Bank accounts

[Glaucus]

Wanting to change bank accounts but cant see any way of finding out who will be best.

One thing I want to know is security, not how safe it is, but what stupid hoops you have to jump though, its one of the main reaosns I left HsBC as you had to carry the card reader all the time, even just to login, coop was much better and as intrusive as I want it to be.
Which was able to log on and transfer money to pre set up acocunts, adding a new account required the reader. I cant even find this on bank sites unless im being blind.

The other thing im struggling to find is info on weather you can do a foriegn bank transfer online and the fee/exchange rate.

The other thing of interest is free withdrawls abroad, I know Metro bank do it, but any others, and I cant find what security metro bank has online.

So does anyone know any sites that offfer proper bank account comparison and not just basic tat. Or failing that can you list your bank acocunt security and if it has foreign account transfer, thhose are the two most important bits.

So any ideas. I really dont want to phone up/go in every bank asking questions.

 

[Glaucus]

Probably not for wp8 though.

 

[Glaucus]

First direct can you make payments to ther peoples acocunts online?
Reading the pdf it says telephone banking, but surly every bank offers thatg online?

International payments are phone only.

 

[Glaucus]

Natwest is one that does have a good wp8 app

Halifax are terriable and cant get anything right, they couldnt even read the application and then it went down hill from there.

 

[Glaucus]

Does it say in the letter when you need the card reader? If its just to chnage details create a new payee i dont mind. Its when ou cant even log in or use existing payees that brealy annoy me.

 

[Glaucus]

Well thats. Crap and removes firstdirect from the list.

 

[Glaucus]

Aynone on natwest?
Can you send a swift payment abroad online, it suggests you can on the website but not very clear.

 

[Glaucus]

Why cant metro bank extend there branches, so far they're winning on my splreadsheet. No fees or loading on foreign wthdraws and purchases, and cheapest so far for swift transfer, but by phone only, not online. Nationwide do online swift. But everythings so expensive.
Natwest has best extras and wp8 app, cardless cash withdrawls etc.

And they all hate us motorcyclists, so many paid acocunts come with breakdown cover but exclude motorbikes.

Edit actually nationwide flexplus is free cash withdrawls abroad and 2% on purchases.

Lloyds swift online and chepeast so far at £10, cash/purchases aboard horrible. Fee does ikn cluded motorbike cover (everything not just roadside), phone insurance and worldwide travel in surance in cluding scuba, hiking only up to 2500m though. Does anyone have a llyods accoun t and can see how much the add on. Is for above 2500m is? (Need 6000m) Also whats the security on llyods? Says if your an existing customer you can just log on. And add stuff to the travel insurance.

 

[Glaucus]

Yes it was and no i didnt, just sat there in pieces.
The rust was worse than ot looked, it needs to be totally stripped down, i dont have the space to do it, need a double garage at least, so at the moment its jst sat there and nothings happened in yeeaaaarrrrsss. The bulk head between cabin and the bit above engine bay andwindscreen, is pretty much non existent for example.

 

[Glaucus]

Trouble is first direct doesn't offer anything good. ok good cs but how often do you guys actually phone the bank up.

 

[Glaucus]

I'm using it for their 6% regular savings account

Oh and you get £125 for joining...

People like getting sucked in by that money.

 

[Glaucus]

What like rubbish travel insurance and limited breakdown cover?

.

Depends metro offers free purchase/cash abroad.
Nationwide offer free cash abroad, phone insurance (which i need, lovefilm which I plan to get anyway, mp3 tracks which i purchase anyway)
Lloyds over very good multitrip world travel insurance(which i need) which includes things like scuba. As well as full motorbike breakdown cover(which is very useful), cheapest swift transfer and online. No free cash abroad though.

First direct offer? Nothing, by phone swift and one of the more expensive, no free foriegn withdrawls/purchases, (possible card reader). So no, not rubbish travel insurance and its not limited breakdown cover either.so FD is No frills and more expensive.

 

[Glaucus]

Better than a kick in the face, and also better than any other bank is offering?

No brainer

How is it a no brianer, explain this silly logic.

 

[Glaucus]

First direct.

Over seas, Metro Bank.

After tonnes of advice. This is how I go now. Both are brilliant. Metro Bank (if you have one in your town, there is one in Reading) can get you a card in your hand, setup and ready to work on your first visit.

Don't know why all banks don't do this. Went in, had a chat about rates, agreed it would be best, filled out some forms, checks came back ok, printed card. Done.

So you need to pay stuff into metro monthly?
At the moment best combo would be llyods gold account as main and metro account for abroad.

 

[Glaucus]

Silly logic?

It's free money.

Its an incentive, and somethign you have to use, which as explained allready costs way more. Travel insurance on its own is worth more than £125.

Because no one is saying you're only allowed to have one account, grab a FD account set up a SO to transfer 1k a month in and straight back out again and then continue to use whoever you wish as your main bank, then enjoy the free £125 when it arrives and close the account.
Free money, minimum effort, no brainer.

Its not minimum effort though is it. I dont get paid mon thly and allready paln to open up two acocun ts i would prefer them with same bank, but looks likeit'll be two dependin how much needs ro be paid. 1k is a hell of a lot to lose for several days. Especially when dd dont line up with pay dates and those pay dates change every month.

 

[Glaucus]

Hang on, one minute you're saying they don't offer anything good, now you're saying people get sucked in by the offer of free money?

I siad they dont offer anything good for me. Do they match any of my three main criteria? As well as costing more in the longrun.

 

[Glaucus]

So have both accounts, get your £125 and your travel insurance.

That would be three accounts. And where does this 1k a month come from?

 

[Glaucus]

Your situation is either really odd, or you are young and live with your parents whom pay for everything for you. Either way, this is not a typical situation, i would imagine most of us have a lot of Direct debits and at least a certain degree of savings.

123 casback is interesting, the biggest part rent. Unfortuntly goes out as cash. Tax dodge I recon.

 

[Glaucus]

You need to pay in a minimum of 1k per month into the FD account to qualify.

Which is my point.
So spending acocunt, dd account, then somehow fund FD for a few days, ehen ikts allready stupidly complicated to work out what i ac tuallyy have at any one point, due to not being paiid monthly.
Means i allready keep a spread sheet so i can just work out exactly what i have.

 

[Glaucus]

Ha, I didn't realise it was you that started the thread. Asks for advice, then tells everyone else they're wrong.

Make your own mind up if you know everything already FFS.

Ive got lots of extremely helpful advice thanks, funny how it goes to pot when it gets moved to GD. Dis you read OP. jumping through hoops, or having a worse account in. The long run, I do not deem good value for £125 one off perk.
If you think its a good perk, you haven't done the maths or require different services. If you read OP, its more asking for certain details, more than advice. I know what I need, I cant find certain info out like security and online swift transfers.