*DISCLAIMER: Yes, I know this isn’t an article or journal. In fact, it’s not even something you necessarily read. But I feel like it gets an important point across, and therefore wanted to include it in my research!
Lyrics
If you invest your tuppence wisely in the bank
Safe and sound
Soon that tuppence safely invested in the bank
Will compound
And you’ll achieve that sense of conquest
As your affluence expands
In the hands of the directors
Who invest as propriety demands
You see, Michael, you’ll be part of railways through Africa
(Exactly!)
Dams across the Nile
(The ships! Tell them about the ships!)
Fleets of ocean Greyhounds
(More, tell them more!)
Majestic, self-amortizing canals
(Oh, it ripens the imagination!)
Plantations of ripening tea
All from tuppence, prudently fruitfully, frugally invested
In the, to be specific
In the Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, Grubbs
Fidelity fiduciary bank
Now Michael, when you deposit tuppence in a bank account
Soon you’ll see
That it blooms into credit of a generous amount
Semiannually
And you’ll achieve that sense of stature
As your influence expands
To the high financial strata
That established credit, now commands
You can purchase first and second trust deeds
Think of the foreclosures
Bonds! Chattels! Dividends! Shares
Bankruptcies! Debtor sales! Opportunities
All manner of private enterprise
Shipyards! The mercantile
Collieries! Tanneries
Incorporations! Amalgamations! Banks
You see Michael, tuppence, patiently, cautiously trustingly invested
In the, to be specific
In the Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, Grubbs
Fidelity Fiduciary Bank
Watch movie clip here.
Analysis
So, this song is from the 1964 Disney film Mary Poppins, and is a conversation between young Micheal and his father (and the bankers he works for) about compound interest and how he should invest his money in an account so that he’ll have lots of money when he’s older. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen the original movie, and rewatching this scene brought a smile to my face. How better to convince a child to give you their pennies than singing and dancing?!
In reality, this song brings up good points about how banks should and should not go about establishing relationships with their younger clients, especially ones not of age and at the will of their parents. How do you talk to a child about banking in a way that they will understand? Plus, how do you put control in the hands of the child so that they start developing these skills early? From the bank’s perspective, how do you start potential customers young and encourage their loyalty as they grow financially independent? How do you introduce children, who have no concept of how money works (especially as we turn to cashless banking), to an understanding of finance? There’s something to be said about catering to youth, and definitely something worth exploring!
Source
Wiki, C. to V. S. (2023). Fidelity Fiduciary Bank. Villain Song Wiki. https://villainsong.fandom.com/wiki/Fidelity_Fiduciary_Bank
