Barclays do have a pretty distinct culture - especially in terms of the volatility at the very top. ‘Blue Blood’ is quite a commonly used phrase amongst staff and those aiming for commission. It’s quite well documented in the financial press.
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I’m pretty most of the big banks have the same culture it’s not Barclays specific.
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I mean yeah Barclays are not loss making and are squeezing money for themselves and shareholders.
Ditto Monzo spending VC and crowdfunding money on building a product.
So the consumer choice is to either use VC money subsidised products or some for profit bank that milks customers.
One really doesn’t want to use a failing bank that neither milks customers or has VC money. Cause it is dire when the bank fails, due to hassle of changing banks and doing fscs claim etc.
There’s always Nationwide
Nationwide exec bonuses are on par with banks with shareholders. I vote them down every year, whilst most people renew their votes.
And they quasi enrich with convertible bonds issues. They still have some PIBS but are redeeming them at every opportunity (most recently tomorrow).
All of their bonds convertible to equity pay decent interest and not available to members in any way. Neither to buy those bonds or receive similar interest via any of their savings accounts.
So yeah, nationwide also milk their members. It is nice that regular saver got recently reintroduced back at competitive 2% at £200 a month but that is about it.
None of their other member savings accounts match the interest they pay to investment banks.
Their mortgage rates are ok / better than others, but have odd lending requirements at times and artificially inflate rates for new vs existing customers. I don’t understand why.
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What do you feel is the right remuneration for the CEO of the UK’s 2nd largest mortgage lender? If you don’t agree with the figure they’re suggesting, you must have some idea of the figure you’d feel is better suited, surely?
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I am ok with the numbers, not fine with ratios.
To me 7.5x of average Nationwide employee is more than sufficient. Their c-suite / board renumeration exceeds that. I would hope they can bring things to a smaller ratio. For example by I creasing average pay and reducing execs pay.
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For Barclays the average salary is 100k. This is skewed by a few thousand earning 1m plus and many earning 20-50k, still it’s a big number. This was in an annual report a few years ago.
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So having misplaced my RBS card I’m surprised to note that you have to fill in an antiquated web form and wait for them to process it before a new card is issued.
No issue as it’s not urgent and there’s a number to call for stolen cards at least
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I just got an RBS credit card. Nothing displayed in the app as of yet - a fairly non descript approval and an email saying they’re ‘making’ the card and the PIN will be on another letter. If the fintechs could get credit cards right it’s so open to disruption 
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Both Monzo flex & tymit issue the card number straight away and one can use it with Apple/Google Pay straight away in physical locations and online with number details.
Not sure, but I think jaja was the same.
So there are some that do it right.
I think I heard some legacy banks allow apple/Google Pay straight away as well, but I can’t remember which.
But yeah, most of them is like wait for physical post across multiple days and then activate it before being able to use.
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I think you can request a replacement via the app too, which should be easier.
The form is if you try to do it via internet banking, if I’m right?
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All RBS (and NatWest, and the rest of the group) new accounts take up to two or three days after opening to show in the app and online.
I think it’s because they only add the account to your profile on the next run of their batch-processing, which happens during overnight downtime.
I have fairly-recently taken out a credit card with First Direct, and although you had to wait for the card to arrive to use it I was pleasantly surprised with them. They posted the card 1st class and it arrived after only a couple of days. The initial application was all in the app so I didn’t have to wait for documents to arrive, sign those and then wait for them to process them as I had thought they may do. The card also arrived “pre-activated”, which saved a further step at the cost of some security. The app application was a bit clunky, though, so could be improved.
What I did find a bit ridiculous, unfortunately, was you have to post them a paper form if you want to set up a Direct Debit payment for the bill!
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Thankfully with my HSBC Rewards credit card, because I’m an existing HSBC customer, I could set up my DD completely online. Apparently this would not have been the case were the credit card my only HSBC product.
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First Direct could apparently set up a Direct Debit without the form if you wanted to pay it from a First Direct current account.
As I didn’t select that option, I have no idea how that process would have gone, but I suspect it would have meant you had to call them and go through a process of verbally agreeing to terms.
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I tried reporting as lost via the app, and it just took me to the form. It did say they’ll email me when the card is cancelled and reissued so I’ll wait a day or two before I judge their processes
Not sure if the simple reorder a card button would’ve worked automatically
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Yes. I recall HSBC was basically the same (for obvious reasons)
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Oh, sorry. I thought that button actually worked!
I did also once re-order a card through CORA (but it involved an agent, so wasn’t automated).
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Sadly no – it’s a polished looking app with links to very old web forms it seems!
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The button’s worked now – by which I mean someone in the background went and issued a new card. Visa still so I guess you were right about the new vs existing customers approach. Bit meh as someone on Reddit managed to get a NatWest MasterCard recently
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