A new fee-free template for basic UK bank accounts has been revealed by the Treasury after a deal with major banks.

Basic accounts do not offer overdrafts or cheque books, and may be given to those with a chequered credit history. Some holders of these accounts have been hit by initial fees of £30 or more after a direct debit or standing order payment has bounced. The cost can then escalate if the fees are unpaid. Under the new terms agreed, these one-off fees will be scrapped. Economic Secretary to the Treasury Andrea Leadsom said the new accounts would give basic bank account holders "certainty and clarity". "It will end people being effectively locked out of their basic bank accounts due to high fees and charges when their payments failed," she added. Account holders should also be offered a debit card, in order to withdraw cash from the UK's ATM network....Read more here

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