Answering "how long have you had your account?" question

pmduk

A transfer to Santander will probably be reported as a new account in your credit files. However, if you just changed to a Scottish branch of RBS (assuming you can do that), you'd preserve the history reported to the Credit Reference Agencies.

I'd work on the basis that it's the same account as you have a continuous banking history, you've done nothing to initiate the change of bank. Although, having said that I've already transferred my account to a Glasgow branch. I'd suggest everyone does that before Santander even gets a hint of the customers they're losing. My moving to a Scottish branch entailed opening a new account, although I have no compunction in declaring it as the same account.

carrieh

Isn't the question normally "how long have you been with your bank?" rather than how long have you had your bank account? Every question I've seen on an application form asks the former. So if you have a new bank account in an RBS Scottish branch for example, and closed an English RBS account, it doesn't actually make much difference. You're still officially with the same bank. I always put 27 years in answer to that question, in that time nobody has ever queried my answer, and in that time I've opened and closed quite a few RBS accounts at various different branches. Each opened account shows on my credit file, as do the closed ones, but it doesn't seemed to have harmed my credit rating. Just a thought!

masonic

rb10 wrote: »

Really? Although they refer to it as a 'transfer', it appears to be brand new account that is opened up, with a new sort code and account number.

Ok, so you are saying changing branch at RBS will cause them to issue a new account, presumably replacing card and chequebook(?), so that obviously isn't going to get reported as the same account.

Actually, I just checked my own credit report from January and my old Alliance & Leicester current account that turned into a Santander current account has 23 months of history reported, so that clearly got treated as the same account.

Maybe I have this back to front and it's better for the OP to just let the change happen

masonic

carrieh wrote: »

Isn't the question normally "how long have you been with your bank?" rather than how long have you had your bank account?

I've seen it asked in the form...

Do you have the following?
- A current account?
-- How long have you had this account?

...so it does vary.

silvercar

carrieh wrote: »

Isn't the question normally "how long have you been with your bank?" rather than how long have you had your bank account? Every question I've seen on an application form asks the former. So if you have a new bank account in an RBS Scottish branch for example, and closed an English RBS account, it doesn't actually make much difference. You're still officially with the same bank. I always put 27 years in answer to that question, in that time nobody has ever queried my answer, and in that time I've opened and closed quite a few RBS accounts at various different branches. Each opened account shows on my credit file, as do the closed ones, but it doesn't seemed to have harmed my credit rating. Just a thought!

If the question is "how long you have been with your bank?" then changing to NatWest from RBS would mean that I haven't changed bank - given that RBS owns NatWest.

[Deleted User]

rbs indeed owns natwest but would prob go under new account as completely separate bank
likewise just switch to scottish RBS

pawnbroker_2

silvercar wrote: »

Will that make a difference? Won't the clock start again when I move to the Scottish branch? In which case I may as well move to a local NatWest which be easier for paying in cheques.

I'm not worried about my history with the bank, I'm more concerned for applying for credit elsewhere and they ask how long you've had your account.

My wife and I have moved to a Scottish branch from an English branch. Technically we have only had the Scottish account for 4 months. However I am still using the same customer numbers we were given years ago. Thus we have been a customer of the bank for over 12 years, currently banking at XYZ branch having transferred from ABC branch.

It is easy to move to a Scottish branch and I would suggest you do it yourself long before Scamtander get any where near your money.

carrieh

I second that. Either move your account to an RBS Scottish branch if you want to keep your history with them, or start again with a new Nat West account if you decide you need a branch locally and don't mind losing your account history. But do it now, well before the chaos that will ensue when Satander start taking over the English and Welsh accounts of RBS.

EarthBoy

What's a "customer number", and do all banks have them?

carrieh

It's just a identification number that your bank knows you by. So if there are 4 or 5 people with the same name, the bank can tell you apart. I would guess all banks use this system, but I don't know for sure.