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How long to open a bank account

Can a bank account be opened in one day ?




My wife walked out after provoking an argument over nothing really. Obviously my kids are distrought. This happened on friday morning. On saturday morning I got a text from the bank where we have our joint account saying there had been some unusual activity

. On checking the account I cuold see that my wife had transferred 18K out of the account to another account called by her name. As far as I knew she had no other accounts at banks or building societies. Is it possible for her to have gone to a bank without an appointment and opened an account so she could do the transfer the following day? I have recently opened accounts for my kids at the place we bank and have had to make appointments for them then take them in with documents to fill in the forms so can' see how you could do this in one day when you have to wait for appointments? I wish to know this to decide whether this waas premeditated as if so there is obviously no chance of reconciliation.
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Comments

  • Browntoa
    Browntoa Posts: 49,551 Forumite
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    No , she would have opened the account in advance , as you say money laundering regulations require proof of identity
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  • System
    System Posts: 178,231 Community Admin
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    I feel for you all tabath. An awful thing to happen. You can walk into a Metro Bank branch without an appointment and open an account on the spot. Some banks have an online account-opening process which will give a useable account number and sort code within minutes if the application is successful.
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  • Zero_Sum
    Zero_Sum Posts: 1,567 Forumite
    Online accounts can be set up in minutes.
    Why do you have that sort of money in a current account anyway?
  • colsten
    colsten Posts: 17,597 Forumite
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    Browntoa wrote: »
    No , she would have opened the account in advance , as you say money laundering regulations require proof of identity
    At some banks, it can take weeks to open a current account and to get online access to it. At others, it is a matter of minutes (Starling, Monzo, for example). ID verification largely happens online these days. Over the last few years, I have opened dozens of current accounts with just about every UK Bank, and none of them required proof of ID over and above what they could find on the Electoral Register and on Credit Reference Agencies.

    In addition, it doesn't have to be a current account she transferred the money to - it could also have been a savings account. Those are often easier to open than current accounts as they are not credit accounts. There are many that can be opened in minutes, complete with online access, and you can transfer money into them by Faster Payment.

    Without knowing which bank she holds what account with, it is impossible to guess when she opened the account.
    Zero_Sum wrote: »
    Why do you have that sort of money in a current account anyway?
    why not? It could be temporary, or more permanent. For instance, many people still keep £20K in a Santander 123. I reckon it's the least of OP's problems right now whether it was a good or bad idea to keep that much in a joint account.
  • colsten
    colsten Posts: 17,597 Forumite
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    OP, you might want to ensure she doesn't pull more money out of the account, and may be leave you overdrawn. If you haven't yet got another account in your name, you should set one up quickly Starling and Monzo are very quick to open, and your debit card arrives within a couple of days.

    You can then transfer your money, Standing Orders and Direct Debits to the new account, and ask your old bank to block the joint account as there is a dispute.
  • tabath
    tabath Posts: 493 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    Zero_Sum wrote: »
    Online accounts can be set up in minutes.
    Why do you have that sort of money in a current account anyway?




    It was more borrowing on the mortgage to do some building work on the house.
    Starting MB- looking for Raf offers.

    Amazon Club Sellers member 0015 come and join us make some space and get hold of some cash, we're on the Ebay and other auctions, Car Boot and Jumble Sales Board
  • born_again
    born_again Posts: 18,443 Forumite
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    tabath wrote: »
    Can a bank account be opened in one day ?




    On saturday morning I got a text from the bank where we have our joint account saying there had been some unusual activity

    . On checking the account I cuold see that my wife had transferred 18K out of the account to another account called by her name.

    Yes you can open a account the same day.

    I hope you called the bank and told them that it was unusual and that as you had just split up. Get them to freeze the account on the basis of a joint account dispute.
    Should see DD etc paid but should stop either party taking funds they are not entitled too.

    Hope you get things sorted in every way.
    Life in the slow lane
  • Both parties are responsible for monies held in a joint account.

    On the face of it, as far as the bank is concerned, she’s done nothing wrong.
  • tabath
    tabath Posts: 493 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    I've been in touch with bank and they told me I could put a frezze on it but haven't done this yet
    Starting MB- looking for Raf offers.

    Amazon Club Sellers member 0015 come and join us make some space and get hold of some cash, we're on the Ebay and other auctions, Car Boot and Jumble Sales Board
  • penners324
    penners324 Posts: 3,371 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Have you opened another account solely in your name yet?
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