Many Britons will feel a bank account isn’t something they’re prepared to pay for – after all, most current accounts are ‘free’.
However, some packaged bank accounts offer a host of benefits that added together could justify their monthly cost.
The typical perks include free annual worldwide travel insurance, car breakdown cover and mobile phone insurance, often with family members included.
There is also the convenience factor of having three insurance policies taken care of saving both time and effort in having to organise it separately.
Some bank accounts charge a monthly fee, but throw in perks such as annual worldwide travel insurance.
Michelle Stevens, banking expert at comparison site Finder, says: ‘If you and your family are frequent travellers, then a current account with packaged travel insurance could be well worth the monthly fee, especially given the rising cost of travel insurance premiums in the last two years.
‘But before signing up to any premium current account, it’s important you check that the terms of the travel insurance policy – as well as the other account features and perks – suit your needs.’
She adds: ‘Another benefit of getting free travel insurance with a current account is that a lot of people usually forgo it – up to 8.6million in 2019 – which is not an advisable move.
‘If you get seriously injured abroad then the bill can reach hundreds of thousands of pounds, so having travel insurance included with a current account may result in a lot of people getting covered who may not have done so otherwise.’
We pick our three favourite current account deals for travel insurance, taking into account the monthly cost and the additional perks on offer.
This account offers worldwide travel insurance as well as mobile phone and European breakdown cover.
It does come with a £13 monthly charge, which, compared to other packaged bank accounts looks relatively cheap.
Its worldwide family travel insurance, includes winter sports, golf, weddings and business cover.
Nationwide offers worldwide travel, mobile phone and European breakdown cover and charges £13 a month for maintaining the account.
Cover for travel essentials includes luggage, documents and cash as well as protecting against travel-specific problems like delays, cancellations and medical expenses.
Then cancellation cover is up to £5,000, the medical expenses cover up to £10 million, whilst cover for travel disruption will be eligible when caused by natural disasters, or airline or travel end supplier failure.
Watch out
The policy doesn’t cover medical conditions unless they have been declared to Nationwide and accepted. In some instances, you can pay for a medical upgrade to your insurance policy.
Two other clauses to be aware of is that the longest trip length allowed is 31 consecutive days.
For any person to be insured who is aged 70 or over, they must buy an age upgrade to cover them.
What else
Although the monthly cost will add up to £156 a year, it’s possible to offset much of this during the the first year, thanks to Nationwide’s current account switching incentive.
Non-Nationwide members can currently get £100 for switching, whilst members who switch to the Flex Plus account could get £125.
Saves the extra admin: Nationwide’s annual travel insurance policy is worldwide, and covers a whole family for multiple trips, not just the individual account holder.
On top of travel insurance, account holders get vehicle breakdown cover both in the UK and the rest of Europe and mobile phone insurance for the whole family.
The car insurance is valid whether someone is a driver or a passenger in a vehicle, and comes with no excess to pay and unlimited callouts.
The mobile insurance covers mobiles belonging to the account holder and those belonging to their partner and dependent children. It covers for loss, theft, damage and faults.
Virgin’s Club M Account comes with a £14.50 monthly charge.
Similar to Nationwide, it offers 31 days’ worldwide cover per trip. It will cover the account holder and a partner living with them if there’re both under 75, so it’s a little more generous on that front.
Virgin’s worldwide family multi-trip travel insurance – includes winter sports, golf and weddings. Plus, 24 hour access to a doctor at home or abroad.
There’s also cover for up to four dependents under 18 – either in full time education or living with the account holder.
Emergency medical treatment, includes falling ill with coronavirus while away, and cover for the journey home, if it’s medically necessary.
It also covers lost, damaged or stolen items, and if the baggage is delayed, any essentials will be paid for in the interim period. It also includes cover for delays or missed departures and winter sports as standard.
Account holders are also covered when cancelling or cutting short a trip if they fall ill with coronavirus as long as they didn’t know they had it and weren’t being tested for it when they booked their trip.
The cover includes emergency medical, surgical, hospital, treatment and ambulance costs, as well as any additional accommodation and travel expenses if someone cannot return to the United Kingdom.
Watch out
There is a maximum allowance of 31 days of worldwide cover per trip.
It covers the account holder and their partner living with them if they’re both under 75. There’s also cover for up to four dependents under 18.
A claim will be void if it relates to any medical treatment received because of a medical condition or an illness related to a medical condition which a person knew about at the time of opening the account.
What else?
On top of the travel insurance it also offers UK breakdown cover with no call out charges, whether as the driver or the passenger and offers help at the roadside and at home.
It also offers worldwide mobile phone and gadget insurance covering against loss theft, damage, and breakdown
Just make sure you’ve declared any pre-existing medical conditions and don’t leave your valuables unattended to be fully covered.
Its Worldwide family multi-trip travel insurance – including winter sports, golf and weddings. Plus, 24 hour access to a doctor at home or abroad.
Virgin current account holders also benefit from various other perks.
It offers access to an easy-access linked savings account paying 1.71 per cent on balances up to £25,000. Customers can also benefit from 2.02 per cent on balances up to £1,000 in their bank account.
New customers switching to the Virgin Money Club M Account can also receive a bonus of 20,000 Virgin Points to spend with Virgin Red, thanks to Virgin Money’s latest current account switching offer.
Virgin Red is a rewards club that turns everyday spending into points. Once you are a member, you can earn and spend Virgin Points across almost 200 different rewards.
The 20,000 Virgin Points boost means travellers could get a return flight to Barbados, the Bahamas or St Lucia, while bakery enthusiasts could turn their points into 100 sausage or vegan sausage rolls, 61 coffees or teas or 100 doughnuts or muffins.
Halifax Ultimate Reward current account costs £17 per month, the equivalent of £204 per year. However, there are ways to dramatically reduce this via its cashback and switching offers.
The account includes a family travel insurance policy for the account holder, their spouse or partner and children aged 18 or under, or up to 24 if they’re in full time education.
It includes cover for personal belongings, certain sports and activities such as winter sports golf trips.
At £17 a month Halifax is the most expensive of our three top picks. However, its £150 cash incentive and £5 monthly cashback could help account holders to significantly reduce the cost.
Its cover includes, up to £10million for hospital fees, repatriation, medical confinement, funeral and dental costs incurred if taken ill or injured on your trip.
Up to £5,000 in total for loss of pre-paid travel and accommodation expenses in the case of cancellation or curtailment.
It covers personal baggage up to £2,500 if it is lost, damaged or stolen. This includes up to £500 for valuables, and up to £500 for a single item or pair or set of items.
It also covers personal money up to £750 for loss, or theft. This includes up to £300 cover for cash. This is limited to £50 for under 16s.
Watch out:
Existing medical conditions are not covered, unless these are agreed with the insurer first, and an additional premium may be payable.
The longest trip length is 31 consecutive days. For winter sports, a maximum of 31 days cover in a calendar year.
Halifax’s travel insurance covers personal Baggage up to £2,500 if it is lost, damaged or stolen.
It’s also worth noting that a £75 excess per adult per incident may apply and to be covered trips must start and end in the UK.
All cover ends when the account holder turns 71. As long as the account holder is less than 71, their spouse or partner will also be covered until they reach 71.
Eligible children can also be covered so long as they are travelling with the spouse, partner or civil partner of the policyholder.
What else:
It also offers car breakdown cover with the AA. This covers any vehicle the account holder is travelling in, at the roadside or at home. But only in the UK.
For mobile insurance, it covers breakdown, accidental damage, loss and theft up to £2,000.
However, it only Covers one phone per account holder or two in the case of a joint account. An excess of £100 is payable on all successful claims.
The £17 fee makes it a little more expensive than a few others but there are ways to reduce the cost.
Halifax is currently offering a £150 switching incentive for those who switch from another current account.
On top of the £150 bribe there are other perks to take advantage of. There is a choice of £5 a month paid into the account, two film rentals or three magazine rentals, or a free cinema ticket each month.
In order to benefit from this account holders must choose to either Spend £500 on their debit card each month or Keep at least £5,000 in the account at all times.
They must also pay in £1,500 or more into your account each month and stay in credit – keeping your balance at £0 or above.
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