What began as a routine decision by my mother to withdraw her own money escalated into a disturbing three-week ordeal that every Canadian should know about. I am making our experience with TD Bank public not simply because of what happened to us, but to warn Canadians about how quickly access to your own money can be taken out of your hands; to expose the serious questions this raises about the limits of a financial institution’s authority; and to help educate Canadians and provide practical steps you can take now to protect your financial independence, privacy and access to your money.