Kiss good bye to your lunch break with nationwide (Nationwide Building Society)

Member Name: daadr

Product:	Nationwide Building Society
Date:	12/04/09 (135 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Safe in this current climate

Disadvantages: Long queues with low intrest rates

There are so many banks to choose from. So many different types of accounts. So many different types of interest rates. I had all my accounts with Nationwide, A cashcard which when I turned 18 turned into a Debit card, A cashbuilder which when I was 18 turned into a Bonus 30 and a Cash ISA.

I had these accounts as when I was younger I didn't have a clue about interest rates and to be honest until about 6 months ago I couldn't be bothered to learn about them either. My mum had an account with Nationwide so I went with them.

I was happy, earning money to go into my debit card, Having a few quid a month direct debited into my savings account and then now and again withdrawing it all and putting into my ISA, As that's what I got told to do.

About 6 months ago, I bought property and that's when I relised everything in this world is expensive. When the recession kicked in all I kept hearing about on the Tv was interest rates. I was 20, I had more important things to do like play and watch football or get drunk than worry about interest rates.

I can't remember why but for some reason I looked into it on the internet and found my savings account with nationwide was at 0.20%!! all I had to do, and what I did do, was switch to Barclay and get 6%. Simple as that.

After lots of comparing on the internet of Nationwides interest rates compared to other banks. I noticed that Nationwides rates seem to be a lot lower than others.

My other moan about Nationwide is their service. They used to have a tiny Nationwide branch where I live but they shut it down. I now have to travel about 20 minutes to get to my nearest branch. That's not their fault, but at this branch I have to go to they have 2 windows to go to. 9 times out of 10 when I go there is usually a massive queue and only one of the windows open. I went there last week, queued for about 10 minutes to get to the front for the man behind the counter to say "hold on a minute mate" and walked off and didn't return for a good 5 minutes. The queue mounted up behind me and they didn't seem to care, about people getting frustrated in the queue. I went in at 2 o clock, people could be on their lunch breaks from work, you don't want to spend your lunch hour in a queue in a bank!

I am thinking of switching all of money across to Barclay as they always when I go in have at least 4 people behind the counter with room for another 4

The good thing about Nationwide is though in this current bad time for banking Nationwide claim to be in a unique position because of their size and strength.

Summary: A bank for the non risk takers who dont mind queing in the branch