What’s your financial set up?

Financial Chat
1

Hi All,

I’m trying to sort out my finances, I currently have 4 current accounts with 4 different banks. I would like to use just one bank for all but I know people say “don’t have all your eggs in one basket”, reason I have 4 for different purposes. I like having my money in a current accounts as I keep the cards with me, just in case.

Chase*
*-Day to day
- Family Fun
- Car Repair/M.O.T
- Birthdays
- Christmas
- Holiday

Santander

  • Bills

HSBC Advance

  • Savings (Immediate Access)

Nationwide

  • Emergency (Immediate Access)

I’m just looking to see if I’m missing out on things, if I should try anything new, do I have too many accounts or even the set up I have is good?! I like hearing how other people set up their finances to give ideas, anyway thank you in advance

1 Like
2

If you had 4 accounts and mixed them up I might say that’s a bit excessive but your 4 seem fairly well spread to me.

I have three. Monzo personal for my bills/spending, Monzo joint for bills/spending and my Lloyds.

I keep Lloyds because it’s VISA, I’ve had that account for a long time and it’s better for cash/cheques. There’s only a couple of quid in it, doesn’t really get used.

2 Likes
3

I have Chase for general spending, Barclay’s for bills and Amex for all spending where it’s taken.

2 Likes
4

I use Monzo and Santander.

Monzo Personal account is my everyday/bills ect.

Santander is for mainly extra savings (which are not saved in Monzo saving pot) and just a back up high street option.

2 Likes
5

Chase for general spending
Monzo for salary and bills
AMEX as a backup. Barely use it now.
Atom/Marcus for emergency easy access savings
Freetrade for investing and long term savings.

2 Likes
6

Copied this from my post on a similar thread of another forum, because my set up is mostly the same, though of course excludes things like wealth and pension. I don’t have apps of those, but I recently consolidated all of that with Nutmeg, and my account with Barclays is now just a skeleton of what it once was.

I have accounts beyond these too, but they don’t play an active role in my life right now so they’re excluded, and I don’t keep the apps installed.

To summarise, here are all the apps I still have on my phone.

image

Atom & Marcus
— Instant savings. I split 50/50 between the two

Barclays
— The Contingency. The account I fall back when whatever fintech I’m using isn’t cutting it. Also still have a Barclaycard with them. First credit card I had. Very high limit. Stays for the most dire of emergency situations.

Cash App
— For the Americans. Fee free instant transfers to friends and family back in San Jose and NYC. Kinda hoping the debit card and other features make their way to the U.K.

Chase
— Pots done right. I’m not a fan of pots, but I do like segregation, and Chase looks like the perfect Monzo Plus killer. For now, I intend to use them for card spending, and as my only physical card I leave the house with. Longer term, once the other basics are in place, there’s a real possibility they could replace Monzo’s role. We’ll see how it goes.

Freetrade
— ad hoc investing. Mostly SMT and PCT.

Monzo
— My core account. With Monzo Plus, they’ve gotten very close to perfect for me, if a little over engineered in places.

PayPal
— PayPal credit mostly. I also still use it as my wallet for most places so fewer places to update my card details.

Revolut
— Don’t use it. Keeping it to see what happens.

RBS
— Got this purely for the Child&Co card, and no other reason. Keep it for ATM withdrawals without a card, and to send cheques at birthdays, replacing the role of Triodos. Will use it for depositing cheques going forward.

Starling
— haven’t figured out what to use it for yet. Probably a travel card, though I’m thinking Chase will serve that role now. Will keep it around just in case, and definitely won’t be closing it ever again.

Wallet
— My phone is my wallet. Literally. Aside from a backup physical card in my shoe, just in case, my Phone is the only thing in my pocket.

3 Likes
7

You keep your card in your shoe?

5 Likes
8

Why is that always the reaction I get!? :joy:

It depends on your shoe of course, I typically wear boots. But I feel like the shaft of my shoe is the most secure place to store it. I think it’s a neat safeguard against mugging too.

4 Likes
9

I’m more concerned that your shoes have… shafts? :scream:

2 Likes
10

:joy: I had to google the correct name for that part of the shoe! Apparently shaft is it.

Behold the anatomy of a boot:

image
image1000×646 92.9 KB

We’re still on topic. Right? :rofl:

5 Likes
11

Ulster bank- depositing cash (wages usually in cash)
Monzo - main account, bills and most of spending
Starling - joint account ( mainly for spaces)
Chase - transferring my fuel money here every week to get some cash back
Amex - for cash back on bigger items
Amazon credit card - for Amazon vouchers where Amex not accepted
Barclaycard - had for years, hardly used now
Virgin credit card - 0% balance transfer
Marcus savings - emergency fund
Hargreaves’s landsdown - lifetime ISA (for retirement not house purchase)

Few more I never use, some got for current account switching offers and kept for future offers. Don’t think I’ve missed any of importance.

3 Likes
13

Monzo

Day to day
Bills
Some savings in a couple of different pots (some interest earning ones)

HSBC

More savings
ISA
Mortgage

Amex

Big stuff to get protection and that sweet sweet cashback

Barclays

Barclaycard for when Amex isn’t accepted and I want spending protection

Thats about it :blush:

(Edited to add a card I forgot)

3 Likes
15

Not keen on Amex?

16

Haven’t included absolutely everything, but these are the accounts and tools I use regularly from spending and saving perspective

  • Monzo - primary current account
  • Santander - bills + back up current account
  • Chip - savings
  • Crypto.com prepaid debit card - day to day spending when S75 isn’t needed.
  • Curve - conduit for using Apple Pay with Crypto.com card
  • Airtime Rewards
  • Amex - main credit card
  • Nationwide visa credit card - secondary credit card. For when I can’t use Amex or when abroad
  • PayPal - for PayPal stuff
  • Emma - Aggregation
3 Likes
17

Closed it recently following the interest hike. I didn’t use it. Used to, but I don’t use credit cards the way you need to use an Amex to reap the benefits.

1 Like
18

Starling
Salary goes in and most bills come out.

Santander
Some bills come out of here for cashback.

Natwest
Some bills come out of here for rewards.

Revolut
Personal spending card.

Amex
Household spending.

Nationwide
For Flex Plus benefits.

3 Likes
19

Monzo - Have plus main account with all my bills and dds coming out and wages paid in.

Lloyds - for cheque or cash paying in and to fall back in case I need a old school bank.

MBNA - credit card.

Chase - used for card paying cash backs.

Starling - not sure what to use for may use to go abroad now.

Marcus - savings account.

Freetrade - for shares.

PayPal - for making payments and not always wanting to share card details.

2 Likes
20

Barclays - Salary lands here (used to get £3 a month for free with blue rewards but RIP to that)

Monzo - ‘Budget’ transferred from salary here for monthly spending. Main account.

Monzo Flex - Larger purchases

Amex - Daily spending where accepted. Otherwise tap with Monzo. This is synced so that money is automatically deposited to an ‘Amex’ pot every time I spend. Direct debit automatically taken from this pot.

MBNA - Long balance transfer.

Revolut - Cheap Netflix and YouTube

Binance & Metamask - Crypto

Moneybox lifetime ISA - Only have £1 in here. Keeping it around for when I’m read to buy a house. I can drop £4k in there for a £1k bonus!

TopCashback/Quidco/Airtime Rewards/HuYu & others - Cashback and rewards

Various high street bank accounts - Standing order going into these to keep them from being marked as dormant. Used for switching offers when they come around.

1 Like
22

Depending how much savings you have, what do you plan to do in the future with them, your actual circunstances, …

As long as you can manage them and each account have purpose that’s the main concern.

1 Like
23

  • HSBC - personal account

  • Santander - Joint bills account

  • Monzo - not really used much and might close

  • Chase - tried it when it came out and used for emergency fund but might shift.

3 Likes