Current Account Discussion Board

System

I would like to transfer to the A&L account. Does it have the flexibility of internet/telephone banking?

jo_b_2

I opened an A+L Premier account a couple of months ago. I find their phone and internet banking service to be very good and haven't had any problems so far,

With the premier account they offer you an overdraft limit of half the amount that you agree to pay in every month. I was happy with this limit, personally, but other people have haggled and successfully increased their limit.

They give you a decision on whether you have been accepted within days. I was initially refused but I phoned up to query this and was then accepted. (I was refused because I wasn't on the electoral register due to just moving house.)

Hope this helps people considering moving to the A+L.

norman

VERY interested in ALL the above.
BUT what does "IMO" mean?
AND , if you look @ the CITIBANK discussion board you will see I am one of the poor mugs that they have punished this last ten months

ED

norman – sympathies re Citibank.

"IMO" used in above posts is an abbreviation for "in my opinion". (Incidentally, in American money-talk, "IMO" means International Money Order, which is vaguely like a Postal Order in the UK.)

"IMHO" is another chat-board abbreviation, meaning "in my humble opinion".

Best wishes for the Citibank situation, norman.

billinge

Has anyone tried transferring to Alliance & Leicester.

I persuaded my wife to transfer from Barclays who are in my opinion quite possibly the worst bank out there.

In August she contacted A&L to open a current account and savings account, asking them to arrange to transfer everything currently on her Barclays accounts (standing orders, direct debits, wages etc) to A&L. They were quite happy to do this. My wife filled in all the forms and sent them back.

The accounts were eventually opened in late September.

It is now mid November and the transfers still have not happened. She has phoned them several times, and they have promised to look into it and call her back. Never happened.

I've told her to drop them and go to, say Lloyds TSB, who I am with and who offer almost as good a set of accounts. But she wants to persevere a little longer.

Has anyone else had such trouble with A&L?

johnllew

Has anyone else had such trouble with A&L?

No, my a/c opening went quite smoothly but then I didn't get them to transfer any DDs SOs etc. Whenever this needs to be done, I handle it myself so I can be in control.

If you're going to dump A&L, I wouldn't go for Lloyds TSB. IME it's the worst bank going. I would opt for Smile - an excellent bank. And they'll give you 6 free bottles of wine if you open an account this month. https://www.smile.co.uk/wine (My main c/a is with Smile; I just opened the A&L a/c for the free £20, free travel insurance and 5.5% on the first £2.5k in the a/c.)

b.abraham_2

I've just switched from Barclays to LLoydsTSB's Plus account. It really couldn't have been easier - granted, I did have to pop into the local branch here in London, but I have to say it was so simple - took 10 mins in total.
I made it clear from the start I wanted no additionals such as life assurance etc, and made sure they took me off marketing lists. But the nice woman even asked if I knew anyone who had a Lloyds account, because if they recommend you and you then do open an account you both get 35 quid. Me and my friend got our 35 quids within a week.
I think it mostly comes down to the people in the branch, and whether they care or not. I have a First Direct account, but sometimes there is no alternative to having a real person in a real branch. Barclays have been crap for years on this, but Lloyds seem to be OK.

derrick

I. F. (Intelligent Finance) will pay 4.75% on all money in their current account if you open a savings account with them,the savings account,paying 4.75%,only needs to have £1. in it.

I. F. is a division of Halifax,but I have had no problems with this account,either online or over the phone.

sllimk

I currently have (and have had for over 5 years) a Norwich & Peterborough Netmaster Gold Internet account with over £10k in it - should I move to the A&L current account or another high interest current account. Or is this account a good one to just leave my money in and forget about it for a while.

johnllew

I currently have (and have had for over 5 years) a Norwich & Peterborough Netmaster Gold Internet account with over £10k in it - should I move to the A&L current account or another high interest current account. Or is this account a good one to just leave my money in and forget about it for a while.

If it's the NetmasterGold Saver II , it pays 5.10% gross which isn't at all bad. Only the first £2500 of the A&L Premier Plus a/c earns 5.5% so it may not be worth moving the money around unless perhaps you want the free annual travel insurance that goes with it.

Egg also pays 5.5% but only for the first 6 months. If you do move your money, it may be worth leaving £100 in the N&P for possible (but extremely remote) windfall purposes.