Best online bank accounts for person in very early stages of dementia

DoboChopSueyBar

+1 for First Direct telephone banking. As long as he is enrolled for Voice ID, FD usually wont ask for anything more than his full name and postcode in order to pass security. 

Mark_d

https://www.sibstar.co.uk/

Doshwaster

If you haven't done so already it is very worth setting up a Power of Attorney so that you can get access to his bank account too. You may not need it now but dementia can deteriorate quickly.

GeoffTF

eskbanker said:

p00hsticks said:

The easiest (least secure?) one I've come across is Santander - all they ask for is a ten digit Personal ID, which you can tick a box to ask to be remembered for following visits if you are on a personal laptop, and a five digit security number, which you key in in its entirety - no having to select particular digits etc....

As you say, static passcode-based authentication is the least secure, so it's only a matter of time before they close that loophole, and it surprises me that they haven't already - whenever I log on to Santander via online banking, it involves two-factor authentication via SMS.

You will be asked for 2FA on login via SMS if Santander's computer does not like your browser settings. Otherwise, you can view your accounts without 2FA, but 2FA will be needed to make changes or transfer money. I am happy with that.

In answer to the OP's question, what about telephone banking? People speak highly of First Direct. Do they still offer a good telephone banking service?

lr1277

I caution you on telephone banking. My dad had dementia for a rew years and got progressively worse. We needed him to talke to his bank. This was done over the phone. Whilst going through security, my mum and I were prompting him. The CS rep heard this and immediately froze the account. To unfreeze the account required a visit to branch with ID. It was sorted but a hassle, especially as he had mobility issues and the nearest branch was over 20 miles away in London.

I am with First Direct and I think they may have stopped their voice recognition service but not sure about that.

I believe Santander have voice recognition to verify identity.

The other thing my mum and I have done it is install VNC on her computer (and my computer). That means I can help her login when I am at my computer. We communicate by landline during the process and keep the mobile free in case any text messages arrive. I installed VNC as I knew it from over 25 years ago. Now it is not seen as secure as Microsoft TeamViewer. Though to be fair we have had no problems with VNC to date.

Edited to finesse some comments.

eskbanker

lr1277 said:

...Microsoft TeamViewer...

TeamViewer is an independent German company.

lr1277

eskbanker said:

lr1277 said:

...Microsoft TeamViewer...

TeamViewer is an independent German company.

I don't know about that. I think I was talking about this product:

https://www.teamviewer.com/en/download/windows/?

Edited to add: Yes looks like you are right. As I never downloaded it I never got to know it.

But there is an app for Windows.

Just as there are downloads of VNC for Windows.

eskbanker

lr1277 said:

eskbanker said:

lr1277 said:

...Microsoft TeamViewer...

TeamViewer is an independent German company.

I don't know about that. I think I was talking about this product:

https://www.teamviewer.com/en/download/windows/?

Edited to add: Yes looks like you are right. As I never downloaded it I never got to know it.

But there is an app for Windows.

Just as there are downloads of VNC for Windows.

Yes, TeamViewer is a software product owned by TeamViewer GmbH, that can be deployed in numerous operating system environments such as Microsoft Windows or Apple IOS, but that doesn't make it "Microsoft TeamViewer" or "Apple TeamViewer".

lr1277

Yes I was getting my products mixed up. There is Microsoft Teams and TeamViewer.

Teamviewer is the one that should be used for Remote access. Though I don't know if MS teams can be used to remote access.

Eco_Miser

PrincessEssex said:

He is an intelligent man living on his own, but is starting to find the modern world a bit too much.

He currently has a Halifax account but is finding it increasingly difficult to enter the correct password (even though it appears to be saved??) and the letters from his memorable information.

He would not be able to cope with a mobile app, and has difficulty with understanding how to read any texts he has been sent.

I'm also an intelligent man living on my own, with a failing memory.

Of the various bank accounts I have, I find Halifax the easiest to log in to, much easier than Nationwide (find the reader, find the card, select use card reader on the website, enter the last four digits of the card number on the site, put the card in the reader, push the 'identify' button, enter the pin on the reader, press "OK", read the 8 digit number and enter it on the site, and click 'continue'). With Halifax, I can remember the nice long passphrase (it makes sense to me but is unlikely to be guessed or brute-forced, and I designed my 'memorable information' as a sequence of the initial letters of words that have a meaningful (to me) link to their position in the sequence (eg the seventh character might be 'm' for magnificent  seven, or it might be 'd' for deadly sins). I also use a password manager, so as long as i can remember that password, I can log on with just a few clicks, but I don't need it for Halifax.

If your father has difficulty reading texts, he is likely to have difficulty with a card reader too.