UK Building Society Accounts
Jul 1st 2007, 2:30 pm
#1
Position - Offside
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2005
Location: Harvest, Alabama from Newport Pagnell, Bucks/Mitcham, Surrey
Posts: 413
UK Building Society Accounts
A friend of mine living in the US is planning on going back ito the UK in the next fews years. In order to start getting things in line he contacted the Halifax Building Society in the UK to see about setting up an account there so he could start sending money over for when he makes the final move. The Halifax told him that it was illegal for someone to open a savings account in the UK unless you have a UK resident address.
I find this hard to understand because I know of a lot of people who had UK Bank and building society accounts when they lived there and just changed the address to their US one when they moved. I asked my friend if maybe this was just something the Halifax do and he said when he asked this, they told him it covered any type of financial account. I also wonder whether it is o.k. if you opened the account when you lived there but can't open a new one without a UK address.
Has anyone come across this, and if so, is it a new thing?
I find this hard to understand because I know of a lot of people who had UK Bank and building society accounts when they lived there and just changed the address to their US one when they moved. I asked my friend if maybe this was just something the Halifax do and he said when he asked this, they told him it covered any type of financial account. I also wonder whether it is o.k. if you opened the account when you lived there but can't open a new one without a UK address.
Has anyone come across this, and if so, is it a new thing?
Jul 1st 2007, 2:36 pm
#2
Homebody
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,179
Re: UK Building Society Accounts
A friend of mine living in the US is planning on going back ito the UK in the next fews years. In order to start getting things in line he contacted the Halifax Building Society in the UK to see about setting up an account there so he could start sending money over for when he makes the final move. The Halifax told him that it was illegal for someone to open a savings account in the UK unless you have a UK resident address.
I find this hard to understand because I know of a lot of people who had UK Bank and building society accounts when they lived there and just changed the address to their US one when they moved. I asked my friend if maybe this was just something the Halifax do and he said when he asked this, they told him it covered any type of financial account. I also wonder whether it is o.k. if you opened the account when you lived there but can't open a new one without a UK address.
Has anyone come across this, and if so, is it a new thing?
I find this hard to understand because I know of a lot of people who had UK Bank and building society accounts when they lived there and just changed the address to their US one when they moved. I asked my friend if maybe this was just something the Halifax do and he said when he asked this, they told him it covered any type of financial account. I also wonder whether it is o.k. if you opened the account when you lived there but can't open a new one without a UK address.
Has anyone come across this, and if so, is it a new thing?
I've heard that First Direct allow it, though I'm not sure.
Also possibly HSBC, if you already have an account with them in the US.
Jul 1st 2007, 2:48 pm
#3
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,017
Re: UK Building Society Accounts
A friend of mine living in the US is planning on going back ito the UK in the next fews years. In order to start getting things in line he contacted the Halifax Building Society in the UK to see about setting up an account there so he could start sending money over for when he makes the final move. The Halifax told him that it was illegal for someone to open a savings account in the UK unless you have a UK resident address.
I find this hard to understand because I know of a lot of people who had UK Bank and building society accounts when they lived there and just changed the address to their US one when they moved. I asked my friend if maybe this was just something the Halifax do and he said when he asked this, they told him it covered any type of financial account. I also wonder whether it is o.k. if you opened the account when you lived there but can't open a new one without a UK address.
Has anyone come across this, and if so, is it a new thing?
I find this hard to understand because I know of a lot of people who had UK Bank and building society accounts when they lived there and just changed the address to their US one when they moved. I asked my friend if maybe this was just something the Halifax do and he said when he asked this, they told him it covered any type of financial account. I also wonder whether it is o.k. if you opened the account when you lived there but can't open a new one without a UK address.
Has anyone come across this, and if so, is it a new thing?
Last edited by Jerseygirl; Jul 1st 2007 at 2:51 pm.
Jul 1st 2007, 2:55 pm
#4
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,017
Re: UK Building Society Accounts
I don't think it is a case of 'not allowing' ...I think it's because legally it is not allowed for a non-UK resident to open an account.
Jul 1st 2007, 2:58 pm
#5
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 68,280
Re: UK Building Society Accounts
One of the reasons we always tell people to keep their account open over there ..if you leave ..just change your addrss to a friend or relatives house
Jul 1st 2007, 3:02 pm
#6
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,017
Re: UK Building Society Accounts
You don't have to use a relatives address...as long as the account was open when you are a UK resident they will accept your overseas address when you move.
Jul 1st 2007, 4:16 pm
#9
Gone but not forgotten. RIP
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,570
Re: UK Building Society Accounts
A friend of mine living in the US is planning on going back ito the UK in the next fews years. In order to start getting things in line he contacted the Halifax Building Society in the UK to see about setting up an account there so he could start sending money over for when he makes the final move. The Halifax told him that it was illegal for someone to open a savings account in the UK unless you have a UK resident address.
I find this hard to understand because I know of a lot of people who had UK Bank and building society accounts when they lived there and just changed the address to their US one when they moved. I asked my friend if maybe this was just something the Halifax do and he said when he asked this, they told him it covered any type of financial account. I also wonder whether it is o.k. if you opened the account when you lived there but can't open a new one without a UK address.
Has anyone come across this, and if so, is it a new thing?
I find this hard to understand because I know of a lot of people who had UK Bank and building society accounts when they lived there and just changed the address to their US one when they moved. I asked my friend if maybe this was just something the Halifax do and he said when he asked this, they told him it covered any type of financial account. I also wonder whether it is o.k. if you opened the account when you lived there but can't open a new one without a UK address.
Has anyone come across this, and if so, is it a new thing?
However, my Mother's Co-Op Bank would not add me to her account on the grounds you mention. I made the mistake of showing them my FL driver's licence instead of my UK one. I could have told them that I had been living abroad and was moving back but I was honest.
I believe that the UK money laundering laws take the blame all the way back even to the employee who opened the account for you if you do end up laundering money. That's why they are all so reluctant to cooperate.
Last edited by TRPardoe; Jul 1st 2007 at 6:12 pm.
Jul 1st 2007, 5:35 pm
#12
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,005
Re: UK Building Society Accounts
When I was in the US and tried to open a current account with Smile (with whom I already had an ISA and savings account), they explained that they couldn't run a credit check on me because I wasn't registered as a UK resident (i.e., the credit companies use your registration to vote as the basis for you "existing").
Because a current account is a greater credit risk than a savings account, they therefore told me I was out of luck. So, even though I had a mortgage, a longstanding current account with Barclays, a gold Barclaycard, and two savings account with Smlie, I wasn't "allowed" to open a new current account by Smile.
Because a current account is a greater credit risk than a savings account, they therefore told me I was out of luck. So, even though I had a mortgage, a longstanding current account with Barclays, a gold Barclaycard, and two savings account with Smlie, I wasn't "allowed" to open a new current account by Smile.
Jul 5th 2007, 3:24 pm
#15
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Scotland
Posts: 7
Re: UK Building Society Accounts
http://www.halifax-international.com/home/home.asp is the halifax offshore website. You can get sorted out there.
but come to me for a mortgage....
but come to me for a mortgage....