Handelsbanken

db9go

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Buckinghamshire
With handlesbanken here, no where near anything like a million borrowings, so unless they have changed policy in the last 2 years I don't know why that is everyone else's experience :scratchhead: Anyway cannot fault them, only ever deal with local branch. Happy to give an extra loan when we wanted to make a large purchase, set up very fast with no fuss and a good rate. Moved from HSBC after 3 years of nothing but petty annoying problems that never got sorted after 47 years with them.
We are with Handlesbanken and the same as JJT says it is 100% our experience as banking should be and was years ago
 
I wouldn't recommend HSBC. They chucked us out because they couldn't verify our ID's. We couldn't resolve the problem because they couldn't or wouldn't tell us what the problem was. They shut our current account unilaterally but luckily i got wind of this and emptied it the week before.

HSBC - Wouldn't spit on them if the head office was on fire.

We used to have our farm business account with them (Never had a LTV at more than 30%).

We got planning permission, DNO connection and finance in place for 2 x 250 kWh 71 metre high wind turbines in spring 2012 all we needed from HSBC was for them to release less than 1% of their whole farm charge but they wouldn't even acknowledge the Certified of Planning Permission.

Long story but we eventually got an offer from Lloyds and we commissioned 1st turbine in Dec 2014 after the FIT reduced by 10% every 6 months from 2012 so the viability was becoming near borderline.

HSBC effectively reduced our project from £6m output with building costs of £1.5m down to £2m with building costs of £0.9m. ( Disregarding running costs)
 
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Cowcorn

Member
Mixed Farmer
I went into there bank last year, when i told them my overdraft was 5 figures at some of the time, they said i wasn,t a big enough borrower. You pay extra for the service you get off them.;)
Not a big enough borrower ???? No problem fixing that look for a million and dont bother paying it back!!! Id say you would be a big enough then all right.
After the crash in2008 a local farmer killed himself due to pressure from banks over investments that were now worthless . At the graveside a builder turned to me and said " shure he only owed a couple of million so he thought he had problems if he was like me anf owed 50 million then I the bank had the problem not him "
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
Lloyds now a call centre up north, if you want serious chat you have to set up a conference call, call centre is rubbish, can't do anything other than simple things with them
looked at handlesbank, not interested in my business banking, but we have a big purchase coming up..... they would really like to quote for that!!!!!!!seemed upset when I said the 2 go together.
friend changed from Lloyds, fed up with call centre, and ended up with his old Lloyds manager ! she'd got fed up as well !!!!
 
Lloyds now a call centre up north, if you want serious chat you have to set up a conference call, call centre is rubbish, can't do anything other than simple things with them
looked at handlesbank, not interested in my business banking, but we have a big purchase coming up..... they would really like to quote for that!!!!!!!seemed upset when I said the 2 go together.
friend changed from Lloyds, fed up with call centre, and ended up with his old Lloyds manager ! she'd got fed up as well !!!!

Had our annual visit from our Lloyd’s manager just last week [emoji1360]
 

renewablejohn

Member
Location
lancs
Banks need depositors as much as they need borrowers ............ or they have nothing to lend !

Thats not how modern banking works. Its the extortionate loans that finance further extortionate loans. The banks then lay the extortionate loans off to other banks with lower interest rate. There glorified book makers nowadays. If banks wanted depositors they would pay a realistic rate of return but those days have long gone.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
Thats not how modern banking works. Its the extortionate loans that finance further extortionate loans. The banks then lay the extortionate loans off to other banks with lower interest rate. There glorified book makers nowadays. If banks wanted depositors they would pay a realistic rate of return but those days have long gone.

Ultimately liquidity has to come from somewhere

I think post 2008 there are rather strict rules on that ?
 
Ultimately liquidity has to come from somewhere

I think post 2008 there are rather strict rules on that ?

Banks are now forced to carry larger reserves and are much more strict about what constitutes affordability, I presume they must have some kind of internal testing process to demonstrate that a client can meet that requirement.

Ultimately I do not understand why banks could be so reluctant to lend farmers money; after all, farmers usually have very significant tangible assets relative to their borrowings and are generally a sound bet. This is in contrast to a lot of companies who might have a yard or office building. I guess they just do not understand agriculture.
 

reverand

Member
Location
East lancs hills
The same manager I mentioned before said if you can afford to farm you can afford not to farm. Eluding to the large sums needed to get a relatively small return.
It’s this call centre mentality that bugs me the most. Most things can be solved over the phone or internet, but sometimes you like to have face to face, especially if you are struggling to understand a specific.
They have shut that many small branches that the main branches can’t cope with the footfall
 

upnortheast

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Northumberland
Been with Natwest for years. All comes down to the Ag manager. Out of about 10 over 25 years only 1 was so keen on talking he never got anything done Rest have been spot on. So we rate them so long as you don`t need access to a local branch
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
Banks are now forced to carry larger reserves and are much more strict about what constitutes affordability, I presume they must have some kind of internal testing process to demonstrate that a client can meet that requirement.

Ultimately I do not understand why banks could be so reluctant to lend farmers money; after all, farmers usually have very significant tangible assets relative to their borrowings and are generally a sound bet. This is in contrast to a lot of companies who might have a yard or office building. I guess they just do not understand agriculture.

I think they do understand agriculture and are very keen to lend to it

As you say though they can only do so responsibly and confident that borrowers can service / repay - they dare not do otherwise in these modern “ppi” times

If a bank won’t lend you money there is Bloody good reason in my opinion and they are only probabaly saving you from yourself !
 

renewablejohn

Member
Location
lancs
Ultimately liquidity has to come from somewhere

I think post 2008 there are rather strict rules on that ?

Only thing post 2008 did for banks was to increase the actual base asset level required for the size of loan book which as I said was easily circumvented by the banks by making them into bookmakers. As the loan book increases you just lay the loans off to other banks keeping the bank within the increased asset level rules. Simples.
 

Andy54

Member
Location
derbyshire
Spoke to Handelsbanken about 3 years ago and again like others we weren't wanting to borrow enough, but credit where its due actually got to speak to a manager and he was open and upfront about everything and said if things change give us a ring. Nothing ventured nothing gained, so you might as well get in touch and see what they say.
 

oldoaktree

Member
Location
County Durham
The branches aren't usually (of any) on the high street. Usually on an industrial/business estate, where you can actually park!

Just out of interest The one in Durham is in town on the street with estate agents, solicitors , accounts etc .its an expensive street to buy or rent in .
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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