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CarlW21

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Review of the Santander, 123 Current Account (discontinued):

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Generous overdraft for student accounts

I have banked with Santander for just over 2 years now. I took out the 1-2-3 Student Current Account as they offered £1,500 0% overdraft and also £50 for singing up. At the time (2012) this was the best deal around. £50 was paid very quickly and my payments from the student loans company are always on time with no problems. The online account management is easy to navigate and has a good layout. All the features are easy to use. The mobile app is basic and simple to use, ideal for when you are on the move, it contains a good feature where you can send individual transactions via email or to your phone contacts. It is very easy to manage all day to day tasks online. Never had any problems with Santander so have not had the need to contact them. They offered a £1500 overdraft which then raises if you decide to stay in education (i.e. masters). Would recommend the 1-2-3 Student Current Account as they offer good sign up bonuses, from instant cash to 4 year free railcards etc... Only con with this account is that the card they provide cannot be used for all online transactions - such as post office withdrawals etc... Reviewed on: 7th October 2014

Review of the Halifax, Current Account:

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Cannot fault over 10 years of using...

Been with Halifax for 10+ years. The account is easy to use for all aspects, such as, setting up direct debits/standing orders, making/receiving payments etc... The online account management is well laid out and easy to navigate. Payments to other accounts/contacts are always immediate. Statements are easy to read. Managing/viewing direct debits is very easy. Setting up new payments contacts is easy and secure. The application for phones/tablets it's very quick and easy to log in and use. I feel very secure when banking with Halifax as they take very good security measures for any new activity on the account. Another bonus is recently Halifax offer very generous cashback for your everyday shopping when using your Halifax card. This can be as high as 10% even 15% when spending in certain stores. Halifax highs treet banks have a very warm and friendly atmosphere, you are always greeted on arrival and offered assistance. They have quick cash/cheque deposit machines within the branches, so you can be in and out within minutes. The staff are also very efficient in solving small problems such as re-setting your PIN and issuing new cards if needed. Would highly recommend banking with Halifax as they offer a wide range of accounts tailored to specific needs. Reviewed on: 7th October 2014

Review of the ASDA Money, Credit Card:

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Best credit card on the market...

Application process - Was approached in store and asked if I would like to apply. Received an acceptance letter within approx. 3 weeks with a credit limit of £2500, after around 6 months this was raised to £3,200. Using the card - Cards are contactless so payments are very quick under £20. They have excellent online account management where you can make payments, view current balance and spending and also view past statements. The online account management for Asda seems to be unique from others as it will show you with each statement and current balance a breakdown of expenditure through a pie chart. So you can see how much is spent on; Retail, Entertainment, Groceries, Travel etc... Very handy for financial management. Customer Service - Only had to call around 3 times within the year for minor queries. Each time was greeted with friendly staff and had great response and queries resolved quickly and efficiently. Value - Excellent value with low APR, I got accepted at 19.9%. A great bonus for this credit card is the cash back - without any annual fees. They offer 1% on purchases made in ASDA and 0.5% on all other purchases...money for spending money. They sometimes throw in bonus cashback if you take out products with ASDA, for example 7% on ASDA insurance etc... Overall - This is one of the most attractive Credit Card's on the market, it offers high credit limits with low APR and cashback with no annual charge. Would always and highly recommend this card. Also they have good promotional offers for new customers, such as 0% for 12 months on balance transfers. I took out the card and applied a Balance Transfer, very quick and easy. Reviewed on: 7th October 2014

Review of the Vanquis, Credit Card:

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Good starting card

Took out a Vanquis card as I had no previous credit history and no other companies would accept. Application process - Accepted within a week via phone call, notified immediately of credit limit and when to expect card and paperwork etc... Using the card - Very easy online account management, easy to navigate through each different section online, can view your current purchases (usually 1-2 days to update) and previous statements. Excellent if you want to go paperless. Customer Service - Have had to call Vanquis a few times for various reasons, each time the queues are relatively short, waited no longer than 10 minutes on hold, the staff are friendly and helpful. Other - This is a good starter card, however as it is a credit building card for those with no or poor credit the APR can be high. Promotions - You may receive sales calls if you do not opt out, however they can be beneficial services so I would recommend only opting out of 3rd party ones and not ones direct through Vanquis. They offer payment protection plans and savings clubs etc... Overall - Good starting card and good for emergencies Reviewed on: 7th October 2014

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