Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

Which Bank Would You Chose?

33 replies

wishfulthinking · 28/08/2006 16:38

DH and I have gone over our finances - great bank holiday monday! We're currently with Yorkshire Bank; having just tried to amend a standing order and been unable to do it, we want to move to a bank where everything is available to do online and where we don't (uless absolutley necessary) have to visit a branch to amend things. Which one(s) would you recommend. I hasten to add that we are looking to open a basic housekeeping account only! TIA
Oh yes, and I think ALL banks are nasty establishments who screw us out of money!

OP posts:
MaloryTowersIsSlimAndChic · 28/08/2006 16:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RubyRioja · 28/08/2006 16:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hulababy · 28/08/2006 16:40

Have you had a look at the moneysavingexpert website? That is often very good for financial information.

Original poster
wishfulthinking · 28/08/2006 16:47

I am a BIG fan of moneysavingexpert.com and somehow had forgotten about looking at the site -thanks hulabay! Would I be right in thinking that whoever we chose, they would sort out changing all the direct debits etc.....or am I just hoping!

OP posts:
melrose · 28/08/2006 16:50

If you are paying salary into it and in credit most of the time Alliance and Leicester are good as pay 5% interest which is far more than any other bank. Alos if you are recommended by someone you both get £50. Can do all banking online and I have found them to be v good. DH and I both switched our personal accounts and joint account last year and was very easy, they moveed everything for us and no problems. If you are interested let me know as I ahve an account and happy to do the recommedation thing!

TheBlonde · 28/08/2006 17:00

Smile are good. Online bank from the coop

UCM · 28/08/2006 17:14

Ooooo Malory First Direct for me too. Have been with them for about 9 years now and they are fab.

Original poster
wishfulthinking · 28/08/2006 17:28

I've just been on moneysavingexpert.com - there's so many to choose from...I'm not at all a 'financially aware' person. So I am really looking for recommendations, with First Direct currently in first place!

OP posts:
UCM · 28/08/2006 17:33

Reasons why I like First Direct are

  1. It's telephone banking which means you can talk to someone who can make decisions 24 hrs.

  2. They pick the phone up really quickly

  3. They have always been very fair when I have forgotten to transfer money into my spend accoutn and gone overdrawn, incurring a fee, which they have returned.

  4. You can also use their online system.

I think to be honest, it's the bit about making decisions over the phone. I have just changed my mortgage from them (sadly) to Nationwide and the difference in being transferred to different departments is phenomenal, they (N/wide) are shite.

iota · 28/08/2006 17:34

We've been with First Direct for 11 yrs - can thoroughly recommend them

Original poster
wishfulthinking · 28/08/2006 17:39

First Direct are streets ahead! Dense question looming - how does one go about setting up an account with them i.e. no high street branch etc.....I told you I wasn't clever with finance!

OP posts:
iota · 28/08/2006 17:41

have a look at their website

I think we set ours up by phone - they send you forms to fill in

SherlockLGJ · 28/08/2006 17:42

First Direct every time.

Orinoco · 28/08/2006 21:46

Message withdrawn

1Baby1Bump · 28/08/2006 21:49

having worked in banking i would say they are all pants.
they are all pretty much the same.
im talkin' bout highstreet banks btw.
i dont know about online jobbies.

DominiConnor · 28/08/2006 22:07

First Direct are easily the best bank in the UK.
OK, that is a bit like saying best train company, but they are good.
They have never screwed us around, during about 10 years. The Sunday Times Money section which normally hassles miscreant financial outfits (Northern Rock is the worst), refers to complaints about them "like hens teeth".
Avoid Barclays.

Pixiefish · 28/08/2006 22:09

Barclays are pretty fab and youcan do most things online including apply for loan, overdraft and alter standing orders

Vindaloo · 28/08/2006 22:15

first direct has been great for me, i do online banking and get texts twice a week with bank statements to keep me on track.

MrsMuddle · 28/08/2006 22:36

I've not long changed to Smile, and it was very easy. They did all the direct debit stuff, and you can do everything online, but when you need to phone, you get a real person. (And you get a case of wine when you join )

Original poster
wishfulthinking · 29/08/2006 10:52

Could I just ask this? If you have any cheques/cash to pay in, how do you do that with First Direct?

OP posts:
mummyhill · 29/08/2006 11:54

Pop int6o any branch of HSBC and they have deposit forms for first direct there as they are all part of the same corporation.

hana · 29/08/2006 11:57

have been with first direct for about 5 years and I've never had any probs. do on line banking and phone - 24 hours a day they are there. v helpful

DominiConnor · 29/08/2006 12:44

I don't ever use online banking. Not once.
My last proper job included the networks banks use for their own money. If I had turned up with the insecure crap they foist on retail customers. they'd have laughed in my face.
Their conditions are crafted to give the impresson that tyou are protected by fraud, but actually they include tough "except if we don't want to" clauses.

It is pathetically trivial to subvert any current online banking system. The easiest hacks are when someone else has access to your PC.

Barclays IT is less mindlessly awful than it once was, partly because the regulators simply would not allow them to continue having IT that a former IT exec from London Underground sneered at as wretched. If you've reached the point where LUL thnik you're crap, you really have to sort yourself out.
I can imagine if you only used Barclays online, it might be less painful than major dental work.

But have you ever spoken to the brain dead bozos they hire as "staff" ?
I have things living under my fridge with both greater intellect and personal integrity than the trash at Barclays.

monkey · 29/08/2006 12:51

been with FD for over 10 years and never had a single complaint. always been fab fab fab. There is one bloke with an extremely sexy voice too. does that help?

bubblepop · 29/08/2006 13:03

first direct, most definately