Will other banks follow First Direct and charge fees on current accounts?

Following the shock announcement recently made by officials from First Direct Bank, a subsidiary of HSBC, that it intends to start charging customers that do not pay a certain amount into their current accounts each month, many are now wondering whether other banks and building societies will follow suits, bringing to an end the era of free banking for consumers in the UK.

First Direct made the announcement last week, shocking experts and customers by stating that a ten-pound monthly fee would be charged to current accounts that did not have at least fifteen hundred pounds in. It has now been revealed that Nationwide may also be looking into charging bank account holders in the same way at some point in the future, with one executive from Nationwide allegedly stating: “I don’t think we can rule out charging for current accounts totally although we have no immediate plans to introduce such charges at the moment.”

Halifax, on the other hand, have promised that it will not be introducing any such charges on current accounts, and is in fact planning to open three new branches in the UK, as it is thought that many existing First Direct costumers will now be eager to find alternative banking solutions in order to protest against and avoid the new charges being introduced by First Direct.

One official from the Halifax stated: “Halifax is committed to free banking, and we would hope that other banks and building societies share this commitment.” Sadly it looks as though First Direct do not share any such commitment, and the impressive reputation and customer base that this Internet bank has built up over recent years is likely to take a tumble over the forthcoming months, with consumers desperate to get their accounts switched to a non-charging bank or building society.

Tags: account, direct, charge, personal, free, uk, interest, cost

HSBC Becomes First UK Bank To End ‘Free’ Banking

20 years after HSBC and Barclays introduced the concept of free banking to the UK, HSBC have announced that it is now time to pull the plug on this popular product and re-introduce a charge for using its banking services.

At present, HSBC has announced that it will limit charging the fee to its online banking arm, First Direct.  Moreover, the fee charge of £10 per month will not be applied to all customers of First Direct.  The “lucky” First Direct customers who will find themselves subject to the £10 monthly fee will be those who fail to make deposits of at least £1,500 per month or those who do not maintain an average balance of £1,500 on their current accounts.

While it is true to say that the UK has remained one of a very few select countries to maintain free current account banking for those bank customers who do not go overdrawn, over time this has probably been one of the most popular products that major UK banks have offered.  Nevertheless, it seems, in this case, that the success of free current account banking in the UK has also been its eventual down-fall, with many leading UK banks having made grumbling noises over the past year or so that the because the UK has free current account banking, this no longer makes the banks competitive with their European and American competition, the majority of whom already charge for current account services.

To many of the 1.3 million customers of First Direct, however, this is going to be a bitter pill to swallow.  UK banks made record profits in 2005, so to now be told that the bank is no longer competitive with its overseas rivals merely because it has not been arbitrarily applying a monthly fee  £10 on certain financially disadvantaged customers may just sound a little like sour grapes.

Thankfully, other leading UK banks, such as Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays, HBOS and Lloyds TSB, have decided not to follow the lead of HSBC at this time.  However, with most UK bank’s looking to recoup the estimated £1 billion in lost revenue following the Office of Fair Trading’s forced cut to penalties applied on late credit card payments, it would need optimism of the highest order to believe they won’t follow suit soon, a view clearly echoed by a spokeswomen for Royal Bank of Scotland, owners of Nat West, who, when asked RBS’s stance on the issue, was quoted as saying that: “There are no current plans, but you can never completely rule options out in the long term”.

In the meantime, the estimated 200,000 customers of First Direct who are likely to be directly affected by this latest move now have until February 2007, when the new charges will come into effect, to either get their accounts in order so that they do not fall foul of the new charges or to look for alternative free banking arrangements. 

Kindly, however, First Direct have given the 200,000 or so estimated customers it says will likely be effected by this move a ‘get out of jail’ free card: the bank will agree to waive the fee if the customer agrees to take out another First Direct product – such as a loan or insurance. 

Tags: uk, bank, scotland, Loans, costs

Interest Rate Rise Could Mean Nearly £300M More To Pay For Homeowners

A recent study carried out in relation to the recent interest rate rise enforced by the Bank of England has shown that mortgage payers in the UK could be paying nearly three hundred million pounds more collectively in monthly repayments on their mortgages. The interest rate hike was recently announced, after Bank of England officials increased it from 4.75% to 5%.

The figures with regards to the monthly rise in total mortgage repayments came from an analysis carried out by Egg. Officials from Egg have advised consumers to start shopping around for a better deal on their mortgages in order to try and save money on the amount that they will otherwise have to pay out as a result of the interest rate increase. Those on a variable rate mortgage could find that the 0.25% rise in the base rate could make a significant difference to their monthly outgoing based on the value of their mortgage.

According to the report from Egg, those with variable rate mortgages in the UK will each pay an average of around £35.92 more each month as a result of the interest rate increase. With over eight million mortgage payers currently on a variable rate, this could mean a rise of around £292 million per month on total mortgage repayments.

Officials state that by doing a little research and shopping around for a more competitive mortgage deal consumers could cut back on the financial impact that the interest rate rise has on their monthly outgoings. There are a number of deals available on the market at the moment, and some consumers may prefer to opt for a fixed rate mortgage to avoid further financial implications in the event that the interest rate rises again early next years, as predicted by some financial experts.

Tags: house, interest, Mortgages, offers, england, reposses

Banking Facilities Made Available For Migrant Community

With a vast number of new workers entering the UK on an annual basis, financial institutions have recently realized the need to offer banking facilities to those that have no national insurance number, no guarantee of employments, and no credit history within the UK. In the past migrant workers have found it very difficult to set up any sort of banking facility, leaving them in a difficult situation if they get work and need to have their salaried paid in.

With over four hundred thousand workers coming into the UK over the past twenty four months, a number of banks have now started offering facilities, such as HSBC bank, which now offers the passport bank account. This is a bank account that can be opened in advance for workers coming over to the UK, and gives workers moving to the UK valuable basic banking facilities. Account holders will have somewhere to have their salaries paid in, can use telephone and Internet banking, can set up standing orders and direct debits, and can enjoy the benefits of a current account with an International Maestro debt card.

However, HSBC has now hit out at an alternative solution that is being introduced by Mastercard. The credit card giant has introduced a pre-paid card onto which employers can pay the employee’s salary. The card holder can then use the card through the use of chip and pin technology, and it can be reloaded at one of thousands of post offices throughout the UK.

Both HSBC and the Halifax have stated that although the card might seem like a good idea for those desperate to obtain facilities and have found it difficult to open a bank account, there are hidden charges that can really add up and make using the card a very expensive alternative to a basic bank account.

Tags: Banking, religion, options, foreign, muslim

Online Share Dealing Increases In Popularity

Now that some sort of stability has returned to the UK stock markets, and with the London FTSE 100 back over 6100, more and more individual investors are returning to the stock market in the hope of getting their share of the profits to be made.  Unlike previously, however, increasing numbers of individual stock market investors in the UK are electing to cut out the middle-man broker and invest themselves online.

In a report recently published by Saga Share Direct, 73% of all individual respondents declared that they now preferred to manage their own stock portfolio online rather than use the services of a UK stock broker.  This represents an 8% increase on the number of reported individuals using online stock dealing services in January of 2006.

Rather amazingly, however, 57% of all individual stock market investors in the UK felt they were now getting better returns on their investments from having taken control of these investment than they were previously getting using the services of UK brokers.  A trend on which Andrew Goodsell, chief executive of Saga, commented: “With more people returning to the market, demand for a well priced and competitive online share-trading service is high.”

Profit margins alone, however, do not appear to be the ultimate driving factor behind so many Brits moving into online share trading.  Saga’s report also shows that 56% of respondents felt that “maintaining personal control” over their share portfolio was sounded enough reason to prefer online stock trading over using the services of a UK stock broker.

With UK private individual investors having pumped in a £2.6 billion investment in UK stock market equity investments during August and September, the growing trend of Brits electing to invest in the stock market online only looks set to go from strength-to-strength.  Nevertheless, Brits looking to go it alone and make stock trades online should ensure they stay clear of the usual pitfalls associated with online stock market trading.  All of the usual research and analysts will need to be done, and much of this will now be down to the individual themselves as many UK online stock trading services will not offer investment research services without having to pay hefty membership fees.  Moreover, individual UK stock investors will also need to make sure the computer software they have is capable of transacting secure online trades, as well as keeping up-to-date tabs on where the UK stock market is going. 

That said, there are clearly profits to be made from stock dealing in the UK and cutting out the broker middleman’s fees is one sure way to ensure that you maximise those profits – provided, of course, that you know what you are doing and pick the right stock.

Tags: shares, prfofit, sell, online, cost. charges, buy, dealing, stocks

Online Banking Fraud Rockets

Over recent years many UK banks and financial institutions have made online banking almost irresistible to consumers, offering bonuses and incentives for opening an online bank account, highlighting facts such as being able to conduct your financial transactions both day and night without having to worry about opening times and queues, and making it as convenient and easy as possible for consumers to switch to online banking. As a result many consumers in the UK now combine their regular banking with online facilities, and some have now joined banks that operate exclusively online.
Read more

Tags: Banking, online banking fraud, banks, banking fraud, fraud

Extended Mortgage Terms Means Huge Amounts of Interest For Consumers

The rising property prices in the UK over the years have resulted in many people losing out on the chance to get their foot on the property ladder.

And because of this, over recent years, many banks and building societies have started to offer longer mortgage repayment terms over and above the traditional twenty-five year mortgage, as well as offering higher salary multiples, in a bid to attract consumers that are desperate to get onto the property ladder. Over recent years many lenders have been offering thirty and thirty-five year mortgage repayment terms.

However, experts are now concerned because some lenders have started offering even longer repayment terms, with up to fifty-seven years now being offered as a mortgage repayment term option with some mortgage providers. These mortgages have been labelled as ‘madness’ by experts, who state that although the monthly repayments will be lower for consumers because of the extended term, rising interest rates and the amount of time for which the borrower will be in debt could prove a real problem.

One director of a mortgage broker stated: “Life-long mortgages are a false economy. You end up paying literally tens of thousands of pounds in extra interest. It really is not a sensible thing to do. The idea of paying off a mortgage for 40, 50 or even 57 years is madness.”

With average house prices in the UK rising to well over two hundred thousand pounds, and with interest rates rising to five percent, a number of lenders have made changes to the mortgages that they offer in terms of the length of the mortgages available and the amount that can be borrowed. This is to attract more custom from those that would otherwise be unable to purchase a property.

Tags: years, length, charges, terms, price, increase

UK Credit Card Consumers Should Be Watchful

The latest scam to defraud vulnerable credit cards holders in the UK has come to light in the Worcestershire area, where thieves pretending to be police officers or bank workers managed to steal credit cards with which they then took cash from consumers’ accounts. In the recent incidents the thieves managed to get away with thousands of pounds after obtaining the credit card PIN numbers fraudulently from consumers that thought that they were talking to professionals and officials.

According to police officials, the thieves had acted very convincingly, and had actually called consumers to tell them that they were in danger of being defrauded and that they were trying to stop this from happening. The thieves posed as officers and bank officials in order to convince the victim that they were acting in their best interest, and as a result obtained personal banking and financial details from consumers.

Officials have now warned that consumers need to ensure that they don’t give out any information of this sort over the phone. One officer stated: “Banks, building societies and the police will never ask for PIN numbers over the phone or even face-to-face.” He added: “They are a matter for the individual only. If someone does ask, no matter the circumstances, suspicions should be immediately aroused and the incident reported to police.”

Consumers have always had to remain vigilant for different types of credit card fraud, and this is one of a long line of different scams that have seen consumer conned out of thousand of pounds in the UK. Police have asked card holders to challenge anyone that they are suspicious of ‘firmly but politely’ in order to try and verity their identity. Officers have also issued local and national numbers for anyone to report suspicious activity of this sort.

Tags: uk, types, steal, credit, thief, fraud, theft

Identity Theft

Identity theft is the fastest growing type of fraud in the UK today. So what is it?

Fundamentally, it is what it sounds like: somebody pretends to be you. Often the first thing you will know about it is when a bailiff turns up at your door demanding you repay the thousands of pounds you owe!

But identity fraud isn’t just about somebody pretending to be you. The fraudsters have access to the same technology that we all have (if not more so) and can easily pretend to be a financial institution on the Internet and you would never know. But you can take some steps to protect yourself.

What are you looking at?

‘Phishing’ is the practice by fraudsters of creating false websites so they look exactly like the genuine article. They can be used to obtain personal financial information from people who are enticed to visit those sites. Usually the targeted person will receive an email suggesting that their financial information has been breached. The email asks them to click on an embedded link to visit the false site to confirm their details. In so doing they are of course making the security breach happen.

What can I do about it?

If you ever receive an email suggesting that your financial or security details have been compromised, even if it’s from a company that you have dealings with, NEVER click on any link or go to any of the pages the email suggests. If you are in any doubt, contact the finance company by telephone and ask them about the request.

Once upon a time

Credit card theft can happen just as easily in real life as it can in cyberspace, so there is no need to become paranoid about using your credit card online. You do, however, need to be careful and think about how you use it.

These days nearly all credit card companies offer protection from fraudulent use. So if your card details are stolen on the internet the credit card company will usually absorb the cost of the fraudulent items, as long as you can prove them to be the work of somebody else without your knowledge.

If you ever suspect you may have revealed you financial details to somebody with malicious intent, notify the credit card company immediately and they will put a stop on your account and issue you with a new card and new account details. This is a minor inconvenience to them and it is far better to be safe than sorry.

On-going battle

Credit card companies have introduced measures to try to counter credit card fraud. The security code on the strip above your signature on the back is an example, as is the use of Chip and Pin cards.

If you prefer not to use your credit card online but still want to buy things on the internet then many sites operate using payment intermediaries such as PayPal. But beware, even these aren’t without their fraudster hangers-on and you need to look after your PayPal account details just as much as you do those of your credit card!

Under lock and key

Whenever you’re entering your financial details into a website always check on your browser that a small “lock” symbol is showing, usually in the bottom right hand corner. This indicates that the site is encrypted and at least offers some protection to you as a user.

Be wise be safe

When people first sign up to the Internet they inevitably experience a period of wide eyed wonder at it all. Some become so amazed by it that they accept whatever they see as genuine.

A seasoned user will often be far more sceptical about a many of the things they find on the Internet. After all, how many people do you know actually respond to that email from Nigeria asking if they may borrow your bank account!

More Information:

•  Federal Trade Commission – Identity Theft
• Identity Theft Resource Center - Features detailed guides for victims, current laws, media resources, and reference library.
• Identity Theft
  Identity theft is a major issue in the UK, and with good reason. It has been estimated that it can take up to sixty hours of work to recover a stolen identity, and in the worst cases, cost up to £8000 to put right. But what can be dome to prevent this?
• Home Office Identity Theft Home Page
• Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft

Tags: fastest growing type, battle credit card, financial institution, new account details, Office Identity Theft, security breach, identity fraud, cheque

Bad Credit-Credit Cards

In the red and on the blacklist

What is bad credit, how do you become somebody who has bad credit and how does it affect your daily life? How do you get a credit card even if you are on the credit blacklist? There are ways and means…

The cost of credit repair

If you are refused a mortgage, a loan or even a credit card it may be that you are regarded as either a bad risk or that the lender can’t see how they will make money from you, which, when it comes down to it, is the same thing.

But I haven’t done anything!

When you apply for any kind of loan the company you are approaching conducts what is called a credit check. Every time you have enquired about finance it has been recorded on a central database and lenders access this database to see how well you repaid your loans and any other debt management you have exercised.

If you have missed a few payments on a loan, defaulted on a mortgage for whatever reason, or perhaps failed to pay household bills on time, it will be recorded and quite often the criteria lenders use to assess whether you are a good or bad risk will count these things against you.

Squeaky clean

Strangely enough even if you have lived a squeaky clean financial existence and never had a credit card or defaulted on any payments or perhaps you haven’t had a large repayment to make before, this can all sometimes add up to an equally bad risk in the lenders assessment. This is because they have no data on which to assess you; there will be no record of how you may respond to the credit you are now applying for. So they refuse you credit altogether.

A quarter of adults

It’s reckoned that one in four adults have had some form of bad credit rating at some point in their lives. The good news is it can be changed. One way of changing your credit rating for the better is with a bad credit-credit card.

How much!

The problem with bad credit-credit cards is they tend to be expensive. The APR you will normally find on these cards can be up around 30percent.

But as you are determined to improve your credit rating and this is why you have taken out one of these cards it doesn’t really matter because you will be paying off the full balance each month and thereby avoid actually paying the high interest rate…won’t you?

Shop around

It is always worth shopping around for the lowest rate you can get, just in case there is a month or two where you simply can’t pay everything off. And above all, don’t overstretch yourself! Just because you have credit doesn’t mean you have to use it!

Keeping it real and avoiding the debt trap

Once you have your card it is really important to make sure you use it properly. If necessary you should set up direct debits from your bank account well before the payment due date so you always pay off at least the minimum payment each month.

The secret to improving your credit rating is to make regular payments and thereby demonstrate your reliability. But remember, paying off the minimum each month will incur compound interest, (interest on interest) at very high rates too. The last thing you want is to fall into the debt trap.

A capital card

The Capital One Classic Credit Card is currently available to people who have a bad credit rating. As you might expect, it has a limited credit ceiling of between £200 and £2,500, but with time it is likely to increase as you demonstrate good management of your debts. The APR is a whacking 29.9% so you really want to avoid paying interest if you possibly can.

Hopefully a card like this would help you walk away from being amongst this country’s one in four with a poor credit rating.

 More Information:

• Credit card articles – some great articles from the Card Guide
• Applying For Credit Cards When You Have Bad Credit
• Using Your Credit Card To Build Credit History
• CCCS – Free non profit association advice
• APACS information page

Tags: credit check, credit ceiling, bank account, Business Finance, Credit score

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