current accounts

[koni]

my better half cannot seem to get a current account from anyone...

She had a basic cash account with Barclays, but that is it.

she has one default, which is 3.5 years old on her Equifax file, Call credit is clean, Experian is clean

we have a joint CCJ which is coming on for 4 years old now.

she only earns around 6K per year, which i think is the problem.

She has applied to Barclays for an upgrade to a current account, they fobbed her off with "you didnt meet our minimum criteria"

HSBC said the same

Natwest offered a STEP account, whch is not a full current account.

Do you guys / gals have any recomendations for her ?

[billypre]

Re: current accounts

Is it First Direct online who guarantee a current acocunt to anyone ? Costs £12.50 a month i think. Better google it !!

[jen_br]

Re: current accounts

I found halifax the easiest but this was the pre lloyds days.

[caspar]

Re: current accounts

I'm with the co-operative. They have an account called Cashbuilder - a basic bank account with DD and SO facilities and a Visa Electron card. No OD facility allowed at all and this is strongly enforced. I don't know anyone who's been turned down for one of these though, and I've been really pleased with them - been there five years now. They even offered me an upgrade to a "proper" current account, but I don't want the temptation.

Halifax I believe do a basic current account without it even involving a credit check.

Google Basic Bank Accounts for others - there's quite a few out there, but from personal experience I've found the co-op brilliant. No doubt others will have found the exact opposite!

[koni]

Re: current accounts

EDITED:

she has just applied online for a halifax current account and was accepted there and then, and it even displayed the sort code and account number at the end.

great news

thanks everyone

[caspar]

Re: current accounts

Excellent!

[Gerry]

Re: current accounts

Which recommend the Co-operative.

http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/servlet/Satellite/1193206375355,CFSweb/Page/Bank

Gerry x

Sorry a wee bit late..

[Pixie]

Re: current accounts

Good news Koni.

I'm with Gerry and Caspar in recommending the Cooperative Cashminder account.

[koni]

Re: current accounts

thanks for the recomendation but the cashminder is a basic bank account, not a full blown current account.

She already has a basic account with barclays which came with a visa debit card etc, and as per my original post she was offered a step account by natwets, but again this is just a basic account, not a full current account.

the halifax account is now open, and even came with a 100 quid o/d

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: current accounts

my better half cannot seem to get a current account from anyone...

She had a basic cash account with Barclays, but that is it.

she has one default, which is 3.5 years old on her Equifax file, Call credit is clean, Experian is clean

we have a joint CCJ which is coming on for 4 years old now.

she only earns around 6K per year, which i think is the problem.

She has applied to Barclays for an upgrade to a current account, they fobbed her off with "you didnt meet our minimum criteria"

HSBC said the same

Natwest offered a STEP account, whch is not a full current account.

Do you guys / gals have any recomendations for her ?

Hi, ok see above -

Red font - That is why she cannot obtain a full account, the CCJ stops this for 6 years unless the bank feel generous! Few are feeling so right now lol...

Blue font - Utter nonsense, this would only reflect the reason if it was a pre-qualifying account (ie you must earn £X,000 per annum).

The reason Barclays said she didn't meet their criteria is also the red font reason.

Basically forget full banking until the CCJ is gone, a basic account is the best you'll get unless a bank feels generous however if you did not declare the CCJ and they find out they can (and will) close the account........ be warned

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: current accounts

Is it First Direct online who guarantee a current acocunt to anyone ? Costs £12.50 a month i think. Better google it !!

No mate, no bank can guarantee an account cos a full bank account is scored against your credit profile and your credit files. Also FD is one of the strictest banks to get authorised for an account with, they are harsh scorers - extremely harsh scorers!! Quite rightly though, the best bank should be the hardest to get into

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: current accounts

EDITED:

she has just applied online for a halifax current account and was accepted there and then, and it even displayed the sort code and account number at the end.

great news

thanks everyone

Everyone gets this, you'll see there is a link under the ROLL number with "Application Decision".... The way HBOS work is weird in that they give everyone an account number and roll number prior to even scoring them - put simply, the account is not definite until the status changes which is when you pay in £100

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: current accounts

thanks for the recomendation but the cashminder is a basic bank account, not a full blown current account.

She already has a basic account with barclays which came with a visa debit card etc, and as per my original post she was offered a step account by natwets, but again this is just a basic account, not a full current account.

the halifax account is now open, and even came with a 100 quid o/d

Not wishing to cause upset but I find this almost impossible to believe with a live CCJ - they always check Registry Trust which would alert them to the CCJ which would base score you at minus 100 meaning instant decline. I know HBOS systems inside out and they wouldn't have missed this, as for the overdraft - this comes as standard with certain current accounts of theirs - have you actually had a letter confirming it is open or are you basing this from online viewing?

You know you need to pay in £100 to release the account anyway, ie it's not open til you pay in £100....

I am basing the above on the fact you applied on 26th at 7pm then said it was open with OD the day after - it takes 2-3 days for HBOS to finalise things when you apply online.....

Please do come back and confirm whatever did happen - once you have card in hand etc.....

[koni]

Re: current accounts

thanks for the replies niddy.

the questions asked before the application was even started was:

Are you a UK resident? YesNo
X Have you had any County Court Judgments (CCJ)/decrees made against you in the last 3 years? YesNo
X Have you been declared bankrupt/insolvent in the last 3 years? YesNo
X Are you happy for us to verify the identity of all applicants using information
held by third parties e.g. the Electoral Register? YesNo
X Date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
X Do you have any existing accounts with Halifax or Bank of Scotland? YesNo

as you can see above they only ask for CCJ data for the last 3 years, so there was no where i could declare the 4.5 year old CCJ. ?

iam basing the fact the account is open and showing a £100 o/d on the online information, as pictured below:


I have a full blown lloyds current account, which i have had for around 6 months now, and having a joint CCJ with the wife did not stop that account being opened, and infact my credit reports are no where near as good as hers.

i will post back and let you know if the card etc does arrive.

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: current accounts

thanks for the replies niddy.

the questions asked before the application was even started was:

Are you a UK resident? YesNo
X Have you had any County Court Judgments (CCJ)/decrees made against you in the last 3 years? YesNo
X Have you been declared bankrupt/insolvent in the last 3 years? YesNo
X Are you happy for us to verify the identity of all applicants using information
held by third parties e.g. the Electoral Register? YesNo
X Date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
X Do you have any existing accounts with Halifax or Bank of Scotland? YesNo

as you can see above they only ask for CCJ data for the last 3 years, so there was no where i could declare the 4.5 year old CCJ. ?

iam basing the fact the account is open and showing a £100 o/d on the online information, as pictured below:


I have a full blown lloyds current account, which i have had for around 6 months now, and having a joint CCJ with the wife did not stop that account being opened, and infact my credit reports are no where near as good as hers.

i will post back and let you know if the card etc does arrive.

Hiya

I can only assume then that your other debts are also older than 3yrs? You'll see me say (quite a lot) that if you have a 3yr clean credit file - ie blank for the last 3yrs or perfectly clean then you will usually be approved or treated fairly, as they don't go back for a "full search" if you're clear for the last 3yrs.

I never thought about your CCJ being 4.5yrs old (sorry!)....