Joint Bank Account

Hello everyone!

I just moved to London to be with my husband on December 1st. We finally went yesterday to get me added to his Santander bank account. They didn’t like the mail I provided as proof of address so we’re waiting on another piece of mail that they said would be good. But the lady also said that there’s a chance I might not be able to be added because I’ve been here for such a short time and they’ll need to do a credit check. I thought I’d be added easy since my husband has an established account. Anyone have experience with this?

Interesting. I opened my own bank account less than a month after landing, no credit check. Six months later when I applied for a credit card to build my non-existent UK credit history they gave me one with four times the credit limit I'd asked for.  Perhaps it's something that is a bank-by-bank policy?

An emphatic “Yes”, we had a similar problem and we are both British and have been married over 40 years and held a joint account all that time.

When we returned to England last year we went into the bank to provide a change of address and because we didn’t have any utility bills in joint names they said they couldn’t continue the joint account with my wife’s name on it. We had leased a house from the USA and when we arrived and took possession the agent had transferred the utilities to my name only. We left the bank spitting tacks but when we got back home I found that our water bill was in joint names.

This has actually been a fairly normal thing to happen to people on the forum over the years.

It doesn't really make sense, but I remember quite a few people in the past saying they found it much easier to open their own account than to be added to their partner's account... they ended up opening an individual account first, and then having to wait several months before they could be added to a joint account.

We had no trouble at all opening a Barclays account for my husband. Not a bank that I use myself but he has BoA in the US and they have a relationship so that's where he wanted to be.

If Santander is giving you a hard time, try somewhere else. Plenty more banks on the High Street!   

If Santander is giving you a hard time, try somewhere else. Plenty more banks on the High Street!   

+1

Perhaps tell them that you don't want a checkbook or overdraft. Then there is no justification for a credit check.

I have used Yorkshire Bank all my life. We moved back to the UK, they said no, we went to Natwest who said yes. UK banks don't seem interested in loyalty or customer service these days.

Thanks for all your responses!! As soon as I get the proof of address I need we’ll be back down at their office. If they say I can’t be added then as you say, theres other banks out there!

Santander was pretty easy for us to join together but we had the correct mail.  I also had a student account from Lloyds (I still get paid into this) from before so it was no problem passing the credit check.  They offered us an enormous overdraft but we actually turned it down and this was no problem--so you could possibly eliminate this step completely. 

We were opening up a brand new account for us two.  My husband had an account there from when he was a kid as Santander acquired whatever bank had his kiddie savings account.  He had like £3 left in it.  But it might have made a difference that we were opening a new one altogether rather than just adding me to his.  (I wasn't added to his, we get paid into our own old accounts and transfer everything except like £80 fun money per person into the shared account.)

This has actually been a fairly normal thing to happen to people on the forum over the years.

It doesn't really make sense, but I remember quite a few people in the past saying they found it much easier to open their own account than to be added to their partner's account... they ended up opening an individual account first, and then having to wait several months before they could be added to a joint account.

Really? It was nigh impossible to get me a bank account on my own, but once I was on my husband's I could open my own with the bank.

I didn't have a job at the time.

Hello everyone!

I just moved to London to be with my husband on December 1st. We finally went yesterday to get me added to his Santander bank account. They didn’t like the mail I provided as proof of address so we’re waiting on another piece of mail that they said would be good. But the lady also said that there’s a chance I might not be able to be added because I’ve been here for such a short time and they’ll need to do a credit check. I thought I’d be added easy since my husband has an established account. Anyone have experience with this?

Our bank, Natwest, was really picky about the post they accepted. The post and the fact that my fiance visa was expiring in less than a week made them not want to add me. I told them the only reason it hadn't happened previously was their fault and I needed to be on the account now and they had said we could do it when we were there last. They added me to the account.

Advantage? As a joint bank account holder you automatically inherit on death. No need to wait for probate.

Disadvantage? The whole account and the joint owners details are reported by you on your annual FBAR & 8938 if you meet the applicable filing thresholds.  The bank reports on you under FATCA too of course...

Disadvantage? The whole account and the joint owners details are reported by you on your annual FBAR & 8938 if you meet the applicable filing thresholds.  The bank reports on you under FATCA too of course...

I don't think filing FBARs is much of a disadvantage. Takes me 10 minutes tops. I print out each FBAR after filing and the next year I can quickly copy all the details across, then just look up the amounts and plug them in.

I don't think filing FBARs is much of a disadvantage. Takes me 10 minutes tops. I print out each FBAR after filing and the next year I can quickly copy all the details across, then just look up the amounts and plug them in.

Depends on your circumstances. It can be a huge PITA!

Depends on your circumstances. It can be a huge PITA!

Particularly if you are not comfortable using the internet since paper filing of FBAR forms was done away with recently, you may have to get or pay someone to file on your behalf.