Guaranteed Bank account for bankrupts

akeeley

Hi everyone. As there are so many people here in a similar situation to me, I was hoping someone might be able to help... I became bankrupt on the 13th July. I had opened a basic bank account with HSBC although I hadn't finally made my mind up to go bankrupt. Yesterday, as my salary was due to be paid in, I logged on to my account. To cut a long story short, HSBC have returned my salary and closed my account. I now have no money, and no account and so no way of paying this months bills. I tried to get a bank account at various other banks but have been turned down by all so far. Am I now deemed a criminal!

You have been talking about bank accounts for bankrupts and that there are stickys at the top of the page but I'm new here and can't see where you mean. Does anyone have any idea who I can get an account with? I'm a bit stuck at the moment (understatement of the year!)

Cheers!

wherediditallgo

Hi, & welcome

The sticky is at the top of the bankruptcy forum here (click on the link I've provided in this post to go directly to it). The first post in the thread will tell you about 3 banks/building societies which definitely do cater for bankrupts.

philnicandamy

Click on this link to take you to suggested sticky it's a few pages long so bit of a read i'm afraid

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=474254

I went BR back in march & opened a co-op basic cashminder account over the telephone al details took & account opened in a week or so, sorry to hear about the HSBC trouble could you not contact your employer & ask if they can pay your salary via cash/cheque (maybe paid into a relatives account?) just as a one off till you sort a basic account?

**EDIT** beat me to it again WDIAG )

akeeley

Thanks wherediditallgo and philnicandamy. I'll have a good read and see what's what. Yesterday was a most stressful day. I thought it was all going far too smoothly....

betterlatethannever

akeeley, how awful for you. I believe i'll be going through the same as you soon, so please keep us updated as to how things are.
I was wondering when you say your wages were returned, where were they returned to? this is worrying.

Posthinking

Just to re-iterate. Please open a basic account after BR to be on the safe side. Timing is crucial so have any important payments made to a friend/family members account until your new account is open.

loadsofdebt

we have a thinkbanking account we got it when we started our dmp it is alot to pay but it has help us. you get 2 accounts
1. bills
2. pocket money
you tell them how much a month for bills and the left over funds go in to your pocket money account
we got a maestro card

Hobo17

At one point I thought Thinkbanking was my only option as I thought my Co-op account (opened prior to bankruptcy) would be frozen - when I had my initial call with the OR's office they said they needed to examine the account further before they knew whether I could keep using it or not.

Good thing I didn't have to rely on Thinkbanking, as their ID requirements are so strict and whilst their customer advisors will tell you that that a particular form is acceptable, it will get sent back to you a few days later with a letter informing you it is not. I was waiting for copy bank statements from my bank - my 'advisor' from thinkbanking called me every day accusing me of lying because he 'had worked for a bank, and he knew it didn't take that long to send a statement out'. But they are happy to give you your sort code and account number so that you can have money sent to your account immediately.

I managed to open a Barclays basic account in the end. Not really ideal as they were a creditor, but i informed them of this when i opened the account and so far it hasn't been a problem.

So_Sad_Angel

I really feel that going forward the Banks must realise that your `credit data` is not the same as your current `credit risk`.

Strangely someone who is bankrupt would pose a `safer` bet in the current market (in terms of potential bad debt) but this means less profit for the Bank(no o/d fees/monthly acc chg`s) ...therefore they only offer basic as it costs them too much to offer the `full package`bank accounts where they have no realistic chance of recouping those fees.

HTH

Angexx

Rylynn

I can see your point So Sad Angel, but surely with the amount they are losing in debts by people going BR would make these banks think again.

As you rightly say though just think of all the charges that have been incurred my mum went £72 overdrawn she was charged £30 and then another £30 I think.. for 72pence yes she should not have gone over drawn but they must lap up those costs with glee.

I think as I had an IVA and was forced to leave my bank of over 18 years, the one I have now is kinda special to me, as it was my new start, now I read here that Nat West wont want me, and I have never done anything wrong on the account for over 3 years and it is the totally basic account.. you would think banks would look more at each case than have a blanket approach.

Mind you having read Martins bit on IVA today maybe Nat West are not going to be my best partners as it would seem they are part of one of my creditors... oh bliss get that money out now! and run.