pugliese

my letter from the Halifax says" if you are no longer a UK resident (I am not) , we may have to close your account or offer a different level of service and have updated our conditions to reflect this."

So will or won't they ?

bobd22

Yep I guessed that to be case but it can get confusing with the banks as they give out so much false information. 3 years ago they told me it was fine wouldn't affect me, 6 months later they said it may affect me but not for some time, then wife tried to change her address to same spanish address on joint account, you can't have eu address? Why not my husband other account holder does? Well he shouldn't! Then suggestion we use daughters UK address etc. This was after having same joint account over 40 years. It was at that point I took the bull by the horns and legally set up HSBC account and closed the Barclays one.

Joddle

Is your account with HSBC UK or with HSBC Expat ?

bobd22

It's with HSBC UK. Funny enough although I can have a Current Account they won't give me a savings account? I wanted one to keep a little pot of money in as we rent out a UK property but HSBC said no to that?

bobd22

Barclays said I could have an International Account as an Expat living in the EU but you have to maintain £100,000 in it!

Joddle

On the HSBC website they seem to have a way of simply transferring a bank account from another bank! - Maybe I can use that as they say they look after all the payments and DDs etc and there is almost nothing for me to do!

bobd22

Yes they say that but for some reason I couldn't use that system I can't remember why. I had to set up my Direct Debits myself but it was all easy enough.

Joddle

The DDs are not so important but the pension payments of course are!! So long as they get that right it sounds like a good plan

bobd22

I have 2 pensions paid into my account again I had to inform the providers of HSBC account details myself. Again wasn't a big deal just a phone call cancelling Barclay Account Details and providing new HSBC details. I'm not sure if I couldn't use the automatic switch set up because I was outwith UK? I think that may be the case.

Joddle

Many thanks - I may have to be in the UK before November so might try then if it does not work from here!

bobd22

Good luck

philat98

I have a SIPP with Interactive Investor. I was able to withdraw money with my Nationwide Account. When Nationwide closed the account I tried to substitute Wise. II said that Wise was not a valid UK bank. The money is now stuck in the SIPP.

Barriej

Why did Nationwide close the account??
I have a current account with them and they have said that they will not be closing accounts. Cannot open new savings ones or apply for a credit card without being a UK resident..
I changed the address to a Spanish one nearly two years ago and they sent my new credit card (the old one expired) here to Spain a couple of months ago..

I can understand that the SIPP can't be paid via Wise as nor can my private pension as it must be paid to a UK bank (not just some money changer with a Uk IBAN)

With my personal pension I could if needed nominate a bank account held by a family member (close as in same surname) to have the money paid to as long as they were Uk resident..

philat98

I am in Italy not Spain. Nationwide closed all accounts in Italy.

Barriej

Oh understand.... But what sense does that make???

Why close accounts in one EU country and not them all??
Do the Nationwide have a presence in Spain but not Italy then??

I can understand Barclays because I doubt they are welcome anywhere these days..

Might waste an hour or so tomorrow trying to find out why one country but not another...