Saving Pots & Main balance

Feedback & Ideas
1

Hello,

I have recently switched from Starling to Monzo. I loved Starling, but as soon as they started to dictate where I could send my money I had to leave.

One feature I loved was the savings goals (saving pots at Monzo). With Starling if my main balance went overdrawn, the money in my savings goals would keep me in the green. The goals in theory was just my balance split up.

What I’ve been told at Monzo is that the pots are completely separate and if I go overdrawn I get charged. I have more than enough in my pots to cover the difference. It seems wrong that I should get charged here. Being on a salary, I can manage the main balance month to month knowing my pots/goals keep me safe.

Knowing that I’m now going to get charged is frustrating as I have to mess around transferring money from my pots which seems to defeat the purpose of the pots.

Anyone else experience a similar issue?

Thanks

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2

They didn’t. They removed their risk and liability to people being careless (on occasion) with their money.

You were always free to do what you want with your money, as you did moving to monzo.

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3

That’s correct.

It is wrong, it’s been mentioned quite a few times but it’s still the same.

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4

Simple solution, don’t run out of money in your main balance. You get a notification if you go overdrawn, so plenty time to move some money over.

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5

I prefer pots to be separate. If I go overdrawn I don’t want my savings pots to be touched. The same applies with having an unauthorised payment go through - my savings are safe and segregated

As mentioned above, you get notified in advance if you don’t have enough for your direct debits and using budgets will help predict this too. Then I’m in control of whether I want to punish myself for being poor at managing my money or dip into my precious savings.

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6

The point is that your savings are safe and segregated. They wouldn’t be touched.

If your main account is -£50 but your pot is +£1,000, you shouldn’t be paying fees for being “overdrawn” when you’re +£950.

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7

Starling do this well.

8

Ohhh this again.

Is the difference that you can have third party pots with Monzo? I assume this would only apply to “regular” ones?

9

It doesn’t apply at all with Monzo.

Even normal pots don’t count towards your balance for overdraft purposes. But they do for interest :person_shrugging:

10

Sorry I’ll re-phrase.

Do starling allow you to have savings pots (or whatever they’re called) with third parties and this still prevents you from being charged if your main balance goes overdrawn?

11

Starling don’t have 3rd party providers for savings, there’s a new product coming soon though which may or may not be a 3rd party marketplace for savings

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12

Starling spaces cover the whole account balance therefore if £500 overdrawn in main account but £501 in a Space, you’d not incur any overdraft charges.

Monzo would charge you interest for being £500 overdrawn even though your Pots balance is equal to or greater than the main account balance.

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13

I assume that’s why it’s easier for them to do this then.

If Monzo were to adopt this they’d have to have a disclaimer that savings pots are excluded since the money isn’t actually in your account.

14

They have standard pots though, so they could make it a thing. Just they don’t want to, for now.

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15

My hard earned money, I’ll spend it how I see fit. Telling me I can’t send my money to buy a risky asset, but happy for me to send money to betting companies is very hypocritical.

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16

I didn’t want this to be a Starling vs Monzo debate. But like Carlo pointed out, being charged £1 for being overdrawn when you have £500 in the pots seems extreme.

Starling’s savings goals work well because you can split the main balance without actually removing anything from the actual account.

Moving money between pots is time consuming when I can just be happy that the main balance is safe/covered by the pots.

Why not offer 3rd party savings accounts, as well as the balance splitting pots?

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17

By the sounds of it, both banks do something you don’t like. So you need to decide which of those you hate the least.

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18

Starling was brilliant, but as soon as my money was restricted, I lost faith in them. Monzo haven’t stopped any of my transfers/requests.

The goals/pots is just something that Starling did better and a suggestion for Monzo to take on board.

19

Your money wasn’t restricted.

This has been suggested many times too, Monzo don’t seem to have any intention to change it. Have a search and you’ll find them.

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20

Did they restrict money from you to not spend anywhere what so ever? Or just encouraged you to risk your money elsewhere?

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