Halifax-Schmalifax!
I joined the Halifax when it was a building society over 30 years ago. Mrs Gold and all the little Golds opened their little accounts too.
The Halifax (like many others) closed branch after branch and now the nearest is a sub-office in a suburb of Bristol. It is less than 100 metres from my bank. So convenient.
But for the last year they have one till open and that is "manned" by the slowest sour-faced misery guts you could wish for. I go to my (HSBC) bank and although only two tills when a queue builds up then someone comes out and helps you put your money in the automatic machine - very helpful. It never takes more than a few minutes.
But over at the Halifax you wait and wait and wait and wait ...
Mrs Gold has moved her ISA to the Nationwide (200 yards from my bank). And when I get my next spur to overcome advanced lethargy I'll move mine. They are as complacent a bunch as you could never wish to meet.
My other stock-market linked ISA (Halifax again) dropped 27% from it's peak in January '08.
Now, I know everyone has lost out this year - but what are these guys being paid to do? Pin the tail on the donkey? Sit on their fat
arses backsides and pick their noses? Go on a paintball bonding weekend at my expense!???
I've given up saving - I now pay any spare cash off my mortgage (Bradford and Bingley interest only endowment linked with Clerical and Medical which was taken over by? -you've guessed it- Halifax!!! Don't get me started on that one!)
They really are a bunch of bankers!
Rant over!
Yup - any extra spare cash is going in National Savings for me.