The Lemon Fool

Just received notice that the free travel insurance will be removed from flex accounts. Nothing to do with covid but to keep the company strong.

I don't know if I should be worried that a bit of insurance drags it down so much.

We do have options, a £13 paid monthly account, open with a different provider or just close the account.

Do go on holiday is the one they forgot

Gerry557 wrote:Just received notice that the free travel insurance will be removed from flex accounts. Nothing to do with covid but to keep the company strong.

I don't know if I should be worried that a bit of insurance drags it down so much.

We do have options, a £13 paid monthly account, open with a different provider or just close the account.

Do go on holiday is the one they forgot

Looks like my 20+ years with Nationwide is coming to an end.
One less bank account to rotate money through each month I suppose.

Yes, I got an email a few days ago about their travel insurance, mine was no longer free anyway, as my age numerically rises, their cut-off point lowers. I got a few years of free cover after I retired, then I was invited to 'upgrade' for any subsequent cover. An interesting use of the word 'upgrade', I could upgrade from nothing to being covered, I would say that was just 'buying'. As it only cost £65 for world-wide, ex USA, I bought it.

I can't remember how long I've been with N/W, getting on for 40 years, and I'm not thinking of leaving, I'm very satisfied with them, I like mutuals, so I'll stay. I've been with them so long I would get a pay out if ever they de-mutualised, which I presume they won't.

If ever foreign travel is practicable again, I will probably go with Staysure.

I got the email today. I'm a longstanding customer, having held a flexaccount for more than 30 years and used it as my main account for much of that time (excluding the years living abroad - when it just saw occasional use).

Bizarre that I should have heard of it here first, several days before they told me.

The £13/month Flexplus account also includes UK & European breakdown cover, equivalent to the top AA or RAC options, so this may make it worthwhile to switch.

(I like it as it covers my campervan on trips abroad).

Scott.

swill453 wrote:The £13/month

B***** that. No chance.

Nationwide was great before about 2009. Then over a fairly short period, all the things that had put it so far ahead of the regular banks disappeared. Nowadays I only continue to run an account for the hypothetical possibility of a carpet-bag.

I have a joint flex plus account. The £13/month fee sounds a lot, but it covers breakdown assistance (which I have used on a few occasions) and international travel insurance. I need a health upgrade, which interestingly Nationwide have written to say I should not renew until such time as I am actually about to travel, when they will quote me. When I did a comparison about 3 years ago, I found their upgrade significantly cheaper than what other insurance companies were offering.

I am guessing they are finding the travel insurance side difficult to cost properly, and maybe they have been hit with some big bills.

Well I'm not paying £13 per month either but unlikely to move. I haven't used the travel insurance recently, I wonder why? I did get a letter ref covid restrictions a while back but as we were not planning anything at the time didn't take much notice. Assuming that things would return to some sort of normal.

You might have thought that less people travelling would be a winner on the side of the bank

pochisoldi wrote:One less bank account to rotate money through each month I suppose.

Isn't it annoying the hoops we have to jump through
my own gripe is funding Santander £500 a month only to take most of it straight back out again
going in is a DD, but taking out is manual as it varies