Barclays (Barclays Bank)

Member Name: REALTRAVELLER

Product:	Barclays Bank
Date:	27/07/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good bank

Disadvantages: Not the best saving rates

Barclays bank is a household name and is one of the few remaining UK banks on the high street.

I have been a client of them for more than 16 years, although during my years away from uk my account was dormant.

I opened my account with them with no request for utility bills,proof of address and so on, but these days you will need a pair of utility bill in your name and proof thatyou work in UK, in this respect I found that if you have friends who arrive in uk and want to open an account, the HSBC Passport, although at a premium, is an easier choice.

Back to Barclays, I have my salary paid into my account with them, I have a Barclays Visa and Debit card and use them to manage few of my standing orders.

I never found that they offered the best saving rates on the High Street, apart from few occasions where they offer these high yield saving accounts which are capped to a monthly contribution of 250 Pounds.

I do not operate an account on line with them for security reasons, my boyfriend however does and I must admit that if you have money coming in into your account from different sources, it is a great help to keep trak of your creditors.

I normally go to the till of my nearest branch in the City, the waiting time is normally no more than 5 minutes and differently from Halifax, they do not try to sell you a financial product each time you visit them.

They also have a premium service for High Net worth clients, I was offered one because my salary is more than double the National average, but I declined since it the monthly cost did not justify the benefits.

Overall I am happy with Barclays, but I tend to keep my saving with other banks.

Summary: Godo bank