Since opening my First Direct current account, I have also taken advantage of their regular saver account.
This is really easy to set up and can all be done online when signed in for online banking.
You then set up a standing order from your current account for between £25 and £300 to be transferred into the regular saver on a date of your choosing.
This is great, as you can set up for the money to be transferred on payday, making it really easy to save.
The best part of the account is the interest rate, which is 6% for the regular saver. This is one of the best in the market. It is paid at the end of 12 months of saving.
The only draw back of the account is that you must commit for 12 months of saving, and if you access your money before that you don't get paid the interest.
If you are saving some something specific long term, or just want to make sure you have a savings pot, I would highly recommend this account, as you'd be hard pushed to find a better interest rate at the moment.
Reviewed on: 1st September 2016
I switched to First Direct purely for their offer of £125 for switching current accounts. I had seen this advertised in a few places, and thought it seemed worth the trouble of switching accounts.
The process to switch was very straightforward, and they moved all my direct debits etc across no problems. When they sent me all the documents for the account, I had a couple of questions, so I thought I would call them to get my answers. The phone was answered very quickly by a real person in the UK, who was able to answer my questions straight away. I was really impressed I didn't have to sit on hold for ages.
A few weeks later I got my £125 for switching.
One benefit for me is that the account gives you access to a 6% regular saver account, so that you can put money away each month and get a better than average return on the savings.
I haven't used the overdraft at all, so I couldn't comment on the cost of this and whether it is good or not.
The other feature I have used is the online messaging service when I have had questions, and they have always replied within 48 hours with a comprehensive answer to my question.
The customer service really makes them stand out for me, and I would recommend them.
Reviewed on: 25th August 2015
Santander has been my mortgage provider since 2011, during this time I have had 2 fixed mortgages with them.
I found the initial set up straightforward, although I did have help from a broker to do this. They gave a very competitive rate at the time, and all went very smoothly with the purchase of the house.
I called them when the first fixed term was up, and asked what they could offer as a remortgage, and they again were able to offer a very competitive product, and I continued as a customer. The process, again, was very straightforward,
My experience of their call centre for arranging this was ok, however sometimes it took a while to get through to a person, and on one occasion I got through not long before closing time and was asked to call back the next day, which I was not impressed by. I insisted that someone call me back so that I didn't have to sit on hold again, and they did. Once I was able to speak to someone, I found the staff very helpful.
Although I have a fixed product, I am able to make overpayments of up to 10% per year, which I can do either in the branch or over the phone. When I have called to do this or make enquiries about how much I can over pay, my experience of using the call center has been positive.
Overall, if they are offering you a good rate, I would say they are worth looking into for a mortgage.
Reviewed on: 25th August 2015
