West Brom BS have just mailed out to me an 11-page glossy booklet and 6 sheets of A4 paper in the post. One sheet has nothing but the BS logo plastered on to it and the standard regularity blurb etc. Acres of room for both exist within the covering letter ... ergo, one sheet is a pointless waste.

All this paper is generated by the end of a 12-month online Regular Saver (Issue 7) at a fixed rate of 6%, which will auto transfer/renew at maturity into an new 'Access Regular Saver' at a derisory 2.10 % variable rate of interest (from 03.02.26). Vote with your feet when your fixed rate 6% Regular Saver is up and shift the maturity money to something so much better.

For balance, there is a decent Regular Saver in the West Brom 'savings stable' but it is strictly a branch-based application; a product, by default, reserved for the chosen few that can actually get to one. One could, if one where in the line of such speculation, venture to suggest that decision does not appear to align with the broader membership's interests.

WB's promised digital overhaul - partnered with 10x banking and Deloitte's - has the potential to be transformative. It is to be hoped that WB might also want to re-visit some core mutual values at the same time. However, with a 61 % 1-star rating as of the time of posting, I have not yet left the 'hope' stage ...