Opening a secret bank account for windfall I've just received, any advice please?

[sickofthisrain]

Today out of the blue I got handed a cheque for a fair amount of money. H was not there, it's made out to me, and I can probably
ensure he doesn't find out.

It's spooky timing as I was thinking about starting to put money aside from the joint account in a safety fund but this seems a bit of a golden opportunity to do it all in one go.

Bearing in mind H is very aware of all our finances, where can I open an account and keep it totally secret? Any advice very gratefully received, haven't opened my own account since my student days..

Would also urge not leaving all eggs in one basket esp as at least one poster has had her cover blown.

Can you distribute the sum into cash (£notes)/ accounts for the children (premium bonds etc)/ online accounts for you/ building society passbook accounts. And I mean account(s) plural.

If you can't get at one when you need it you can get at the others.

If you have to confess about one you can keep the others dark.

Thanks so much everyone, think I will split the money and put most of it into a new account with the children's names with me as signatory. The rest can top up my own account which only has online statements anyway, and only I know passwords. It's come from my family, who have already set up trust funds for the dc's, this is a top up.

Won't mention it to H unless it comes up, but it may well not do. I so hope I don't have to use it either.

Sickoftherain...go for it. If it was me (after reading through the advice) I woulld split the money between your dc accounts with ONLY you having access and opening your own 'secret' internet account.

I would also start to squirral away cash just in case you need it fast.

This way you have 3 pots you could get at in an emergency and back up if 1 or more are discovered.

Good luck xx

I remember you from previous posts SOTR. You are absolutely doing the right thing. It would be odd to have a secret from a husband who treated you with respect and affection and generosity. But in your case (and in my own) a secret squirrel account will save your sanity. You don't owe this guy ALL your secrets btw, even if he sniffs out a secret and asks you questions.

Just wondered if anyone knew whether Premium Bonds would count as a joint asset in the case of a divorce?

The background is that my DH is a nightmre with regard to money, we have no spare cash at the end of each month and are very possibly in debt (he is a big spender and opens accounts and overdrafts that I don't know about) but I have recently seen that he has applied for some Premium Bonds. I can't see where this money could have come from, and wondered whether he could have come into some windfall and is perhaps hoping to hide it from me here in the event of divorce?

So to summise, if the Premium Bonds are in his name, could I still claim on them? Thanks.

I remember you SOTR from your other thread. Surely all this fretting about him getting his hands on the money in the event of a divorce is beyond the point; this is your 'running away money' and would be for setting you and dcs up somewhere else should you need it. By the time things came to divorce courts, you would probs have gone through it all on that.

The main issue is the hiding it for the time being. Why not open an old-fashioned book account (I used to have one at Alliance and Leicester when I was freelancing) but also openly open small kids accounts there so you can explain away any marketing bumf that comes your way.

Then keep passbook at your mum's or a friend's. .

antalya- as far as I know any money either party has is shared as part of divorce- doesn't matter if it's premuim bonds are notes under the mattress-it's all joint assets these days.

There is no difference between Prem, Bonds and cash or a bank account in his name- it's 50% yours anyway in law.

Thanks howtotellmum.