Best banking options?

Hello!

I was recently advised by a fellow expat at my company that I should open an HSBC account here in the US prior to moving to the UK based on the fact that I could immediately open a UK HSBC account upon arrival.

Does anyone have experience with HSBC accounts like this?

I have also heard that Citibank has the same situation. Again, any experience with Citi?

I'm also interested to gain information about the best banks at which to open a UK account as an expat that do not require a large minimum balance. Please let me know, and thanks!

Hello!

I was recently advised by a fellow expat at my company that I should open an HSBC account here in the US prior to moving to the UK based on the fact that I could immediately open a UK HSBC account upon arrival.

Does anyone have experience with HSBC accounts like this?

I have also heard that Citibank has the same situation. Again, any experience with Citi?

I'm also interested to gain information about the best banks at which to open a UK account as an expat that do not require a large minimum balance. Please let me know, and thanks!

HSBC sells itself as "The World's Global Bank" so it would seem to be a reasonable thing to do.  I was an HSBC customer here in the USA as well as an HSBC customer in the UK.  I recently closed my US HSBC account simply because of the large balance required in my checking account to avoid fees, otherwise I had no issues with them.

They only have branches in NY State so out of State customers have to be purely on-line customers only.  I would ask them up front if it will make opening an account in the UK easier - I would think it should.

I had an account with HSBC in 2007, and had no problems obtaining said account.  However, having a US-based HSBC account wasn't any sort of requirement.

Where will you be living?  I find I have to go into the bank more often here than I ever did for my banks in the US-- So, you may want to consider whether you'll have easy access to a CitiBank or not (there are only 4 in the UK, all in London)

People here have had a lot of luck opening accounts with Lloyds TSB, with just a US passport and proof of address.  Another more recent post says this is also the case with NatWest.