Dilemma re Icesave/savings in general

gelato_cat

I understand your reasoning - but I really don't think what I'm posting is personal in any way. Maybe if people knew where I lived or what my full name was, they could come and kidnap me and steal all my money. But I really don't see how the info I've posted is going to help anyone. Besides which, all the numbers I've posted change on a monthly basis.

I shred all my "proper" personal information - stuff with my name, address, account numbers etc on. I don't divulge any of that stuff online. I wouldn't put my bank statements in the wheelie bin, but they contain information which connects the balances to a name, account number etc. My posts don't.

I'm willing to see your POV but you don't have me convinced so far. All I've posted is a bunch of figures.

Suze

DocProc wrote:

I don't want to be rude or too inquisitive and I most certainly don't want to be patronising

But these are the days when shredders are greatly in fashion because of 'Identity Theft'. Integrate into this stuff the question:

How do you deal with the contents of your wheelie bin?

I ask, because over a period of time, those characters who do make use of personal information for their ill-gotten gains, will build up a very thorough picture of you and yours. Then 'bang!' They will pounce. How? I don't know.

What I do know is that it is generally not a good idea to give out personal information as openly, accurately and profusely as you are doing.

How can you possible keep control? How would you deal with it if anything did go wrong and you did have funds stolen from you?

Also, if others, less security conscious than you see you openly posting up personal information, then it's as though a 'fashion' has been set for it. They feel it's OK to do it, then others feel it's OK to do it, etc, etc.

I hope you will reconsider?

I concede immediately that it has absolutely nothing to do with me and you are entitled to post up what you like. It's just that my strongly altruistic nature insists I tell on here about what I know or strongly feel. It's a bit like seeing the car in front has got a flat tyre and the driver is not experienced/aware and doesn't know about it. I don't want the driver to crash and all I have to do is tell him/her about it.

When I did a Google search and investigated my own postings on here, I was shocked and began to tone down my own openness down quite a lot.

Anyhow. There you go. I've said my piece.

interest_Ted

For what its worth......

Although I understand Doc's concerns, and I certainly wouldn't post details of what I have/do on a public forum, I would suggest that Doc has assumed that the OP has been fully open, frank and truthful.

Quite possibly she (or he ?) might have been merely illustrating a scenario which included her/his own or a relative's or friend's situation in order to solicit some views/thoughts. The figures may well be completely hypothetical.

But yes, details posted can be used to build a profile, and this might not be in the best interest of the poster. Posters details lodged privately (at registration) with the forum could in a worst case scenario be stolen or hacked.

Ted

masonic

interest_Ted wrote:

Posters details lodged privately (at registration) with the forum could in a worst case scenario be stolen or hacked.

JOOI, what details are asked for at registration? I only recall giving a username, e-mail and password.

I think the far more likely scenario here is that someone who already knows who you are might find something out about you that you'd rather they not know.

gelato_cat

I agree...

Suze

masonic wrote:

JOOI, what details are asked for at registration? I only recall giving a username, e-mail and password.

I think the far more likely scenario here is that someone who already knows who you are might find something out about you that you'd rather they not know.

gelato_cat

Looks like YBS has already announced a rise, effective 28th January. I've noticed that Halifax raised the rates on some accounts effective 17th January but not others, so it looks like I might be coming with you!!!

Suze

YorkshireBoy wrote:

I 'understand' that YBS will be announcing their rate changes on 1st Feb (and Halifax usually go for the 1st of the month following BOE rate rise), so I guess within a fortnight I'll be in a position to decide.

gelato_cat

A lot seems to have happened to the savings account market since I started this thread and this is what I am thinking of doing:

- keep the following as is: Icesave, NS&I, Halifax/A&L/Lloyds Regular Savers, Halifax Web Saver, ING

and:

- transfer my Halifax ISA to Yorkshire Building Society (thanks YorkshireBoy!)
- get another 0% CC and transfer my £5k debt to that (I was going to pay it off in May when the promotion expires but I fancy holding onto my cash for a bit longer). I think this will seriously be the last time I do this, so I'll need access to £5k cash in November
- open a Yorkshire Building Society Regular Saver and fund that with any excess cash I have at the end of the month (thanks again YorkshireBoy!)
- close my Sainsbury's account

This is what I am unsure of:

- what to do with the £500 I have with HSBC. I know they are launching a 5.65% account tomorrow but it comes with withdrawal penalties
- what to do with the money in the HBOS IASA now I have decided not to pay my CC debt with it straightaway. The rate is no longer competitive enough for my liking, although it's handy being able to have access to the cash by transferring it to my current account and being able to withdraw it by card/over the counter straightaway
- whether or not to keep my Halifax Regular saver open (it matures at the beginning of April and I fund my ISA from it) or to just have the YBS one

So basically I am unsure of which easy-access high-interest account to dump my spare cash in and what to do Regular Saver-wise. I could stick my spare cash in my Icesave account but am a bit nervous of doing that given that I had trouble logging in the other day.

What I want:

- no withdrawal penalties (although I don't anticipate needing to get my hands on large amounts of cash quickly, but you never know)
- high interest
- ideas on which other regular savers I should open (I'm in southeast England so some of the locally-focussed ones aren't an option for me)

The ING 5.56% account looks good but from what I gather, everything has to go in and out through the 4.75% account which seems a bit of a palaver.

Any comments on any of the above?

Suze

Suzey wrote:

Halifax High Interest Current Account - 5.12%: £600-something (salary goes in here and regular savers get paid out of it)
Icesave - 5.70%: £22123.66
BoS IASA - 5.25% on balances over £5k: £9350.00
Halifax ISA Saver Direct - 5.25%: £24572.76
NS&I Direct ISA - 5.80%: £3000.00
Halifax Regular Saver - 7.00%: £2500.00 (£250.00 goes in every month)
A&L Regular Saver - 12.00%: £750.00 (£250.00 goes in every month)
Lloyds Regular Saver - 8.00%: £1750.00 (£250.00 goes in every month)
HSBC Online Saver - 5.00%: £500.00 (coming out when I get my John Lewis voucher)
Halifax Web Saver - 5.00% (variable): £1.00
Sainsbury's Bank Internet Saver - 5.00%: £1.00
ING - 4.75%: £0

gelato_cat

Any ideas on the above?

Suze