Banks could see customers leaving in droves next September when new legislation comes in to speed up the current-account switching process, says The Mail on Sunday. A survey carried out by YouGov found that 29% of customers said they would be “very, or fairly likely” to move accounts if the process was simplified.
This could mean 14 million people switching accounts. Under the new rules, banks must cut the time it takes to move accounts from an average of 31 days to seven days or less. According to the survey, around 38% of customers have never switched current accounts. We think many of you should. But which accounts are best?
Moneysavingexpert.com’s current account best buy is the First Direct 1st Account. New customers get a £100 bonus if they pay in a salary of at least £1,500 a month during the first three months (minimum salary £22,800). It pays no in-credit interest, but customers can get 8% interest on First Direct savings accounts if they save regularly. The Halifax Reward account pays £100 to switch and £5 a month in-credit interest on a minimum monthly deposit of £1,000. But go overdrawn and you’ll be hit £5 a day for an unarranged overdraft.