payin off them student loans...

Hello everyone

Question about finding a bank. I'm gonna have to start paying back those horrible student loans next year and I think I need a new bank. I'm with Nationwide at the moment (spur of the moment thing and I've been trying to build of credit by NOT switching) anyway... is anyone using a bank that pays U.S. bills? I was on the phone with this wretched woman from Direct Loan who frankly didn't make me proud to be an American. She said yes you can pay the direct debit payment as long as your bank does the exchange into American money. I must seem stupid but to my knowledge I didnt think any UK bank did that... well if they did they do it for an extortionary fee. Anyone on the other end of paying American bills while living here with some advice to share?

Sar

I'm new to the UK, so far I haven't found any banks that will do US bill pay. My husband opened an account at Barclays and they mentioned to him that you could also open a US dollar account for 8.00 GBP a quarter, but I haven't seen anything on the internet or online banking about this. We are going this Friday to add me to his account, so I will check on that while I am there.

We have been really lucky so far because my mother has been nice enough to deposit checks into our US account. We mailed her a bunch of blank checks from our UK account when my husband first opened it. Once a month I call her, and tell her to make the check out for how much ever I need to pay US bills that month and she deposits it in the bank for me. It credits into my account the next day and then I use online bill pay through my US bank to pay the bills. I think this is the easiest way if you have someone willing to go to the bank for you each month. Good Luck to you!

Kim

here's what I did.

I have a US checking account (Wachovia). I signed up with ING direct (USA). I opened a bank account in the UK (HSBC student account)

I have savings in ING to pay bills. I move the money to my US account for paying bills and pay that way.  If I need to move money from UK to US I use paypal.  I do large chunks at a time so I don't have to do it often.

I pay my US credit cards and once I have to pay back student loans, I will pay them that way as well.

here's what I did.

I have a US checking account (Wachovia). I signed up with ING direct (USA). I opened a bank account in the UK (HSBC student account)

I have savings in ING to pay bills. I move the money to my US account for paying bills and pay that way.  If I need to move money from UK to US I use paypal.  I do large chunks at a time so I don't have to do it often.

I pay my US credit cards and once I have to pay back student loans, I will pay them that way as well.

do you paypal it to your ING account? or direct to your wachovia account?

that's quite similar to the setup I have, only i've got bank of america, ing direct (US), natwest (current) and hsbc (regular account with a switch/maestro card).  i've also got a US paypal account.

i hate this sh*t, transferring money and being charged an extortionate fee is such a bother

I'm going to have to start paying back sometime toward the end of this year.

Can you pay with a credit card? Is that possible?

My plan was to pay the loan by UK credit card and just pay off the card each month to avoid the interest. Is that not possible? It seems super simple - maybe I'm missing something?

 That was my original plan too, but my lender wouldn't take credit card payments.    I'm not sure if all lenders are all that way or not though.

Barclay's seem to offer some king of International account in dollars. *looking into it*

put money in from HSBC into paypal account to wachovia to either pay bills or go to ING savings.