Joint accounts

Murphybear

Hi

My husband and I want to open a joint account to pay bills.  His account with the Halifax has been running for years and I have an old Halifax account that has a zero balance and hasnt been used for years.  When I looked on there website it said we both have to go into a branch to open one, we can’t do it online even though all the Halifax banking we do is online.  The problem is with bank branches keep on closing and the fact we live in a rural area the nearest branch is now nearly 40 miles away 

Does anyone know if this is common, or is it just the Halifax?  It’s not the end of the world if we can’t get a joint account, we’ve managed for 26 years without it.  At the moment we pay for different things and with some bills skyrocketing I thought it would be fairer to have a joint account. 

Misslayed

I changed my First Direct current account to a joint account by phone yesterday, took about 40 minutes, and tedious as she was obliged to read out out yards of Ts&Cs. But apart from that, seamless. 

grumbler

Murphybear said:

  It’s not the end of the world if we can’t get a joint account, we’ve managed for 26 years without it.  At the moment we pay for different things and with some bills skyrocketing I thought it would be fairer to have a joint account. 

As long as you both can see the statements I don't see why it has to be a joint account, not a single one used exclusively for bills.

However, if you really want it to be joint, just apply online for a new, joint, account with the same Halifax or some other bank.

Daliah

grumbler said:

However, if you really want it to be joint, just apply online for a new, joint, account with the same Halifax or some other bank.

The OP's issue is that Halifax joint accounts can only be opened in Branch. Hard to believe, but true.

Of course there are plenty of other banks which allow you to do it online. I would try Starling Bank if I were the OP, and really want to have a joint account.

Murphybear

Daliah said:

grumbler said:

However, if you really want it to be joint, just apply online for a new, joint, account with the same Halifax or some other bank.

The OP's issue is that Halifax joint accounts can only be opened in Branch. Hard to believe, but true.

Of course there are plenty of other banks which allow you to do it online. I would try Starling Bank if I were the OP, and really want to have a joint account.

Thanks.  The issue here is because we both have Halifax accounts I thought it would be very simple to open a joint account.  

Daliah

Clearly you expected too much from Halifax. I know Lloyds are the same, and possibly BOS as well. I think they probably want to make sure that both parties have read / listened to the T&Cs so that they cannot be accused later on that people didn't realise what rights and duties they are assuming. Still, some other banks are less difficult.

Rob5342

Try Starling or Monzo, it takes about 10 minutes to open with the app and you don't have to mess around with branches as they don't have any.

If you really do want the option of a branch then try Santander, - before we switched to Monzo we opened a joint account with them online. Like you we had Halifax accounts we wanted to make joint, when they said we had to go into branch we just went on Santanders website and opened one with them instead.

Dobbibill

Do you have a more local branch with another bank?
Could you open a joint account with them?
If you are really not happy with them after a period of time you can then action a switch via CASS to Halifax for the established joint account.

Daliah

Dobbibill said:

Do you have a more local branch with another bank?
Could you open a joint account with them?
If you are really not happy with them after a period of time you can then action a switch via CASS to Halifax for the established joint account.

Why would you want to open a current account that can only be opened in a Branch? It’s 2022, online applications have been possible at most banks for a decade.

Murphybear

Dobbibill said:

Do you have a more local branch with another bank?
Could you open a joint account with them?
If you are really not happy with them after a period of time you can then action a switch via CASS to Halifax for the established joint account.

I’ve got an account with Barclays which I get my pensions paid into.  They were very good until they closed, the reason given was “ it enough people used it” . They obviously didn’t visit it, queues were often out the door 

Katiehound

Murphybear said:

Dobbibill said:

Do you have a more local branch with another bank?
Could you open a joint account with them?
If you are really not happy with them after a period of time you can then action a switch via CASS to Halifax for the established joint account.

I’ve got an account with Barclays which I get my pensions paid into.  They were very good until they closed, the reason given was “ it enough people used it” . They obviously didn’t visit it, queues were often out the door 

interestingly our Barclays closed in January and yesterday I say a poster displayed in a local sub PO that Barclays are in the local library 3 x 2 hour slots each week- presumably to dispense advice rather than hand out spondoolies? 

My friend says her local branch is closing, and yes, there are queues outside- but  perhaps that is only certain times / days.