Thanks guys. I guess that will teach me to deposit my money with you. I'm glad you're so grateful for the taxpayer bailout dollars you've been raking in, that you're thanking us by literally stealing from under our noses.

You may think I'm a low-life or a scum-bag for missing my credit card payments for a few months. But the reality is that I haven't had a full-time job since I graduated from law school in May, and my loans ran out in August. I'm scraping by, but forced to choose between eating and paying rent, or paying credit card bills, I've made the obvious choice of paying for food and shelter. Desperate times and all that. Keep Reading >>