This worries me

I have just heard that my local Santander is closing soon. So annoying. I live in a retirement town. We had about 5 banks a few month ago. Suddenly NatWest closed and all the clients moved to Santander, so no old Santander customers could get in as the queues were enormous and if you wanted to discuss something you had to get an appointment for a month in advance...
I have been told that HSBC is also closing soon but Lloyds may remain and they will then be the only bank in town.

All 3 banks in the small town I live in closed down in the past two years. Now our very small post office is even more overstretched than it was before.

Ah, that's a shame. I can sympathise. My friends have vanished into the ether this last little while.
I hope you will make some new friends.

I don’t or rather wont bank on line and phone my bank if necessary.
I do have another physical bank that I maybe visit once a tear.
I still go out and don’t need an excuse, just visit somewhere, usually on my own. A few years ago I had 4 friends all die within a year so I tend to be a bit short of friends these days.

Ha! Love it MissA.

I have never managed to do online banking.
I forget which picture I chose, am unsure how my mothers' maiden name was spelt, and can't remember my security questions, let alone the answers.

M&S bank and Halifax to name 2 others, have 24/7 customer services.
All telephone calls are recorded and you won't get anything other than friendly, polite and helpful staff assisting you with your enquiries however long it takes.

With respect Petra , if utilities, mobile contract, landline, broa
dband bank
accounts (to name the basics) are in the name of the account holder, they would show up in any or multiple credit ref files.
Servicing your debts in the proper manner does not exclude you being offered credit.
If, however, the person applying for a credit card is not the bill payer in the above instances, then yes it might be difficult to be accepted.

I think it's an acknowledged fact that the worsening state of the high street will affect older people through less contact with the outside world. It doesn't necessarily mean someone is friendless, or has no family in touch with them. Many older people have enjoy a chat with a shop assistant or, as in this case, a bank assistant.

Don't think there is any need for sly digs at the OP.

I've used internet banking for years and don't miss going into a bank at all.
If I get a cheque to pay in I can use the app to pay the cheque in without having to go into town.
On the few occasions I've had to actually visit the bank because I want to put cash in or take some out I've found it really inconvenient. The car park costs me £2 for a start, which is a lot for a quick trip to the bank. The last time I took some cash out the cashier asked me what I wanted the money for. I almost felt like I was being interrogated, it's my money and if I want to take some of it out, that's my perogative. I have absolutely no issues with making small chat with anyone in shops or banks but it just seemed a bit too nosey for my liking.

Phoebes
Generally speaking your far better withdrawing your money out at your holiday destination.

Our local bank went to one of those with just cash machines - have to travel a good way to get to the nearest available one. Like you I used to enjoy going in there as the staff was always so friendly

First Direct are wonderful. They were voted bank with best customer service. Nothing is too much trouble, plus if you have a query at 2.00am, they will answer the phone. Cash can be withdrawn from ATMs. So polite and helpful, knock others into the shade.

Having said that, I do most things, including paying people, online, so I suppose I'm to blame if the banks are closing. It's use it or lose it!

Every now and again we empty the piggy bank, where we save our £2 coins and pay them into the bank. How could we do this if there were no banks? Where would we get our foreign currency?

We''re lucky to have a good selection of banks in our nearest town. We don't use online banking (don't trust it) but it's rare for us to go into our local branches, we use ATMs for cash and balances. But it's nice to know that there is a physical branch with real people to speak to if need be.

I worked in banking for many years and while trawling the internet last night I discovered quite by chance that the beautiful City of London bank where I started my working life is now a bar and restaurant. It looks a fabulous place but I felt a bit sad that it has changed use. C'est la vie I guess.

Bluebelle
It was because they couldn't check on how you spend your money which all mortgage providers do now.
Someone might well be earning £50k a year but they want to know what you do with it and with a clean record they don't know.
Some of the 'holier than thous' on another thread who have never had a credit/debit card would never get a mortgage now.

Bank assistants would never tell you that your credit history is too clean...ever.
It isn't up to them to make the search.
The department who make credit searches is totally separate and do not disclose their findings or reasons to the applicant, and certainly not to telephone banking assistants or counter staff.
What those staff may tell you is their own view of the possible reason for rejection. 'Could be' or 'might be'....blah blah.

When I moved here 4 years ago (small Devon Town) there were 2 Banks both have now closed. Nearest Town has plenty of Banks but it's not always convenient to go into a Branch.

I use our local Post Office to draw cash out & pay the occasional cheque in. I refuse to use contactless, that I don't trust. I use cash in my local shop & window cleaner, also if I go out for coffee/meal.

I have used on-line banking for several years, I have no problem with it. I do miss the convenience of a Branch in Town.

SillyNanny321
Forgot to say that you can scan cheques on your mobile phone. The bank then emails confirmation. You just take a screenshot of it within the parameters shown on your phone (corners) both front and back. That's all.

I think everyone who wants personal contact will really need to get used to not hsving it as I think it’s only a matter of time before you all need to use the online facilities
Laugh at you liking First Direct when it first became established I applied to join and was turned down a couple of tries I rang to ask why as I d never had any bad credit and they told me that was the reason my history was too clean!!!
Make of that what you will I have stayed clean and stayed with Lloyds since 1968

* should read, do not require every month.

SillyNanny321
As you do online banking, have you thought about BACS or Faster Payments transfers to your gardener and window cleaner?
I pay my window cleaner and odd job men this way as they are services I require every month.
Faster Payments get to the recipient's account more or less immediately, at the most 2 hrs later.
You can use telephone banking to do this OR do it online.
It will save you having to queue in a PO or worry about having the ready cash when they call.
All you need are the sort code and account numbers of the people you wish to pay. It will be logged on your account by the telephone banking assistant and, after the first payment goes out, you can then see it on your online account and DIY in future.

My local Barclays is closing too. I'm very sad as I will have to travel a fair distance in future. I don't like online banking and prefer a friendly face.

The Barclays in the market town at work we use to pay in cheques/cash is closing soon leaving no bank at all. There is usually a queue to see the teller (although we put the cheques in a machine and only queue up for large cash sums) so presumably this queue will transfer to the post office where we already have to queue for stamps/parcels etc. It can be time consuming.
Meanwhile my personal bank, Santander, in my home town of 80,000 and still expanding to reach over 100,000 is closing and the only post office in town is in a frozen food store. There are other banks/ building societies and I may be transferring my account.
I don’t like using external cashpoints and there are no nearby internal ones, other than in other banks.