Is It Normal To Have More Than One Current Account

EarthBoy

DesG wrote: »

I thought there was a limit of 3 on the number of current accounts you can have with Halifax? You have 5 Halifax current accounts?

Cheers, Des.

There's a limit of 3 Halifax Reward accounts, but you can have other types of current account as well. I don't think there's an overall limit -the total number they will let you have will probably depend on your credit rating.

YorkshireBoy

LittleVoice wrote: »

Received a call supposedly from Nationwide the other evening. I do have a Flex current account with Nationwide.

They said they were doing research about account features (something like that) and asked how many current accounts I had. I paused and counted to about 8 or so and gave that figure. The researcher then immediately terminated the call saying they only wanted to speak with people who had only one account!

You were more obliging than me. I declined their offer when they informed me the 'interview' would take around 15 minutes!

loveandlight

Thanks guys.

The reason why I ask is because I have three current accounts with three different banks. Yet when I spoke to the woman at HSBC this morning (one of my accounts is with them) she was shocked to hear this and immediately started interrogating me (as if she was cross examining a criminal) " is there a reason why you have three accounts?" I was shocked at why she would think this was abnormal but her whole general tone and manner was if I was doing something fraudulent by not having all my accounts with one bank.

I will never ever have all my accounts with one bank as it's a bit like putting all your eggs in one basket. It makes you far too vulnerable and then you are at the complete mercy of the bank.

I suffered the hard way from having just one account back in the 90's crash as I got made redundant and I only had one bank account. That banks treatment of me back then (Lloyds) was shocking. I couldn't go anywhere else as I only had the one main account. The minute the banks think they have all your business they behave as if they have total control over you.

Next time I go into the HSBC I'm going to enjoy telling that woman that although she was shocked at me having three different current accounts, some of my online friends have 10-13 of them and wait to see the look on her face then!!

456789

loveandlight wrote: »

Next time I go into the HSBC I'm going to enjoy telling that woman that although she was shocked at me having three different current accounts, some of my online friends have 10-13 of them and wait to see the look on her face then!!

Then she will probably think that posting on internet forums is weird.....:rolleyes:

I only had a current account with Halifax (and all savings, ISA, CC etc. with them too) up until about November last year - I now have one with HSBC aswell and a cashcard account with Barclays

Paul_Herring

loveandlight wrote: »

she was shocked to hear this and immediately started interrogating me (as if she was cross examining a criminal) " is there a reason why you have three accounts?"

To be perfectly frank, it's none of her business.

And to add my 2p - I have 3. LTSB for DD/SO's, Nationwide for 'pocket money' and abroad spending and Barclays (which I don't really use.)

More than one account may not quite be 'normal' but it's certainly not abnormal or unusual.

LittleVoice

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

You were more obliging than me. I declined their offer when they informed me the 'interview' would take around 15 minutes!

I was feeling unusually indulgent - and so didn't ask how long it might take and don't think they volunteered the information.

chambta

I have 3.

Main account for bills and salary etc. Barclays account for gambling, quidco, mystery shopping money and an A&L account with £2500 in that I keep ticking over for the high interest rate for a year.

orangeslimes

I have 3 too...one for spending money, one which my wages are paid into and one graduate one because i have an interest free overdraft... I think more than that would be a bit unmanagable for me.

ShelfStacker_3

I have three. One with First Direct which I use for my main incomings and outgoings, one with HSBC which I'm contractually obliged to have and one with RBS for the sole purpose of giving me a backup in the unlikely event that the other two suddenly dislike me for some reason.

Honestly though, if the other two accounts were closed it would be no great loss to me.

emma396

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

Entirely possible, eg 1 x Easycash (for it's Electron card and Ryanair flight booking etc), 1 x HICA, and 3 x Reward accounts.

I have 9 in total at the moment with 8 providers...soon to be 15 with the addition of 3 x Halifax Reward and 3 x BoS Reward accounts.

That's exactly what i have yorkshire, 3 reward, 1 HICA and 1 easycash for buying cheap plane tickets :j