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Budgeting & bank accounts

Archives for January 2018

Problems obtaining a Basic Bank Account
I am trying to help a young relative who needs a Basic Bank Account. Although he has all the correct paperwork (proof of ID, residential address etc) he has now tried several local banks and, without any explanation, they have all turned him down. The DWP keep telling him he needs a Bank Account but even those Banks which…
How Much have you made from Switching?
Hi All, I am relatively late onto the Switching phenomenon, however I was wondering how much people on here have made throughout the years from bank switching?
UK bank account when not in the UK
Hi all, I might be out of the UK for a few months, which might turn to moving out of the UK permanently. How can I keep my UK bank account going? I could change my address to my UK relative's house or ask the bank to send any correspondence to a European address? Cheers,
Bank Account or ISA for savings (maxed out LISA)?
I'm 23 years old and have recently been awarded £8500 compensation money. I'm planning on buying a house within the next 3-5 years so after a lot of research I opened a Lifetime ISA with Skipton. I've paid £4000 into that ISA (max for this year) and plan to transfer another £4000 into the LISA next year, giving me a…
Coconut app for self employed
https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/money/business-account-launches-eliminate-self-assessment-tax-headache-freelancers/ I'm not self employed so can't comment on this, although I found it interesting.
Dormant Accounts
Switched accounts for just about every offer and it would seem I've been lucky to have been accepted for First direct and HSBC as credit history is pretty poor. I've kept the B account as main account and Halifax as a second account (B for Bills and Halifax for daily spending). Just wondering if First direct (took CC at…
Telling employer you switched Bank
In the old days, you would switch and your new bank would give you a form to give to your employer. The new switching service seems to automate it - but how? Does the employer keep on paying to the old bank and it gets redirected? Or does the old bank inform the employer's bank, and then the employer's bank automatically…
Banks and dated technology
It is known that banks, particularly the major ones, are running on really dated tech. RBS Group seems to be the worst given their various issues with IT, though Lloyds Banking Group and HSBC don't seem much better. Have any actually made plans to move to more modern tech for their banking systems? I think Nationwide said…
Current account to help us organise our money
Hi there I feel a bit naive about all of this, but I am not bank account savvy. In the past I had an Intelligent Finance account linked to my mortgage and within that there were 'jars' where I could organise my money to effectively have saving accounts within the one account. At present we have a pretty basic bank account.…
Clydesdale B £250 Switch Payment
Hi folks, I have just received my £250 from Clydesdale for switching. Can I now,switch straight away? Theres no rule about how long you need to stay after being paid,they can't take it back if I switch again can they?
Contactless debit card fraud
Please send me the link to another thread if this isn't the correct one. I had my purse stolen last week and the Lloyds debit card has been used many times before I got it stopped. I feel I'm banging my head up a brick wall. Police/shops won't help without times and bank said they don't have times? Has anyone had any…
Am i making a huge mistake by switching to HSBC?
I applied for the £200 switch deal at HSBC, ive never hd any problems with Natwest al my life but the £20 incentive was too tempting. natwest just informed me of the request to switch from HSBC and after reading this im having second thoughts https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.hsbc.co.uk - since registering with hsbc a…
How do banks profit from paying switching fees?
NatWest are the latest bank to offer a switching fee, in this case £125. Most of the switchers posting on this site are switching a donor account rather than a well used account. Hence they are not really switching their bank in they way the banks intended. Once they have their fee they abandon the account or leave it to…
Cancelled Direct Debit
Can my Bank (Building Society) arbitrarily cancel one of my Direct debits without notification ? I have rec'd a letter from British Gas stating that Nationwide have informed them that they have cancelled my Direct Debit without stating a reason.
EU bank transfer to UK
Hello, Does anyone know how long it should take for money transferred from within the EU to reach an HSBC current account? Regards,
What time do Lloyds/Halifax BACs go in?
Looking out for a salary payment being sent BACs for Tuesday. Payments are usually in by this time
Help Needed with Barclays claim
Hello everyone. I really need a good advise on my wifes Barclays bank account. She opened this acc years ago and been given overdraft etc (not sure if it was paid acc, i think so but I need to double check it.) However, this is not the biggest problem, so please just let me explain everything Back whe she opened that…
Bank tarting and dd’s
I am thinking of starting to set up transferring bank accounts but looking to open one first just to transfer from one to another and so in, however when the banks say they need a min 2 dd’s can they be standing orders to say a savings account somewhere or has it to be did? Thanks in advance
Passport costs increasing
Posted here because some people need them as ID for opening/operating bank accounts, not just for travel. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42860723 The price of a British passport is to rise by £12.50 from 27 March for those applying by post. The cost of online applications will also go up - but only by £3 to £75.50. Mine has…
Nationwide deleted my online banking access
I recently applied for an additional Nationwide account. Although I have been a customer for a decade or more they created a new dummy customer number for this account. I then asked them online – via secure messaging – to move this new account under my existing customer number where my other 5 Nationwide…

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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.

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Budgeting & bank accounts

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