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Banking Guides 2026: Safety, Fees and Switching

Three questions decide almost every banking choice, and these guides answer them with figures you can check. First, who protects your money: a licensed bank's deposits are covered up to £120,000 by the FSCS in the UK, up to €100,000 under EU rules and at least $250,000 by the FDIC in the US, while an e-money app only safeguards your balance. Second, what the account really costs at your own usage: a 2.99% foreign-transaction fee turns £3,400 of spending abroad into £101.66 a year. Third, how to move without a missed payment: the UK's Current Account Switch Service does it in seven working days, and elsewhere you move each payment yourself. Start with how to choose a bank account, then read the guides below on fees, open banking, deposit protection and how neobanks make money.

Banking Guides 2026: Safety, Fees and Switching
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SEPA Instant Transfers and Verification of Payee: What Changed for Euro Payments
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SEPA Instant Transfers and Verification of Payee: What Changed for Euro Payments

Euro transfers in ten seconds at no extra cost and a payee name check: what the EU Instant Payments Regulation changed, the dates, and what it does not cover.

Thomas Lovas Lokoy25 Oct 20269 min read
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The Right to a Basic Bank Account in the EU: Who Qualifies and When a Bank Can Say No

Legal EU residents have a right to a basic payment account, even in another EU country: what it must include, what it may cost, the 10-day deadline, refusals.

Thomas Lovas Lokoy25 Oct 20269 min read
A heap of copper and brass coins spilled across a dark surface, their raised faces catching warm light.
Guides

Banking in Europe as an American: FATCA, FBAR and Form 8938 Explained

Why some European banks turn US citizens away, the $10,000 FBAR test and Form 8938 thresholds for foreign accounts, and the EU rule that helps if you live there.

Thomas Lovas Lokoy25 Oct 202610 min read
Your Bank Wants to Close Your Account: The 90-Day Rule That Started in April 2026
Guides

Your Bank Wants to Close Your Account: The 90-Day Rule That Started in April 2026

When can a bank close your account? UK rules from 28 April 2026: 90 days' notice and a real reason, plus how long it takes and costs to close your own.

Thomas Lovas Lokoy19 Aug 202610 min read
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Guides

Money Left Your Account and You Did Not Authorise It: What the Law Requires

In the UK the refund is due by the end of the next business day and your liability is capped at £35 — unless you were fraudulent or grossly negligent.

Thomas Lovas Lokoy19 Aug 20269 min read

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By Thomas Lovas Lokoy — researched and drafted with AI from published sources; edited and published by NorwegianSpark SA. Editorial policy.

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