Free Banking

[Meeten]

Been with First Direct for 20yrs and have had no reason to move.
Opened up another account with Nationwide to use some of the services they were offering (travel insurance, phone insurance, roadside), but there is a monthly fee which I am happy to pay as it was on par with what I would have had to pay outside the account. Have used the phone insurance a couple of times and they are very good at that. Also, used the car breakdown once (but had value in knowing i was covered if need be).

If you don't need all that optional suff, First Direct have been brilliant and they are offering some goodies if you join Obviously there minimum requirements that you have to satisfy to get in.....
There's a referral I can offer if you do decide to go with them....

 

[Craig1912]

Been with First Direct for 20yrs and have had no reason to move.
Opened up another account with Nationwide to use some of the services they were offering (travel insurance, phone insurance, roadside), but there is a monthly fee which I am happy to pay as it was on par with what I would have had to pay outside the account. Have used the phone insurance a couple of times and they are very good at that. Also, used the car breakdown once (but had value in knowing i was covered if need be).

If you don't need all that optional suff, First Direct have been brilliant and they are offering some goodies if you join Obviously there minimum requirements that you have to satisfy to get in.....
There's a referral I can offer if you do decide to go with them....

interested in why you went to the trouble of taking out a Nationwide account when you can get the same from FD (for £15pm)?

 

[jetsilver]

First Direct, been with them for years and cant fault them. Very good call centre staff on the rare occcasions i've had to ring them.

 

[Stu Meech]

I have a Lloyds platinum account which I'm in the process of converting to Club Lloyds. This is due to Lloyds putting the platinum up to £19 a month, and reducing one of the main benefits I use (mobile phone insurance excess doubling to £100).

Club Lloyds seems a reasonable deal, in terms of it'll be free for me and gets a bit of interest and the cinema tickets.

I've opened a paid account with Nationwide which is £13 a month and gets me the same benefits I had with Lloyds Platinum but at £6 less a month and with the benefit of the mobile phone insurance having an excess of £25 and also covering other phones in the house (read this as my girlfriend's phone).

Nationwide also offers 3% interest up to £3000 (I think), interest free fee free overdraft of £250 and can also open a monthly saver with 5% interest on a max of £250 added per month - which I can easily do as I use savings accounts to stash away money to pay my self assessment tax bill.

 

[Meeten]

interested in why you went to the trouble of taking out a Nationwide account when you can get the same from FD (for £15pm)?

At the time there was an offer via Quidco that had cashback, meaning the cost was reduced.
In addition the interest rate was higher (up to £2,500) I think, meaning the annual cost was minimal.

From what I recall, the excess on the mobile insurance was less as well (£25 for non apple), so it made more sense to me.

Service wise, they have been great. FD have been excellent, just that little step ahead.....