Halifax Withdrawing Online Investment Management for 1 yr

rdwarf12

Does anyone else think this is nuts, halifax are withdrawing the ability to manage your investments online starting 18th April, for an
upgrade !!!

When I upgrade my car I don't go without one for a year !!!.

I have an Online ISA with them currently. Looks like I need to move to another provider for 2011/2012 tax year if I want to manage my investments online.

http://www.halifax.co.uk/aboutonline/whats-changing/

mac2008

Madness! How do they expect the majority of their customers not to transfer out?

Spending too much money on those moronic TV adverts and not enough of web development - !!!!!! are they about? They're even worse than the Barclays ones.

Anyway, a good opportunity to move your investments somewhere cheaper, who actually realise we're living in the 21st century.

dunstonh

Just guessing but its probably linked to the integration with Scottish Widows and Clerical Medical and post RDR requirement.

I have an Online ISA with them currently.

Seeing as how bad Halifax investments are, you may consider this an opportunity to get something better.

rdwarf12

mac2008 wrote: »

Anyway, a good opportunity to move your investments somewhere cheaper, who actually realise we're living in the 21st century.

Yep already cancelled my direct debit and told the Halifax I will not be using them in 2011/2012.

LardyCake

Presumably this only relates to the "re-sold" investment products does not apply to the Halifax share dealing account & self-select ISA etc?

Ifts

LardyCake wrote: »

Presumably this only relates to the "re-sold" investment products does not apply to the Halifax share dealing account & self-select ISA etc?

It will not effect their share dealing service, this from their website:

Removal of online investment servicing after 18th April

We've been making changes as part of a major investment in our online banking service. We're launching a fresh new site which is more secure and easier to use. As we continue to develop our site, some existing services will change or won't be available for a while.
After 18th April you won't be able to top up, view or manage your investment accounts online. This won't affect any savings accounts or our share dealing service.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. We plan to bring back an online investment service by April 2012.
Until then, you'll still be able to manage all of your investments over the phone - we'll make sure you have all the support you need. For details of our helpline numbers contact us.
If you'd like to keep a copy of any investment information which we hold online, for example, your most recent valuation or contribution history, please print these off by 18th April. You'll be unable to view this information online after this date.
For more details about this change and what it means for you please visit our what's changing page.
Thank you for your patience as we build a better online banking service for the future.

cashbag

I emailed Halifax to complain about this withdrawal of online access to accounts on behalf of my very elderly mother who has investments with them. She is a bit deaf so cannot use the phone to get info (& gets very confused & agitated with automated "press the number" lines anyway), & she cannot get into a branch as she is practically housebound & lives in an isolated village 15 miles from the nearest branch. The only way she can keep tabs on her money (she has all her marbles!) is by my taking my laptop over 200 miles to where she lives & helping her to look online when I visit (every 2 months or so). She does not own her own computer, nor has any interest in doing so. I explained all this to Halifax & requested perhaps a secure password for her to give permission for me to phone up on her behalf, when I am checking my own investements status. The letter of reply I got basically says "tough!". I am sure she cannot be the only person in this situation - discrimination as far as I am concerned!

As she said to me at the weekend "I might be dead then before I ever get to see my investment again!". She is NOT prepared to start moving her money elsewhere ("too much hassle at my age & who is to say I won't get the same situation")

Mum does not need an all singing dancing updated mobile whatever facility - she wants to SEE what HER money is doing!!

Shame on you Halifax. My parents have always banked with you & I even have my late father's passbook from when he opened his first account in 1932. Of course we all know that loyalty counts for NOTHING these days. I hope my father is haunting Halifax - I know my mother will!

I pointed out the alternative solution is for me to phone up every so often for an update & simply pretend to be my mother. She is more than happy to divulge all her security info to me anyway. But Halifax should not force such a situation.

glider3560

cashbag wrote: »

discrimination as far as I am concerned!

If she is unable to use a conventional phone, have you looked into using TypeTalk? It is a free service provided by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People.

uk1

Can someone please clarify .... as I'm totally bemused and confused.

My wife and I have a whole bunch of Halifax cash ISAs. Are these going to dissapear from our online accounts?

glider3560

uk1 wrote: »

Can someone please clarify .... as I'm totally bemused and confused.

My wife and I have a whole bunch of Halifax cash ISAs. Are these going to dissapear from our online accounts?

Cash ISAs are not investment products

uk1

glider3560 wrote: »

Cash ISAs are not investment products

So the answer is "no" - they'll still be accessed online?

Thanks.