Older people maybe?
Or people who just really like branches
Yes, but that isn’t that many people. How can it be worthwhile for them to operate a national network of semi-autonomous branches for that relatively small demographic?
Not to be mean, but it’s also literally a group that is dying off as time goes on.
For customers, it makes no sense due to the opaque and onerous onboarding process and seemingly selective nature of the bank (and it’s not like it’s got the cachet of Coutts or Hoares).
Handelsbanken may not have a public minimum deposit or salary, but they don’t take any random client. They are very, very picky.
They want to sell specific and targeted mortgages and loans, which of course are mostly what high earners would be selecting through relationship based banking.
I did enquire before and it was a very long process. Each branch is run independently. So each branch will also have their own independent criteria.
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I’ve considered banking with them in the past, they can be a good option for people in less-straightforward financial circumstances than your average Brit. For example, I get paid in USD into my US account and send the majority of it over here via Wise every month. That automatically menas many UK banks wouldn’t consider me for a mortgage (though fortunately NatWest will). I spoke with Handelsbanken and they told me that since everything is done at the branch level they are very open to offering finance products for people in ‘niche’ circumstances like mine. I do also get the appeal of personal banking, having somewhere you can walk in where the branch manager knows you by name and knows what you need. I decided to not open an account with them yet but I am still considering it.
At this point also they have Branches in some towns and cities with no branches now
So they have replied.
Not sure if they remember me some last time but one of the Private Banking Manger’s from my local branch has emailed instantly with “lets setup a meeting”
How did you get on with this? Did you decide to proceed?