Favourite Bank Account 11 January 2020 at 11:59PM edited 30 November -1 at 12:00AM in Budgeting & Bank Accounts 25 replies 1.5K views

Takmon

I must have/had accounts with almost every bank in the UK and my favorite at any one time is the one paying the highest switching incentive and/or interest.

My favorite account purely for silly reasons has to be my RBS account because i get a Child & Co branded cheque book so when i must use a cheque at least it a bit more interesting.

vacheron

Halifax.

I've been through almost all of them with the old switcheroo bonuses, but everythime I return back through Halifax I feel at home. Everything just seems to be where it feels like it should be and the layout is neat.

Santander and Natwest were OK. Barclays works but feels cluttered. First Direct was unremarkably average and I have just switched it to HSBC which is probably the worst and most securtity paranoid of them all, but they are giving me £175 for switching so this will be my second time with them simply for the bonus alone.

18cc

I like Starling for the reasons others have mentioned but also because it comes with a 'flat' (ie unembossed) debit card which means I can easily scratch off all the numbers on the card (long number, exp date etc etc) as a security precaution in case I lose it.

Eco_Miser

Apparently I opened my second current account on 13 January 1971, and I've still got it after exactly 49 years and a day, so I reckon that must be my favourite. Currently a Yorkshire Bank Current Account Direct, after several upgrades and enhancements.
I've had and have many other accounts over the years, just never had a good reason to close this one.

Katiehound

As has been said before, my favourite is the one paying the best switch deal.
No chance of any decent bonuses now' though... I used to love both my Halifax Reward & TSB accounts. Little reward from either now!!
I was pleased to be able to switch into the existing Halifax for an easy £135.

huw01

Held many current accounts due to switching. Longest held is my original midland bank live cash account which morphed many times and is now a hsbc advance account around 30 years on.

Favourite is (and i never thought i would say this as they were dire around 10 years ago) my Santander Select 123. Great app and online banking, pays cashback and interest and free Santander ATM withdrawals overseas. Select also has decent phone banking

Malkytheheed

penners324 wrote: »

My current bank, Starling.
Very easy to use, love the instant notifications, the list of DDs going out the following day is very helpful and love the travel element of the card.

I would pick Starling too if it wasn't for the abysmal Intrest rates given. But yes, other than that it is a fantastic product / bank.

Fingerbobs

Been thinking about this, and I just haven't got a favourite. They're all useful in their own right for various things.


I suppose if the question was "which bank account would you least like to lose" the answer would be Halifax, simply because it's my first ever proper bank account, opened when I was a teenager :-)

Milarky

Zurich Bank (short lived assurer-backed new entrant in 2002) I absolutely loved their website design and features - years ahead of its time. Got a free case of wine for opening and £200 as compensation when they pulled it.


I am using Tesco bank now as main current accout. My previous MCAs have been Lloyds and Halifax - and then they let the coders hash it all up. But Today Tesco's website design does everything I need - close to what Nationwide does if not better.


I won't have a main current account with any bank that cannot organise basic stuff like a website (oops it's 'Platforms' now isn't it?)


Nationwide is pretty good (for not changing what works) and that's how I like bank 'platforms' - which are, after all, the equivalent of their branch - where they meet their customers. (I liked Yorkshire bank too)



I scoff at the praise heaped on First Direct - the only thing that can be said of their website functionality is what it isn't - HSBC's. Nope, find a bank with a good balance of accessibilty and feaures and then hope that they don't hire a new CEO that will just go and (the current euphemism is) 'spaff' it up and drive them to the edge of bankruptcy!!! so far TEsco is so small no one want's to 'improve' what isn't broken.

JuicyJesus

I find this entire thread utterly baffling.