Savers with cash frozen in accounts with the UK branch of Icesave will get back their savings through a fast-track refund scheme. Payments are expected to begin in the first two weeks of November. Although the plan has yet to be finalised, it is expected that payments will be made electronically into other accounts. This will happen in stages and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) will write to all ‘retail depositors’ to explain how the process will work.
Posts Tagged ‘Financial Services Compensation Scheme’
Icesave savers to get fast-track refunds
Saturday, October 25th, 2008Britons fear saving with foreign banks
Friday, October 24th, 2008British savers have rushed to withdraw money from foreign banks and many more are planning to steer clear of them in the wake of the Icelandic banking crash. British banking brands are expected to attract tens of millions in savers’ cash as a result. The irony however is that the top ‘British’ brand on interest rates, Bradford & Bingley, is not technically British following its recent acquisition by Spanish bank Santander.
It must be said however that Indian own ICICI and Nigerian own FBN are fully covered up to £50,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and do not operate under a foreign passport compensation system like Dutch bank ING Direct or the Turkish Akbank (or even the UK branch of the fallen Icelandic banks).
Will the UK pay full Icesave compensation?
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
So far, Iceland has claimed that it has the funds to compensate the UK’s 300,000 savers who have deposits with its Icesave accounts, so all customers will have to sit tight for the time being. Compensation must be provided within three months under EU rules.
However, if this turns out to be incorrect, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) has said that it will not pay back the full £50,000 if the Icelandic system finds it is unable to pay back any individual’s funds owed up to its guarantee of 20,000 EUR (£16,000). So if you have £50,000 saved with Icesave and the Icelandic system cannot meet its obligation of £16,000 owed, then the UK system will only provide the ‘topped-up’ additional sum of £34,000.
