Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

How do you mean 'using the reciprocal agreement' ??
If I return to the UK and inform them I was here will the contributions I missed be paid by Uncle Sam ??

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

If you've paid enough..yes and vica versa.

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

Its 11 years contributions here to qualify isn't it? I need to check as I'll have done that and then no point adding to it..prob no state pension available by the time I'm ready for it!

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

Enough for what ??

So say I go to the US for 4 years and work the whole time. I could use ss payments made in the US to cover the missing ni contributions in the UK - is that what you're saying ??

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

That's kind of what I was thinking anyway and already opted out of additional state pension payments at home.
I'm more concerned about 'wasting' future contributions should I go back to the UK to be honest.

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

You have to have made a certain amount of contributions and I'm not sure what that is. As Bob said there is an agreement between the US/UK to make up the pension payable.

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

yup.

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

It's 10 full quarters of contributions, but can work out to be less than 10 years.

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

Ahh, done that. In that case no real benefit from voluntarily adding them as far as I'm aware unless someone corrects me?

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

I have LloydsTSB current account and CC's. Both have US billing address though I use online banking to pay CC from another UK account (Barclays) No problem having a US address.

Class 2 conts for pension purposes may be worthwhile if you are within 10 years of a state pension and have a full contribution record. You can get a statement advising your contribution record from http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/ which can help to answer any questions you have re current position and future entitlement.

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

I was talking about the US...don't know about the UK....but if you don't have enough contributions to draw a pension in one country, you can use your countributions in the other as a top up.

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

I have a Halifax account and had to send a letter to my branch to change my address to my folks and then had to call them 5 times until I finally got to speak to the branch where they said, "oh yes we got your letter and we sent a letter to you for you to confirm that this was from you"..... yep they sent the letter to my OLD address !

With regard to changing to US account, I thought they'd have a problem with sending statements etc internationally and Halifax told me that the least number of statements they can send is 4 a year (quaterly).

Did you have to go into a branch to change your address to US address ?

Actually I have 4 accounts with Halifax and everytime I've moved it's taken me 5 or 6 attempts to get my address changed on all my accounts. IMHO they're a good bank as far as services are concerned but they're a very incompetent when it comes to customer service and basic administration.

R./

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

I have several accounts with them too. No I think we just had to put it in writing...they have a copy of your signature on record so it shouldn't be a problem. I just have deposit accounts with them and can't say I've had any problems.

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

I just love First Direct ... bend over backward to help you ...

Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
 

They sound just like Chase...