TSB now part of Santander

huw01

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987001#Comment_81987001

Small entities that do not have a high street brand

masonic

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987103#Comment_81987103

So what? I'm happy to hold the majority of my easy access savings with Cahoot and very few banks today can claim to be a feature of the high street. If you limit yourself to a bank that you can find in your local high street (if there are any), you are severely missing out on the best financial products. There are also some very good current account providers (e.g. Chase, Starling) that have no high street brand. The high street is a dying entity when it comes to banks, and generally, so somewhat irrelevant.

huw01

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987114#Comment_81987114

That's fine, all I'm saying is that the TSB brand won't be around once Santander integrate the bank into the UK business. It's their track record on acquisitions

P. S I also, hold an account with cahoot

masonic

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987127#Comment_81987127

You are probably correct, if only for the reason it will allow them to close some more of their branches, saving on considerable costs. Perhaps the reason for keeping the digital brands running is that they have such low operating costs.

GeoffTF

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987114#Comment_81987114

Nonetheless, there are many who would not consider a bank that did not have a local branch. I use two banks and two building societies, all with local branches. It is not tax efficient for me to have large cash deposits, and I do not want to keep moving my accounts. I do not expect that there is much that could be fixed in branch but not over the phone. Nonetheless, I do not see much point in using a bank or building society that does not have a local branch.

friolento

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987315#Comment_81987315

Hope you have an exit strategy for the day when there are no branches where you live.

We used to have Barclays, Lloyds, Halifax, Natwest, Santander, HSBC and Nationwide. As of January this year, the only one left now is Nationwide. The only downside for me are the empty premises which look awful. except for the HSCB one, which is now a Domino's…… My handful of Natiowide accounts are all online so whilst they promise to be around until 2030, I would only notice another empty building if they left as well.

Enzo_L

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987428#Comment_81987428

I live in one of the UK parliament constituencies with no bank or building society branches at all, and in a town that hasn't got a single post office either.

You have to cut your coat according to your cloth, so I've got used to doing everything online.

GeoffTF

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987428#Comment_81987428

In recent years, I have used the branches only to pay in cheques or have a nose around. We still have all the banks with branch networks except the Cooperative, plus the Skipton, Leeds, Yorkshire and Nationwide Building Societies. If they all go, branch networks will indeed be thing of the past.

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987869#Comment_81987869

Cheque scanning capabilities are now available via many banking apps but I doubt there'll ever be app/online functionality equivalent to just 'having a nose around'!

Yorkie1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987871#Comment_81987871

I'm discovering that the apps don't always work - my mother's handwriting has got progressively poorer over time, and it's a bit hit and miss whether the app refuses the cheque (and you have to pay it in personally). She doesn't do online banking, so luckily I do have a Lloyds branch near me.