'Bank dividends doomed? Scoff at your peril' was the title to Derek DeCloet's February 14 column on page 2 of the Report on Business. It's worth reading. Some good ideas. It's free for a week or so.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/GAM.20090214.RDECLOET114/TPStory/TPComment

“Big banks need to take a long look at unsustainable dividend payouts” was the title of Andrew Willis' February 25 2009 column in the Report on Business. Among other things, Willis said, in essence, that dividends flush capital away. That's an interesting point of view and typical of people who do not buy dividend-paying stocks. Does paying interest on a bond, flush capital away?