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Legal, pensions and money

Do children have savings accounts these days?

(19 Posts)
TriciaF Thu 26-Mar-15 13:45:05

Two DGDs have birthdays coming up soon, they'll both be 11. They both live far away so I was thinking of just sending money to start a savings account.
I could ask their parents, but wondered if others have grandchildren who save. I've got a feeling it's gone out of fashion.
Our own children used to save up for things like bikes, once they got into their teens.

janerowena Thu 26-Mar-15 13:58:57

My GCs do, they have their own bank accounts and it's all quietly accumulating in there. I have the account numbers so can just pop some in when I feel like it. They are given so much tat and plastic by their DF's family on their birthdays that DD can't bear the thought of anything else coming into the house, so it suits us all very well to do it that way. I give all the tat and plastic at xmas. grin

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 26-Mar-15 13:59:37

My two have got savings accounts. Think they're with the Halifax. And we do junior isas for them. One unfortunately is stuck with his Child Trust Fund that earns very poor interest. The gov is supposed to be allowing CTFs to be moved into decent isas in April. I hope they haven't forgotten.

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 26-Mar-15 14:01:10

My "my two" I do, course, mean my grandkids. shock grin

Coolgran65 Thu 26-Mar-15 14:52:07

The two local dgc have accounts and we make a deposit each birthday and Christmas, as well as a gift.

Dgs in USA does not yet have a bank account. His parents had a lot on their plates with regard to admin, work, visas, et al and transfering money costs a lot. So we have a money box for him and it is topped up as and when - his name is on the bottom of it --- just in case dh and I were to pop our clogs.

Katek Thu 26-Mar-15 17:00:04

All of ours have savings accounts except for new baby, and his will be opened soon. The two oldest ones also do chores for pocket money like emptying the dishwasher, tidying their rooms etc.

TriciaF Thu 26-Mar-15 17:18:54

Oh good ! So I'll send them money. I've sent money before, but to their parents.
I thought perhaps saving wasn't so popular now as interest rates are so low, and it's relatively easy to get loans.

Nonnie Thu 26-Mar-15 17:28:25

jingle yes CTFs can be moved to child ISAs in a couple of weeks. The rates are far better.

Greyduster Thu 26-Mar-15 17:31:33

We opened an account with Halifax for GS, age 8, into which we put a set amount every month, and odd bits of money such as dividends from some shares which we bought for him. I hope it will remain untouched until he needs it for something sensible! I agree about CTFs, very poor returns and not worth putting extra money into.

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 26-Mar-15 17:53:27

Thank you Nonnie. I missed that info.

pompa Thu 26-Mar-15 17:56:22

All our GC have savings accounts.

Lona Thu 26-Mar-15 17:59:35

I always give my GC money as they have far too much "stuff", and they've always had accounts.

Tresco Thu 26-Mar-15 18:23:08

My DD chose an ordinary children's savings account rather than a Junior ISA for my DGC, because when the ISA matures at age 18, the money is under the control of the young person. She feels 18 is too young to be entrusted with what might be a significant amount of money.

whitewave Thu 26-Mar-15 18:37:25

Yes my DD and sil opened an account for each of their children at birth and my sil has an amount put into each of the accounts every month directly from his salary. Not sure if my DD does. We give pocket money and now that my GSs are getting older they usually have birthday and Chrtistmas money which they save up for something they want.

rosequartz Thu 26-Mar-15 19:07:02

They should have those Child Trust Funds which were set up between 2002 and 2011, TriciaF but I would check to see if they have anything better besides this.

rosequartz Thu 26-Mar-15 19:08:35

I usually give DD money for DGS to spend on what she thinks he would like, or to save for something larger. I also send a small present too.

rosequartz Thu 26-Mar-15 19:09:02

wgat he would like I mean!!

vampirequeen Thu 26-Mar-15 19:54:50

Our children have savings accounts with the Halifax. When they're 7 they have to sign their name and then they get an atm card. They feel soooooo grown up. We give them £1 a week each pocket money and they save it to buy things they want. Our daughter is saving for some sort of fancy scooter and our son, bless him, is saving for a Ferrari grin

NanaMacGeek Tue 11-Aug-15 15:22:09

I'm fairly new to GN so have only just discovered this forum although I'm not sure how active it is. I have a query that belongs here but can't really see an answer that fits.

We want to open an account for our DG so that we can pay in regularly and other members of the family may want to add to it as well. When we put this to our DS, he was adamant that DS should not have sole access to her account at 18 and wants some sort of 'trust fund' set up for her so that she needs permission from a 'trustee' to spend the money. Have any other GNs any experience of this? Any advice on where we could get help with it?