Opening a Joint Account

henrygregory

Hi, we think it is time for me and my partner to open a joint account so we can better manage our money.

I currently use HSBC and think it would be a good idea to open our joint account with them. I am not going to get a chance to visit my local branch for a few weeks and was just wondering if there are any of you who have an account already and could answer the following:

As a current customer of HSBC, I already have an ISA account, internet savings account and current account with them. If I open a joint account with my partner, would this just show as another account in my 'My Accounts' summary page?

I would rather this, so I still have my usual current account and savings account, but we have our joint account for bills etc.

Any past experiences would be great

jonesMUFCforever

Yes it would on your internet log in.

On his he would only see the joint account and any sole account in his name.

henrygregory

jonesMUFCforever wrote: »

Yes it would on your internet log in.

On his he would only see the joint account and any sole account in his name.

Perfect, thanks for your reply. This is just what we are after.
We don't want our existing accounts to be changed, we just want something we both have access to for certain bills etc.

Thanks again!

henrygregory

Hi, sorry another quick question...

Have just telephoned HSBC to sort out an appointment and find out what we need to bring.

They said we must (among other things), bring three months worth of bank statements. I am fine with this, but my girl friend who uses another bank, shreds her statements. Would HSBC accept print outs from her internet banking or would she be able to get re-prints if she visited her branch?

Archi_Bald

3 months statements seems a completely ridiculous requirement for opening a joint current account. Particularly for the person that already holds a current account with them.

But if you want to go ahead, you need to ask HSBC, and your girlfriend will have to ask her bank.

Also, I reckon you should be prepared that they will want your girlfriend to switch her personal account to them. It has been mentioned once or twice on here recently that HSBC have some funny (to be polite) policies about who can hold a current account with them.

Might be a lot easier to go elsewhere for your joint account. Better value for money to be had in plenty of places.

henrygregory

Archi_Bald wrote: »

3 months statements seems a completely ridiculous requirement for opening a joint current account. Particularly for the person that already holds a current account with them.

But if you want to go ahead, you need to ask HSBC, and your girlfriend will have to ask her bank.

Also, I reckon you should be prepared that they will want your girlfriend to switch her personal account to them. It has been mentioned once or twice on here recently that HSBC have some funny (to be polite) policies about who can hold a current account with them.

Might be a lot easier to go elsewhere for your joint account. Better value for money to be had in plenty of places.

Thanks for your post. Yes it is quite strange. The main reason we are going with them is because I have all of my savings accounts with them and I am the one with lots saved up, so would make it slightly easier to see in one centralised place what we have etc as well as easily transfer it over. If they do suggest that my girl friend should also move her current account over to them, then we will go elsewhere as there is simply no need for that. Their paying in process is incredibly detail and leaves most non-hsbc customers flabbergasted by how many times you must fill in the figure you are paying in on your paying in slip. I think for a cheque recently, I had to write the sum I was paying in 7 or 8 times to pay in on one of their automated paying in machines.

innovate

You are almost certainly foregoing the best interest rates by staying with HSBC.

You could probably get £100 straight away if you switched to a Halifax Reward account. Then, if you play your cards right, you could get £5/mth, £60 a year, just for having that account (assuming you are a basic rate tax payer). Your girlfriend could do the same. Another £60 to her then. Plus you could have a joint account there, which again could pay £60 a year. That would get you £380 ahead of anything HSBC would pay you for starters.

There are also plenty of other accounts that pay with almost absolute certainty better interest than you get at HSBC.

For the best return on savings, the only thing you would most likely want to keep is their regular saver (and a current account for the SO for the RS). Everything else will do better elsewhere.

Archi_Bald

henrygregory wrote: »

The main reason we are going with them is because I have all of my savings accounts with them

Banks love people like you who don't keep their money following the best interest rates.

When have you last reviewed what interest you can get where?