Which bank do you use for your main account?

confederated

NatWest (incl. Royal Bank of Scotland, Coutts & Ulster Bank)

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82097300#Comment_82097300

So you have to move money from Halifax to Santander, Lloyds and Zopa. Why? What would be so bad about everything going into and coming out of the same account? Surely it's not the pittance you get for paying bills from Santander that attracts you?

ZeroSum

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82097304#Comment_82097304

Its pittance now, but used to be decent when I first opened it. Plus theres the additional perks like 6% savings interest. However, I like that i know my monthly DDs then move that amount over & dont have to consider balances.

Ive also got about half a dozen accounts with various other banks for various stuff. Example being my stooze operations are fully ring fenced.

Can also come in very handy if ever need no questions large sums of cash.

jaybeetoo

Starling

The Starling app is head and shoulders above what’s offered by the main banks.

Rob5342

Monzo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82097319#Comment_82097319

Monzo's app is very good too. I went with Monzo for my main account as Starling didn't support paying direct debits from pots at the time. I think Starling has a cleaner app than Monzo and more professional branding (no gaudy bright orange cards for example). I think I'd pick Starling out of the two now but the difference isn't enough to make me switch.

I tried Nationwide and Co-Ops apps when I got switching bonuses and couldn't believe how archaic they both were. The others I've tried have been OK, but companies whose whole business is banking really ought to put more effort into the apps then they do.

Bigwheels1111

HSBC UK (including First Direct)

First Direct for 28 years & still my go to account, I have other bank accounts. Starling, Zopa, Nationwide, TSB, Chase, Barclays.

I know their app is sub par and outdated etc.

But 99.9% of the time one call to them and any issue is resolved due to speaking to a real person. Who is not reading from a script.

friolento

Santander (including TSB)

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82097304#Comment_82097304

it’s all about getting the best deals, and exploiting the various benefits you can get from different banks. For example, one bank recently paid a bonus if you had a BACS payment made into their current account for 4 months in a row. So I had a pension paid into them for those 4 months, but my regular bills remained with another bank, with whom I have what could be described as my main current account. Another example is that one bank currently enters you into a prize draw if you have a salary or pension of at least £1,000 going into a current account with them. So they are now getting a monthly pension payment which I then transfer immediately to my main current account. Plenty of different reasons for different people for using more than one current account.

The pittance as you call it that attracts me to Santander is that it reduces the cost of my travel / breakdown / gadget insurance to nearly half, and it gives me access to a nice little savings account. This may not be of interest to everyone but it certainly is to me.