We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More » This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. Thank you for your patience.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Budgeting & bank accounts

Archives for August 2008

HBOS student account charges??!
Right.... I have a Bank of Scotland / Halifax student current account. With this account I got a Visa Debit card. This card has been good and useful, as it works in all the places my old Electron card did not. Trying to keep my spending within my means, I turned down the opportunity for an overdraft. However, i recently…
calculating interest
Hopefully someone can help. I have a fair amount of money in my natwest savings direct account (been meaning to switch to a better rate) and am trying to calculate my interest. last month was a bit strange, I had no balance upto 8th July so I calculated the charges from there. I calculated the amount that natwest credited…
Natwest - d/ds coming off on 1st Sept
Dear all - just checked my online account and I have 3 d/ds coming off tomorrow which I've planned for. These total £104 and I have £109 in my account. When I checked today, Paypal fees totalling £6 came off on 28th leaving me short for tomorrow. So, at what point in the day do direct debits leave an account? I'd hoped to…
How can I contact Alliance & Leicester?
I never received a new 8 digit customer ID from A&L. So when I tried logging on today my old 12 digit number no longer worked. Fair enough, phone the "24-hour" number given on their website - 0844 800 1144. A couple of minutes worth of automated announcements later, it presumably attempts to transfer me elsewhere - and I…
A bank story to make you chuckle this dreary Sunday evening!
Clicky Man's 'pants' password is changed The bank apologised to Mr Jetley in a statement A man who chose "Lloyds is pants" as his telephone banking password said he found it had been changed by a member of staff to "no it's not". Steve Jetley, from Shrewsbury, said he chose the password after falling out with Lloyds TSB…
Barclays Personal Reserve, An Expensive Lesson Learned
Well, as quite a few barclays customes will know, their accounts have changed to their personal reserve. earlier this week i found out an expensive lesson. it used to be the case with my barclays account, that if i had a direct debit come out of my account, on a particular date, and not enough funds at the start of that…
Help! Abbey reclaiming my overdraft-where do i stand?
Hi guys, woke up this morning planning my Sunday when i checked my internet banking and noticed my overdraft was halved. I have a graduate account, overdraft was £1900 but now as of 01/09 its going down to £1000. i didnt recieve any notification of this, my balance was -1200 leaving me with £700 left but now Abbey say my…
stopping a standing order... for tomorrow!
The following situation is all due to my own stupidity and disorganization, Im already aware of this, but im wondering if theres any solution. Ive got a standing order for the 1st of each month to pay my house rent. I actually move out tomorrow but have only now remembered about the standing order. I have cancelled the…
First Direct Change of Debit Card
Hi, I received a letter from First Direct telling me they would soon be changing their debit cards from Maestro to Visa Debit (on new issues). As they are part of the HSBC group, does anyone know if HSBC themselves plan to do the same? I think I would prefer a Visa Debit on my HSBC debit card. Thanks
HSBC Minimum Credit?
I received a phone call today from HSBC's Credit Retrieval squad or whatever they choose to name themselves currently! Essentially I was told that I have to credit my account with a minimum amount (5% of the balance) every 30 days. Is this true, accurate and even legal? I'm in my overdraft at the moment, but am not over…
Barclaycard doing strange things to my current account
Hello everyone, nothing major, just a minor niggle I'd like celared up if anyone knows the answer! I sometimes pay my barclaycard with my barclays debit card. As usual the amount I pay dissapears from my cleared balance and then a few days later appears as a debit on my statement with all the details. However, there's also…
Company taking £50 for something that costs £40
I ordered something on the internet for £39.99 the other day, but noticed on checking my bank today that the company I ordered from actually took £49.98 out of the account. On ringing the company's helpline, I was told this is because the £10 voucher code I used on the order wasn't applied correctly (by their staff) and…
Fraudulent use of Barclays debit card.
My friends have come to me in desperation at a decision they have received from Barclays Bank following the fraudulent use of one of their debit cards. Their case is as follows. Received their July bank statement and notice two transactions they did not make. Firstly in the morning a £200.00 cash withdrawn from a cashpoint…
Help needed with EAR interest
Hi Guys, My GF and I are going to Australia next year and have paid the deposit on a adventure trip thing. We were going to pay the rest of the balance in December as we could do this comfortably. However we have found out today that the price would be going up by £100 each, unless we managed to pay the full £1000 now. My…
Problems with NatWest, advice please?
Two weeks ago I deposited two cheques with NatWest, along with some cash and asked for a receipt. When I checked my online account, I noticed that the cash had been accounted for but not the cheques. I didn't worry as I know it takes a few days for a cheque to clear. Then I received a letter from NatWest to say that they…
Fake Natwest Email
FAKE NATWEST BANK ONLINE WEBSITE BEWARE!!!!! WARNING TO NATWEST ACCOUNT HOLDER'S CURRENT OR CANCELLED. To all MSE's I've recieved an emial today from Natwest PLc instructing me to update my account information, with a link to a fake natwest online website, Looking very convincing and requesting normal information and some…
About to go abroad
Hey, need to draw on the wealth of experience here. I'm about to go abroad (Paris) and wanted some advice on spending out there. Ideally I would like to put everything possible on Credit Card while I'm out there but is this likely to have charges etc? I have two credits cards: Egg Money and Nationwide Gold I also have two…
I'm So Worried- Pls Help Mse
Hello everyone, I really really need some help. I bought some clothes (bought them for an aunt who has paid me back) online and I got a reciept from PayPal and a reciept from the online clothes shop saying they have recieved my payment ie my card has been charged. I had 31.98 in my card. And I paided out 31.80. Okay? So…
Halifax bank charge due to fraud
Hi New here, and looking for any help or advice on a situation i'm in. I'll be honest, i'm crap with money, all my bills get paid on time, but i just cant seem to stay in my overdraft! I've made a conscious effort to do so the past few months and it was working, until I went over by £3 and got the usual "we will be taking…
Abbey Bank Charge
Hi My friend has gone overdrawn by £1.30 and has no overdraft, there is going to be a charge of just over £30 for this. She has tried to stop this from being taken but they said as she has already claimed back 1 bank charge within the past 12 months (the only bank charge she has ever had) so this is not possible. Someone…

★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

View All

Budgeting & bank accounts

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free

Budgeting & bank accounts

Discussion List

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free