How to find bank accounts opened for my daughter

marcia_

Local_Lass said:

Thank you for all your answers, they are much appreciated.  Much of the problem lies in the fact that everyone drifted apart years ago and I’m not sure about the circumstances of their passing.  Trying to track down an executor seems ghoulish and mercenary!  

My daughter just tried a search on My Lost Account and without knowing the bank and branch it wouldn’t let her proceed.

 Thats ofd because they say on their website to not use their service if you know the bank, to contact the bank yourself. 

 I didn't put any bank in when I searched for my mums account. It came back with 2 accounts with 2 different banks that I didn't know of, 

 they must have changed and if so its not much use anymore 

FIREmenow

Local_Lass said:

Thank you for all your answers, they are much appreciated.  Much of the problem lies in the fact that everyone drifted apart years ago and I’m not sure about the circumstances of their passing.  Trying to track down an executor seems ghoulish and mercenary!  

My daughter just tried a search on My Lost Account and without knowing the bank and branch it wouldn’t let her proceed.

Not sure if it has changed, but when I did this a couple of years ago, I speculatively put in as many banks as I thought likely - if it asked for a branch I would have just guessed the one nearest.  It then checked them all.

FIREmenow

I just logged in to have a look at the form, when you get to the bank selection page, just select a bank from the list and then click 'add bank' and it will add it to the list - you can leave all the other fields blank.  There are nearly 700 banks in the list, so you might want to start by adding all the big names and any building societies local to the couple who set the accounts up back in the day.

Definitely check NS&I too, and also go to the NS&I website and check if there are any unclaimed premium bond prizes in your daughter's name.

Flugelhorn

Local_Lass said:

Thank you for all your answers, they are much appreciated.  Much of the problem lies in the fact that everyone drifted apart years ago and I’m not sure about the circumstances of their passing.  Trying to track down an executor seems ghoulish and mercenary!  

My daughter just tried a search on My Lost Account and without knowing the bank and branch it wouldn’t let her proceed.

I suspect the executor would be the quickest way to find the answer to this - if probate has been granted you should be able to see who they are (can order a copy of the will for £1.50) , they may be a solicitor and hence perhaps easier to ask the question - it may also be someone who is also not themself a beneficiary and hence perhaps wouldn't see it as ghoulish.

You never know, you might solve the problem for the exec who has found these accounts and is wondering what to do with them 

blue.peter

Local_Lass said:

Trying to track down an executor seems ghoulish and mercenary!  

I can understand this. However, it is, apparently, your daughter's money. I'm sure that, at her age, she could do with it. Obviously, I've no idea how much money was put away for her, but maybe it'd help with a house deposit or something.

Incidentally, if the executors were aware of accounts held for your daughter and failed to attempt to trace her, I'd argue that they were, at best, remiss. They ought to be glad to hear from her, since it'd allow them to close off their work. You never know - they might have been trying to find her and failed, for the same reasons that you're having difficulties.

Anyway, if you'd prefer to start things moving out of view of family etc., you might be able to trace the grant of representation. That'll will name the executors and give their addresses at the time that the grant was issued. You could start here.

Hoenir

Local_Lass said:

 They asked me a couple of times to borrow her birth certificate to open new accounts as they had maxed the one they’d been paying into, 

Did you ever see any evidence that these accounts actually existed?  Struggling to think what restrictons would have applied 20 odd years ago. 

eskbanker

wmb194 said:

Flugelhorn said:

eskbanker said:

Flugelhorn said:

I thought that only the parents could open accounts for children even with the birth cert or at least you would have had to give specific consent - though maybe that is wrong. 

That limitation applies for junior ISAs rather than childrens' accounts in general, but probably worth bearing in mind that the accounts concerned were opened 23 years ago, when the pre-GFC regulatory regime was rather different....

was just thinking it was a different world then though sounds like more accounts have been opened since then. 

If there was interest accruing on these, wouldn't HMRC have known ? Not that they would tell you but seemed odd having where you are liable to pay tax but you don't know where they are - suppose it does happen sometimes

The problem is that not all children's accounts automatically convert into an account in the child's name e.g., Barclays is clear that even past 18 it isn't automatically the child's account and it's up to the trustee to give the money to the child or have the account transferred to them.

Despite that concern, it strikes me that OP's daughter could submit a Subject Access Request to HMRC, seeking all data relating to (income from) accounts held by, or (perhaps) in trust for, her, even if this might not round up everything?  Since tax ceased to be deducted from interest at source in 2016, practically all institutions will have submitted annual interest notifications to HMRC so these should be discoverable and disclosable via the SAR process?

Rob5342

Local_Lass said:

Trying to track down an executor seems ghoulish and mercenary!  

I wouldn't say that. If they'd opened an account for her then they would want her to get the money.

You can search for the couple here, and if probate has been granted you will be able to order a copy of the will and see who the executors.are .

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/