Handelsbanken

MaccyDs

InsideInsurance wrote: »

I had a long discussion about this with their area manager once

No they dont, each branch operates very independently of each other and are allowed to set their own criteria. In part it also comes down to if any of the "bankers" have space on their client list - though I imagine the more desirable you are the more they are willing to make space.

My experience, after talking to 3 branches, was that some are willing to look at future potential (ie youngish person, good income/ career but no big savings or mortgage) and others its simply about if you have £100,000 of savings to move today or not.

Generally speaking you are bound by your geographic area to a branch (work or home) and cannot just choose a different one because you feel like it - I did find an email to the area manager did fix the problem when my "local" branch said certainly not (but come back when you want a mortgage) but the next nearest (only 0.3 miles difference) had said they'd be interested

As has been said, they are fairly selective about who they take on and simply having a £300k job may not be enough on its own.

Ah so it varies then? it is a bit of a pain them not having a basic guideline as it saves times if they did

I am a young guy, currently looking for a new job so I am most likely not the one they are looking for although I guess if I get a new job and save more, they may be an option in the future?

Really? well my branch is 5 minutes down the road, I shall chat with them and see what they say as I am just fed up with the big banks here, having had an account with all at some point, they have really given me the worse service so an opportunity to check out a new bank is something I am not going to miss out on

£300k per year :eek: if I had that, I'd go with Coutts

Cheers

Paul_Herring

MaccyDs wrote: »

£300k per year :eek: if I had that, I'd go with Coutts

I doubt it, from what you've said. Coutts is 100% owed by RBS through Natwest. (Which in turn, as a reminder, is 84% owned by the tax-payer.)

MaccyDs

Paul_Herring wrote: »

I doubt it, from what you've said. Coutts is 100% owed by RBS through Natwest. (Which in turn, as a reminder, is 84% owned by the tax-payer.)

Yes and so is Adam and Co. but from what I understand (although I don't know anyone personally that has an account with either), the level of service that they give their customers is amazing (and so it should for £1million minimum balance)... it is just the main banks that seem to have a big problem with how they do things, at least in my opinion they do.

InsideInsurance

MaccyDs wrote: »

Ah so it varies then? it is a bit of a pain them not having a basic guideline as it saves times if they did

I am a young guy, currently looking for a new job so I am most likely not the one they are looking for although I guess if I get a new job and save more, they may be an option in the future?

Really? well my branch is 5 minutes down the road, I shall chat with them and see what they say as I am just fed up with the big banks here, having had an account with all at some point, they have really given me the worse service so an opportunity to check out a new bank is something I am not going to miss out on

£300k per year :eek: if I had that, I'd go with Coutts

Cheers

I imagine you'd look at it as they want the top 0.1% of people (or something) and of cause what that looks like in the London area is different to what that looks like in North England hence the requirements vary

From vague memory the lower one I spoke to was looking for:

£300k+ mortgage
£100k+ salary
£100k+ savings/ investments


You would be well short of Coutts standards if you only had a £300k salary without a significant amount of assets to go with it

MaccyDs

InsideInsurance wrote: »

I imagine you'd look at it as they want the top 0.1% of people (or something) and of cause what that looks like in the London area is different to what that looks like in North England hence the requirements vary

From vague memory the lower one I spoke to was looking for:

£300k+ mortgage
£100k+ salary
£100k+ savings/ investments


You would be well short of Coutts standards if you only had a £300k salary without a significant amount of assets to go with it

Ah okay, I understand now.

I am as well forget it as I don't have that kind of money yet, just finished paying off various debts and moved house and now in-between jobs. I suppose when I am more stable I shall look into them again but for now I shall put up with the crap I get from my bank :mad:

That is true, they need something like a million in assets or something? that is most certainly something I doubt I will ever reach lol.

InsideInsurance

Those numbers were for the South East so potentially lower elsewhere. The City surprisingly werent much higher but my "local" branch said they really wanted savings/ investments rather than salary

With Coutts you can find out as they now have an automated system on their website when you enter your income, liquid and non-liquid assets etc and it tells you if it is even worth you speaking to them or not.

I did some work with RBS a while back and stumbled across the Coutts menu for client lunch meetings - it was graded depending on how important the client obviously, but needless to say it didn't start at the RBS standard slightly stale sandwiches and UHT orange juice that staff got or tesco value wine

MaccyDs

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Those numbers were for the South East so potentially lower elsewhere. The City surprisingly werent much higher but my "local" branch said they really wanted savings/ investments rather than salary

With Coutts you can find out as they now have an automated system on their website when you enter your income, liquid and non-liquid assets etc and it tells you if it is even worth you speaking to them or not.

I did some work with RBS a while back and stumbled across the Coutts menu for client lunch meetings - it was graded depending on how important the client obviously, but needless to say it didn't start at the RBS standard slightly stale sandwiches and UHT orange juice that staff got or tesco value wine

I'm in the city so it looks like I won't be going there... I already have my investments taken care of elsewhere though and would not even consider transferring them.

Do they? might go check it out for a laugh

InsideInsurance

MaccyDs wrote: »

Do they? might go check it out for a laugh

I did I'm not

alex1990_2

Just thought I would add my "experience" with this bank. I came across them after seeing an article online, and thought they looked quite good. So I visited their website, and completed a contact form.

The next day I got a call from a manager at my local branch. I was on lunch at the time, so took his number and rang him back later that day, He was unable to speak, and going off to a meeting.

On calling him back the next day, one of the first things he said was that there is a £25 per month charge with the account, and I was then asked if I wanted to the conversation to continue.:think:This put me back a bit, and I thought it was a bit of an odd thing to say at the start of the conversation if you are trying to get someone’s custom. He then explained abit about the bank, and said he would need to meet me face to face to discuss the current account I wished to open.

He also explained that I would need to bring six months’ worth of bank statements with me In order for him to look at them. He seemed interested about where I worked, and my occupation. He replied with a comment about how he had never heard of the place…………………………..:search:

I rang him back the next day so that I could book an appointment with him. This all seemed to go ok, and I asked him if he could e-mail with the details of the appointment. He also said he would call me a few days before to confirm the meeting. :beer:

He did neither.:mad:

I have no doubt that if I had called the bank up on the day of the appointment they would have seen me, but I won’t chase these people.

All in all its left me quite annoyed at them, that such a bank with high values cannot arrange a simple appointment, I just get the feeling anyone who does not sound educated would be forgotten.

That is my experience; there is nothing more I can say about the matter.

Handelsbanken

InsideInsurance

MaccyDs wrote: »

I'm in the city so it looks like I won't be going there... I already have my investments taken care of elsewhere though and would not even consider transferring them.

Do they? might go check it out for a laugh

They do but it is graded by what level of customer you are. I dont know how they treat prospective customers but I am sure they do a fair amount of research into you if you go there claiming to be at the grade that gets the fine wines and vintage champagnes.

A friend does marketing for another uHNW financial provider and its funny both what she does for a living and the "hardships" she has to endure to try and attract the level of customer they want