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Budgeting & bank accounts

Discuss bank accounts, banking apps, budgeting hacks and how to organise your money.

Money transfer from overseas
Hello! My wife is owed some money by a friend from overseas (about £200). We suggested Paypal but she doesn't have an account - she said she can send money to our current account based on the 16 digit Visa (debit) card number. We provided it and she sent the money Friday/Saturday last week. We trust her and she's also sent…
Transfer to Switched Account Gone Missing
Hi, Daughter transferred £2500 from her Halifax current account to my current account using an "existing payee" that she'd used before for money transfers. Unfortunately, she'd not realised that I transferred my current account from Halifax (existing payee) to a Nationwide account using Nationwide's switching service…
Lloyds £175 switch query
So I’m not complaining but I started the Lloyd’s £175 switch offer choosing the 28th June as the switch date. The account is now open and the switch hasn't yet completed but the £175 has been paid into my account (25th June). How do they know I have satisfied the requirements of 3 active direct debits? Has anyone else…
Bank swtich bribes after getting married
Hello! I recently got married and I've taken my husband's name. Even though our wedding was relatively cheap, it left a bit of a hole in our budget. The wedding itself wouldn't have made our finances this bad if we didn't have to unexpectedly fix the roof and electricity all at once, leaving us with a bill of £3,000 on top…
Lloyds switch extra incentive
I did a switch to Lloyds and have received the £175. However I also chose the card that gives you money off on meals out but where do I find if I have it or not please?
Possible Euro account?
Is it possible to tell what currency a bank account is held in from the format of the sort code and account number? We've been given a 6 digit sort code and an 8 digit account number to pay for a Greek holiday apartment rental, from a family we've rented from for several years and we totally trust. The account is with a UK…
Using PayPal for direct debits from my bank account
I need to have an additional direct debit on one of my bank accounts. In the past I have set some up so I can send payments to myself and it pulls that money from a bank account of mine as a direct debit. I am trying to set another up but seems in able to do so - it just wants my debit card details which I assume will come…
Budget App that includes paypal/credit cards/bank acc etc?
Hi all I'm trying to keep track of spending/saving etc but finding it difficult when I use Paypal which links to a credit card (for security) and I also transfer into piggy banks on other accounts for bigger costs during the year - the budget apps I've looked at get very confused that the money is going out of one place,…
Santander refusing to refund money after scam
Hi, I was the victim of a scam on air bnb after someone hacked into my host’s account ( I’d booked some Accom for my mil who was visiting my home town for my wedding). The message, which looked genuine as it was from the host who I’d previously been corresponding with said I needed to authorise my card details or else…
Partner suggested a joint account for bills, but is now struggling with the loss of a sense of contr
My fiancé is pretty unsophisticated in money matters. He has has exactly 1 current account that he has never changed since his Mum opened it for him when he was 16-18 and 1 credit card that he pays interest on (FML). Yesterday, we were talking about how to manage our finances, once married and we decided to go the blended…
previous transactions for Nationwide account
hiya, I left nationwide but british gas are asking for proof of payment on a transaction that I paid in january 2024 . I no longer have my nationwide customer #. Can anyone advise on the simplest action for me to retrieve my bank statements from 6 months' ago? Many thanks, Chris
Bank can’t reinstate direct debit cancelled by finance company with same reference
My business vehicle finance company cancelled my direct debit for some unknown reason and when I told them, they tried to reinstate it. But my business bank (Cashplus) automatically cancelled it because it had the same reference number (finance agreement number so can’t be changed) as the original direct debit that the…
Simple Visa Debit Card 16 y.o
I need a Visa debit card for my 16 year old soon to use abroad. He already has a bank account (mastercard) but in this case needs VISA requirement. He will only need the account for a couple of months.. Will need no overdraft facilty and will be a deposit of £200 and that should be only transaction going in.
Spend planning app recommendation
Afternoon, it looks like I’m after a very specific app/tool that I cannot find anywhere. I effectively want to be able to build out a wishlist of things I want to buy and categorise things by Type of item (clothes,sports,appliances) as well as by need or want. Then plan which month I can buy it based on my budget. the idea…
Anyone else experiencing issues with nationwide chargeback on online banking?
I have been trying to do a chargeback for about a month now to no avail. For weeks nationwide would just make an error each time it went to submit the form for the chargeback. Recently I managed to get it to go through and it was listed at the bottom of the page but then I heard nothing back from them from over a week…
Santander 7% linked account
Hi all I'm a serial bank switcher and am interested in switching to the Santander edge account as I have a small lump sum that I could also move to the linked 7% account that you get access to with the edge account but I don't know how long I would be with the Santander because if another switch offer became available I…
Controlling 4 weekly in and monthly out
My salary has changed to payment 4 weekly, which is a right pain as all my DD are monthly. I used to get paid on the 28th, DD all went out on the 2nd following, all the rest of the money 'mine' to spend or save but now I can't keep in sync because I get paid every 4th Friday ( and of course, a bit less each month than I…
Switching bank accounts
If I switch my bank account from First Direct to take advantage of the switch bonus what happens to the monthly savings account which pays out a bonus at the end of 12 months. (In my case , at the end of December 2024?)
Ovo refund didn't reach bank account
Hello all, I'm dealing with the estate of my recently deceased mother. Long story short, she was in credit wth her energy supplier (Ovo), who arranged for a refund to be paid back into her account (with Natwest). I have spoken to Ovo and Natwest to chase this. Ovo says they sent the refund to Natwest on 28th May and I need…
Moving abroad - best way to keep a UK address?
I'm moving to Thailand in a few weeks and I'm wondering what the best way is to keep a UK address. Could anyone help please? I'll be letting out my house which will generate a UK income. This money will go into my UK bank account (Lloyd's - I've had this since 2001) and will be kept for UK related costs (the house and…

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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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