My Lloyds branch denies all knowledge of such a link and I lost interest while the missing funds were found JM, by email.
A. Although Birmingham Midshires is part of the Halifax group, it does not offer current accounts. To access funds, savings account customers, such as you, must link their phone or internet accounts to a current account with another bank. While Birmingham Midshires describes these as linked accounts, they are not recognised as such by other banks.

Transfers are conducted by direct debit, which takes about four days, with the risk that a small proportion may go wrong.If you require instant access to funds, you might consider a savings account offered by a bank that also operates a current account, enabling you to switch money between accounts immediately – but the interest will be slightly lower. Lloyds TSB has now made your transfer by Chaps, free of charge.Q. I am considering cashing in my Standard Life endowment after my mis-selling claim is considered. However, I do not want to give up any benefits from demutualisation SM, Nottingham.A. Terms for any Standard Life demutualisation shares are not yet known.

Standard Life will bring forward proposals on demutualisation for decision at its 2006 annual general meeting, likely to be held next April. So, if you wish to obtain windfall shares in the new company, you should maintain your endowment at least until then, ensuring you know the conditions attached to any windfall. We are advised by endowment market maker SurrendaLink and by Colin Jackson of the endowment specialist advisers Baronworth that Standard Life policies are currently trading at higher prices than Standard Life’s surrender value, but this does not include a premium for the anticipated demutualisation. They are not trading at a premium, as the new owner would not be eligible for the demutualisation shares, explains Tim Sands of SurrendaLink.Q. Can you explain why instant-access savings accounts are now paying higher interest than 30 and 90-day notice accounts? KR, London.A. All the savings accounts offering the highest rates of interest are either internet- or telephone-based and you cannot withdraw from branches. But, surprisingly, the best-buy tables suggest that in some weeks the best 30-day-notice accounts pay higher rates of interest than the best 90-day accounts.

MoneyFacts tells us that there is a general trend towards interest rate convergence between 90- and 30-day accounts, with fewer providers offering 90-day accounts. It seems that competition is fiercest in the internet-based and 30-day markets, and interest rates will also be influenced by this.I bank online with NatWest and in August accidentally transferred £ 225 to Citibank. But that did not happen, causing a further four days’ delay while a replacement cheque was raised. Citibank said I needed permission from NatWest to have the cheque posted, but still I did not receive it.

I have now had a BACS transfer, but no apology or explanation I have multiple sclerosis and depend on benefits. The loss of this money for six weeks caused me tremendous financial hardship. DB, by email.The CitiCards division of Citibank apologises and is sending an ex-gratia payment of £50. In August I paid the full balance of £600 on my Barclaycard Visa bill by Co-operative Bank cheque My Visa payment was acknowledged and my balance cleared. But it was only in November that the cheque was debited to my account. I had not noticed that the cheque had not been cleared and this is now causing me financial problems. Surely it is not right that a cheque should be uncashed for three months? CP, IlfordA.