Suggestions for a basic bank account - but with a cheque book

dzug1

EarthBoy wrote: »

It's unlikely that you'll find a basic account with a cheque book, but most banks will offer all the other facilities. Bear in mind that a lot of the basic accounts only allow withdrawals from that particular bank's machines, e.g. Lloyds/TSB/Halifax and RBS/Natwest.

I was under the impression that just about all basic accounts allowed cash over the counter in Post Offices

EarthBoy

pmduk wrote: »

I believe one or two of the smaller building societies aren't members of Link, ....

Very few building societies, even the bigger ones, offer current accounts, or even savings accounts with a card. Off the top of my head I can think of Nationwide, Yorkshire, Coventry, Norwich and Peterborough (which is part of Yorkshire now) and the Cumberland. These are all Link members.

Link members: http://www.link.co.uk/AboutLINK/Pages/Members.aspx

PH7

bengal-stripe wrote: »

Once NatWest has realized your partner has stopped funding her account, they might well withdraw the overdraft and demand immediate repayment. If your partner is not in a position to do that, she'll incur charges and eventually the account will go to collection and be defaulted. Then her credit rating will be well and truly shot to smithereens.

The both of you are playing a very dangerous game indeed.

Very dangerous? Well she has agreed a repayment plan to clear her overdraft in 6 months with NatWest, which they have confirmed in writing. Are you telling me that even if she ensures that she sticks to the agreement they might demand immediate repayment on a whim? On what grounds?

JuicyJesus

PH7 wrote: »

Very dangerous? Well she has agreed a repayment plan to clear her overdraft in 6 months with NatWest, which they have confirmed in writing. Are you telling me that even if she ensures that she sticks to the agreement they might demand immediate repayment on a whim? On what grounds?

I think bengal-stripe is assuming that, as many people do, there is no agreement in place. A lot of people switch banks then plan to pay off their overdraft in instalments without telling the bank what they're doing, with the end result that the bank withdraws the OD.

If there's an agreement in writing, there's no issue so long as it's stuck to.

bengal-stripe

JuicyJesus wrote: »

I think bengal-stripe is assuming that, as many people do, there is no agreement in place. A lot of people switch banks then plan to pay off their overdraft in instalments without telling the bank what they're doing, with the end result that the bank withdraws the OD.

If there's an agreement in writing, there's no issue so long as it's stuck to.

Exactly, that's what I had feared. Quite a few people (if their existing account is in a mess) opt for a moonlight flit to another bank, then putting the fait accompli to their old bank (sometimes not even that), hoping the bank will play ball. But frequently the bank does not play ball.

If there is an agreement in place, that changes the entire situation.

So, forget what I have written as, obviously, this is not relevant to the situation.

LisaW123

Have you seen this from MSE? http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/basic-bank-accounts