Newbie: and query about bank accounts!

Liberty9515

Hiya Newbie here!

It looks like I may have to go down the bankruptcy route. :eek:

I am awaiting a fone appointment with CCCS and am having info sent by the National Debtline.

I have browsed this forum and gained a lot of very uiseful info on what to expect.

What i want to do is get ahead of the game somewhat, especially when it comes to bank accounts. The account I have at the moment is with one of my creditors, so I will have to move to another bank and set up a current account there,to have my wages paid into, before i stop paying my loan and credit card installments.

Now looking at the options for bank accounts for BRs, I cant use Barclays , as I have a Barclaycard. There isnt a Coop branch where I live and it appears from info on here that Nationwide arent welcoming BRs with open arms! I was hoping to open a current account with the bank that I then would have my post BR account with, as it might possibly make it easier possibly????

I am also going to try to get paying in books etc for most of the things I pay on DD, so I can take these out of the equation.

I dont currently have anyone chasing me for any money, I am currnetly up to date with everything but I am 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' so that I can have money to live on and feed my kids! Ho hum! :rolleyes:

Any advice, especially about bank accs, would be very welcomed. I am on my own with this, I shant be letting my parents know (They would hit the roof, there would be mentions of Debtors Prisons etc and they would be very horrified and not at all supportive!!) So it'll just be me and the kind support of you guys here!

Thanks

Richard_S

Hi Liberty,

You can open a Co-Op A/C over the phone and use a Post Office in place of a Co-Op branch, assuming you've still got a local P.O that is. I don't know whether Barclays will let you open an account with them if you've got a Barclaycard but it's always worth a try.

Sorry to hear you've got nobody to help you through the next few months but there's a endless amount of knowledge and support on this site.

Another site worth joining is:

http://bankruptcysupportersclub.co.uk/default.aspx

It's a site where all the members have been declared or are working towards bankruptcy and you won't find any adverse or judgemental comments there.

Best regards

Richard

The_Madmouse

Its worth bearing in mind what rich said...I had 2 barclaycards & an overdrawn account with them & they offered me a basic card account....although in the end I opted for the co-op as their account suited my needs better (with a visa electron card) where as barclays only offered a basic cash card which meant I could only withdraw cash from their machines etc with the co-op I can use any link machine & set up DDs etc with internet banking

Liberty9515

Thx for the replies!

I have just had an idea, there isnt much on my Barclaycard, so I could possibly move it to another card, so that Barclays isnt a creditor and get an account with them.

I dont know for absolutely certain that I am going to go down the BR route, but if i do move things round and then decide to go on to BR, will the OR take a dim view of things moved around like this? I dont want to get in the sticky stuff!!:eek:

allofadither

Hello Liberty,

I opened a Barclays basic account OK, even though Barclaycard were a creditor.

I also moved a credit card debt from one card to another a few weeks before going BR. I had conflicting advice about 'moving' debts but did it anyway, and the OR didn't question it. I think it can be seen as favouring a creditor, so do be careful. My reasoning was that the other card was offering 0% interest and I wanted to stop the debt increasing if possible.

Good luk.

worried123

Hi

I have just read this thread and am really pleasantly surprised to read that you were able to open a basic account with Barclays despite them being one of your creditors....I have spent the day having nervous breakdowns over bank accounts.....I went BR yesterday - I am at the limit of my overdraft facility with LTSB so I cannot stay with them.....Also - my other creditors are Co-op, Barclaycard and Halifax......At first, when I asked my employers whether my wage could be paid into somebody elses account they absolutely said no......I rang the national debtline and asked what I could do and they told me that only two banks take bankrupts now.....Barclays and the Co-op - that nationwide used to but not any longer......The amazing thing is that I did not want to tell my manager why I wanted my wage put into somebody elses account but when I called her back and told her that it was because I had been made BR there was a complete change around...she was so kind and supportive and said that she would go to somebody higher up about my wage....she called back a moment later and said that as soon as she told them that I had become BR they immediately said yes to putting my wage into somebody elses account.....I have been amazed at peoples reaction so far - I so did not want anybody to know but when I have been put in situations where they have had to know it has been amazingly supportavie and I have been told that these things happen and nobody thinks any the less of me because of it.......
Anyway - back to bank accounts.....I currently do not have my driving licence or passport because I lost them....currently I am waiting for a new driving licence from the DVLA.......Can I ask you `allofadither` did Barclays ask you for ID - and also are you able to pay basic direct debits like rent, poll tax and insurance etc from the account??? And did you ring up first..I do not like the idea of walking in and asking infront of other people whether they offer basic accounts to bankrupts.....I am genuinely so pleased to read your post.......
All the best

Liberty9515

I went to the Nationwide to open a current account yesterday, but because of my credit score (I have been late with a couple of credit card payments) I could only get the basic account! But that will do for now!
Will be having an appointment with CCCS tomorrow, but personally I cant see any option other than BR.

allofadither

FAO of worried123....(hope you don't mind Liberty)...in respect of the Barclays bank account, I already had a joint account with them so the bank didn't ask for ID from me for new basic account. Perhaps a utility bill would be sufficient. I went into the branch and said I wanted to open a new account, but I did this before BR, so the question of having to say I was bankrupt never cropped up. The account works just like a current account as regards wages, DD's etc except no cheque book or debit card.

Give it a go, what have you got to lose, and try not to worry too much. You will get over all these hurdles in the end. Gud luk.

worried123

Thanks allofadither,

I rang Barclays - the main telephone number and asked whether they offered basic accounts to people who were insolvent and was told that I could open a cash card a/c - which just allows you to have your wage paid in and direct debits paid out and gives you a card just to access the actual cash in your a/c - which is just what I need....I told the chap that Barclays were one of my creditors - barclaycard - and he said that it did not matter....went into local branch today - told a lady the same story (when I told her that I was insolvent - she was so kind and helpful to me...You know I was absolutely dreading anybody int he world knowing that I was insolvent and yet people have been so kind about it)....She photocopied and stamped my id to include in the form and I have posted it off.......my fingers are crossed - they could indeed get back to me saying no....

Anyway - thank you - all the best

paul_62

i did a similar thing moved my account from lloyds to barclays a few months before going through the BR process, the OR said i had to inform my bank so i did, mind you i've got a pretty good bank manager so have kept exactly the same account (they wern't a creditor) - not sure how ethical it is to do that, my idea was to sort out my finances with a new bank the BR wasn't an option at the time