Halifax Joins First Direct In Charging Customers For Banking

michael1983l

Halifax is also going to follow suit with First Direct and charge £10 per month to use their bank.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9554-2495917,00.html

CopperPlate_2

Not really. Halifax are introducing a packaged account which pays higher interest and gives a variety of other benefits. fd are bringing in a charge for a normal account with no added extras. Most banks offer packaged accounts of some sort or other for which you are required to pay a monthly fee. Halifax didn't offer one until now. If they want to offer this, and it suits people to pay the fee and have such an account, then let them. They have stated that they are committed to the principle of free banking...but in what form, however, remains a mystery

Noz

Agree with CopperPlate, its hardly the same thing - its a new product they have launched, not a conversion of existing products

mrcow

These sorts of a/cs are still a rip off though. For example:

One of the big perks, according to Halifax, is free worldwide multi-trip family travel insurance, which the bank claims would normally set you back more than £190.

Mine cost under £90.

It's the same with the "free" breakdown cover etc, they always compare with the most expensive deals on the market.

techno_geek

It's all fear-mongering...

If you're a First Direct customer, just open a savings account and stick the odd spare tenner in there to avoid the charges! If everyone did that, FD wouldn't have a leg to stand on!

And if you've got a monthly-fee current account and you don't need/want the "services" they offer as part of it, then you're wasting your money and deserve what's coming to you. Simple.

Charges are unnecessary and will never take off again - why all the shouting over nothing?