Citi has recently announced that it will pay its employees' travel costs for them to get abortions. This is in response to the recent Texas Heartbeat Act, which allows private citizens to sue each other for having an abortion, effectively outlawing abortion in Texas. While I think the Texas law is in direct contradiction of Roe v. Wade, I also think Roe v. Wade is wrongly decided, both from a legal perspective and from a LONANG, moral perspective. No matter how cowardly or underhanded I find the Texas law, I, like 50% of Americans, find abortion fundamentally immoral. I think dishonesty is wrong, but I find what I believe to be literal murder to be worse.
Thus, I find Citi standing up to what it views as "changes in reproductive healthcare laws" by paying women to murder their children, to be completely, irredeemably morally reprehensible. I understand the 42% of America that views abortion as okay will disagree with me, which is your right. But by Citi choosing the side many view as death, Citi has made itself a company I can no longer support or patronize in any way.
And I have two Citi credit cards and have long been a supporter of their services. But no service can replace morals. So I have to stick with my morals. Citi makes it rather difficult to cancel its cards. Citi said I was unable to do so over web chat, and calling its provided number of 1-855-473-4583 just left me on hold longer than I could wait. Instead I am writing the following letter to effect my cancellation and articulate that their pro-death position is the cause of their loss of business:
Citibank Customer Service
P.O. Box 6500
Sioux Falls, SD 57117In re: Credit Card Cancellations
Ladies and gentlemen:
I am writing first to express my disapproval and disappointment in Citibank’s recent decision to fund and facilitate abortions, even when contrary to local laws. I, and many other Americans, view this as a deeply immoral act, and I cannot in good conscience support it or continue to patronize Citibank in light of it.
Accordingly, I would like to permanently close any and all accounts I have with Citi, namely my Double Cash Card – #### and my Costco Anywhere Visa Card – ####. Neither should have any current balance. I would like any outstanding cash back remitted to me at my current address listed above.
I believe this to be the easiest and most effective method of closing one's account.
To replace my Citi cards, I have found a number of good options. I was a big fan of the Citi Double Cash Card, which gave a flat (albeit delayed) 2% cash back, but the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card is even better by giving a flat 2% cash back reward at the time of purchase.
I loved my Costco credit card giving 4% back on gas and 3% back on restaurants and travel, but two cards greatly surpass this:
- The American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card gives 3% back on gas and 6% back on groceries, which is typically one of my family's largest expense categories.
- The U.S. Bank Cash+ Card gives 5% back on two categories of your choice, 5% back on travel, and 2% on a third category of your choice.
So in the end, even though I was willing to choose life and choose my morals over the best financing options, it turns out that Citi doesn't even have the best financing options, so doing the right thing even paid off materially.
And if you or Citigroup or anyone else wants to actually donate to a group that will actually help pregnant women in need, please consider donating to Pregnancy Resource Center, or your local equivalent.