Order of our names changed on joint bank account

[Maresmaid]

Many years ago my husband and I opened 2 joint bank accounts. One was set up in joint names with his name first and the other in joint names with my name first so that we could easily identify which account was which. The account with his name first received our salaries and transferred a regular amount to the account with my name first which then paid out all the various household dd’s. I recently needed to set up a new standing order to the account with my name first and discovered that the names have been switched round by the bank without our knowledge so both accounts now show my husbands name first.

I am fully aware that this makes no difference to my legal claim to the money in the account and it’s just really an admin issue, but it’s made me feel like making a fuss and insisting they change it back. I deal with the family finances, I use the mobile and banking app, when something needs paying husband asks me to log on and do it, so technically I am the primary user and i feel like making a stand about the sexism of automatically showing husbands name before wife’s.

Am I being unreasonable if I complain to the bank?

Bank does put the name of the higher earner first usually by default I’ve found.

This would royally piss me off!! And I would be asking them to explain why it's happened.

If it was a new account then it would be traditional to put the male name first, unless otherwise specified, but to change an existing account is unreasonable. I mean, there must be an large number of same sex joint accounts in operation now that don't fit the traditional mold.

I would be equally annoyed. However you are being unreasonable to “complain”. You are not being unreasonable to tell them to return to putting your name first.

Come back and share the outcome OP.

1. complain. even if they can't switch it back now this will give them the data to prioritise this kind of thing in future.
2. they may have an alternative solution like nicknames or labels for the accounts

That's rubbish.

It's probably that the accounts have been grouped and their systems can no longer cope with the different name style. I can guarantee no one's taken an actual decision to put the man's (or the higher earner's) name first.

Guessing his name isn’t first alphabetically? Complain if it bothers you but I wouldn’t hold out too much hope about it switching back

You can name them on most banking apps. I have 2 current accounts with a bank and each has a name

I was going to ask this - it’s usually an alphabetical thing on surnames so if you have the same surname it will default to first name. Me and my partner on all our joint things (mortgage, savings, current account) he is listed first as his surname is alphabetically first.

It could be the bank have migrated things to a new system internally which has generated the change. If it is an alphabetical system they won’t be able to change it.

Life is too short and admin needs too burdensome for me to trouble with the likes off this TBH

Yanbu at all. We've had a joint bank account with Natwest for 27 years with my name first because I'm the primary earner. I don't do business with organisations that can't cope with my name going first. When we were selling a house I went to the estate agent, had all the conversations, organised their visit, filled in their forms with my name first, and they sent through their agreement contract with his name first so I ripped it up and returned it to them with a note explaining why I don't do business with misogynists, and I started again with a different agent. I would be closing the bank account in your situation but closing a bank account is supposed to be in the top 3 of changes that people do everything they can bear to avoid having to do.

Santander have done this to our joint account. DH is out of the country more than he's in it these days and I manage all the household admin.

This now means they want to speak to him for the associated insurance policy etc as the primary holder.

To say I'm furious is a understatement.

You might be the ‘primary’ user of the account but that is irrelevant, it’s a joint account.

I had this once. I had a bank account for some time before tagging DHs name on afterwards. After a while DHs name magically migrated to the front, and the bank said they’d need to speak to him as “the main account holder” once in the phone.
I closed the account.

I would certainly ask for it to be changed back if it confusing with both accounts.

Many years ago I opened a joint account with my now husband and my name was first on the account. As soon as we married they switched them to his first - not an alphabetical order either.

I manage the account as it’s with my primary bank. It doesn’t cause any day to day issues, but it did irritate me at the time.

I couldn’t be bothered tbh. For years I identified our joint accounts by their last 2 dodgers then when online banking came along you were able to name the accounts to make it even easier. I was the first named on both accounts but I have no idea how to check if that’s still the case.

But it's always been

"Mr and Mrs"

"Ladies and Gentlemen"

"Women and children first"

Nothing to do with misogyny, it's just convention. The rich, misogynistic men on the titanic died because they let women and children get on the lifeboats first . . .

Just saying.

How would they know which salary belonged to which person. They would only see a payment coming in from a business name. We both receive payments own Ltd company as well as other employment.

I had a solo account, which I added ex to, and they still put him first on it (and only my salary went into it, and alphabetically my names are all before his before anyone starts).

I contacted them and complained after all communications about it started going to him alone - things like the emails telling us that that they'd upgraded the account to some premium thing etc. They gave me 50quid and apologised, and put me first again.

I've shut it now that he's an ex of course (well they did, they wouldn't let me just close it without ex's say-so, until I pointed out neither of us lived in the UK anymore and they couldn't shut it down fast enough)

The account with my name first was set up like that in the first place and remained that way for several years. I still have unused cheque books with it printed on.

My micro feminism is if I always put the woman first when writing to clients.

Surely the higher earner think is rubbish?! I was a sahm for years but now I out earn dh. Would that mean they switch us round?!

As we are Dr and Dr that's irrelevant to us - but we have friends who are addressed by her name first as Dr & Mr

Exactly the same thing here. I’d had my account for 25 years, added husband on & lo and behold, the bank would only then talk to ‘Mr’. My bloody account, made my piss boil!

The RSPB is the only organisation I can think of that put my name first when I added DH. His name does come first alphabetically, which I always assumed was the reason.

Yes - perhaps moaning on here will get the indignation out of my system.

Ha ha I do this!