Graduate Royalties

Everyone needs a break every now and again. So whether you want to live it large in Lanzarote or seek enlightenment in the temples of Tibet, Graduate Royalties members can claim discounts on a whole range of travel options – excluding direct sell companies:

• 10% off package holidays, city breaks, tours or cruises operated by any licensed major tour operator
• 10% off any scheduled and charter flights
• 10% off ferry travel tickets
• 10% off car rental reservations
• 10% off hotel accommodation

To book call Royalties Membership Services on 08705 62 55 55

It’s true that you never know what’s around the corner. However, you can make sure you’re well prepared in the event of loss or theft of your debit and credit cards, by using our Payment Card Protection service (and as a Graduate Royalties member you automatically qualify).

• There’s no limit to the number of cards you can register. You can register as many UK issued cards as you like, including those belonging to your domestic partner and any dependants permanently residing at your address. This policy covers you and members of your household. Further important information is contained within the Benefit Terms and Conditions (PDF, 234KB)
• You can report lost or stolen cards 24 hours a day
• One call to us can cancel all your registered cards
• Up to £1,500 insurance to cover unauthorised spending (provided you report the loss within 24 hours of discovering it)
• Without insurance your maximum liability on each card would be £50 unless you are at fault. The insurance covers this.
• Up to £250 cash equivalent if you lose your cards abroad, plus up to four replacement airline tickets (up to a maximum of £3,000 in value per incident) for you and your family if required (cash advances are subject to status and availability and repayable within one calendar month of receipt)

To register you cards call Royalties Membership Services on 08705 62 55 55

An arranged overdraft allows you to borrow money if you don’t have enough in your account for your everyday needs. It’s called an arranged overdraft because the amount you can borrow up to (known as your overdraft limit) is arranged in advance with the bank.

Normally you’d be charged interest on the amount you borrow, but some accounts – the RBS Student Royalties account for example – allow you to borrow money without paying interest.

The overdraft you get with your Graduate Royalties account helps you make the transition from an interest-free overdraft to a standard interest-bearing one. For the first year you won’t have to pay interest on arranged balances up to £2,000, but from year two the amount you get interest free gradually reduces so you start paying interest on the rest.

If you agreed an overdraft limit with us as a student, this will carry over to your Graduate Royalties account. If you’d like to talk to us about increasing your overdraft limit or a new overdraft, just call into your local branch.

You can apply for a graduate loan of up to £15,000. View the latest details and rates.

Your account also comes with a Visa Debit card.

• You can use your RBS Visa Debit card at any RBS or NatWest cash machine
• Worldwide acceptance – it’s welcome at over 29 million retailers around the world wherever you see the Visa sign. A charge may be applied for this service if used abroad
• Secure online shopping - using ‘Verified by Visa’ protects your card against unauthorised use when you shop online at participating retailers
• It also gives you free purchase protection when you use it to buy goods or services. If they fail to arrive or are damaged when you receive them, we could help you recover your payment.

Budgeting isn’t all about stopping you spending – it’s about helping you spend the money you have more effectively. In other words it helps you control your money rather than allowing your money to control you.

• Keep an accurate note of how much you spend for a whole month. Include everything from magazines and lunches to cups of coffee and drinks in the pub. This will help you calculate how much your day-to-day living is costing you. You might find this easier if you use our budget planner
• Try to pay as many bills as you can by Direct Debit every month - you might get a discount for paying this way. If you arrange for your regular bills to go out soon after your salary goes in, you’ll know how much money you have left for the rest of the month
• Keep a spreadsheet or list showing your monthly income and expenditure. Spread as many bills as you can over the year so that you don't have lots to pay in some months. Don't forget to add in the things that you only pay once a year like your TV licence or car insurance
• Sign up for online banking and text alerts. Having access to your account 24/7 can help you keep track of your money better.

• Use our budget calculator to find our exactly where your money goes

If you find yourself in a situation where you may need to borrow money make sure you take the time to review the different options available. Which is best for you depends on a number of factors such as whether you need money over the short or long term, and how disciplined you are in repaying it.

• With a fixed loan you make regular monthly repayments over a specific timescale, so you know exactly when it will be repaid
• Overdrafts give you the flexibility to borrow money and repay it at your own discretion, as long as you don’t go over your agreed limit
• Don't rush into buying something just because you want it today. A store might offer you access to a personal loan or its own store card but always check out the price elsewhere and shop around for the best way to pay first. This is especially important if you’re buying something expensive like a car.

Used wisely, credit cards can be very useful. Here are some important things to remember:

• If you use your credit card to buy anything over £100 and it turns out to be faulty or damaged, or the supplier goes out of business, you can approach your credit card company for help, as they are jointly liable under the terms of the Consumer Credit Act
• Check out the interest-free period between the day you buy something and the day interest starts to be added and try to clear your balance before that happens. If you have more than one credit card and can’t afford to pay them all off within the interest-free period, pay off the most expensive (the one with the highest APR) first
• Pay more than the minimum payment every month otherwise your balance will take a long time to go down. Just because your credit limit is £3000 doesn't mean that you have to maintain a balance at that level
• Store cards and credit cards are different. Store cards can only be used within the group that issues them while credit cards can be used much more widely. Store cards can be very expensive so only use them if you can afford to pay off the balance before interest starts to be applied
• Avoid using credit cards for withdrawing cash as the interest rate is likely to be higher than it is for purchases. Interest is normally charged immediately if you withdraw cash – there’s no interest-free period as there is when buying good
• If your credit card company writes to you to tell you they have increased your credit limit you don’t have to accept it if you feel you may be tempted to spend more.

Everyone finds money tight at some time or another, but if things start to get difficult to manage, the most important thing is to ask for help sooner rather than later.

• The first thing you need to do is prioritise your debts. If you can't afford to pay everything at one time then you need to make a list of the most important debts
• Make sure you speak to your creditors if you can’t pay a bill. Tell them you have a problem and why. They can help come up with a proposal that enables you to pay what you can when you can. It's not easy but it’s really important that you’re up front and honest if you ever find yourself in this situation.

There’s bound to be something you’d like to do in the not-too distant future, whether it’s diving in Australia or buying a laptop. Saving isn’t hard - it’s all about planning.

• Decide what you need to save for, how much you need and by when
• If you can, put a little aside every month. Regular savings accounts are designed to help you do this and if you set up a Direct Debit or standing order, it can all be done automatically
• Your Savings Goal is another online tool that can help you work out how much you need to put aside in order to save a certain amount by a certain date. It lets you play with different scenarios and tells you if you’re on target or how to make up the difference if you slip a bit. Find out more

Many graduates like to use the time between leaving university and starting a job for travelling. So if you’ve decided that now’s the time to take a break, we have lots of products and services to help you.

• Do take your debit card abroad with you - you can use it to withdraw local currency at cash machines and to pay for things all over the world. Check with your bank to confirm any charges that may apply for using you debit card abroad.
• You can check your balance, pay bills and see statements in Singapore just as easily as you can in Swansea using online, telephone and mobile banking. These services are available anywhere, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Prepare before you go. Some countries don’t have many cash machines and others, Cuba for instance, won’t accept AMEX travellers cheques, Switch or Maestro
• Make a list of your card and other important numbers and take them with you
• Don’t forget travel insurance.

If you’ve set your heart on buying a place sooner rather than later, we’re here to help.

• First of all find out how much you can afford to borrow. Remember you’ll have additional upfront purchase costs to consider such as survey fees, legal costs and stamp duty
• There are lots of different types of mortgages and it’s important to take the time to find out which one would suit you best. Learn more about the different types of mortgages
• When looking for a home put together a list of ‘essentials’ and a list of ‘preferables’ and be prepared to compromise. Once you've decided on the area, ask a number of local estate agents to send details of suitable properties
• Make an offer. Remember, the sale price is what the seller hopes to get, not necessarily what they realistically expect - and as a first time buyer you’re in a strong position as you don’t have a property to sell which could hold things up
• Appoint a solicitor. They’ll sort out the legal transfer of the property from the current owner to you and carry out all the necessary land searches to check for past and potential problems
• Have a survey done. This is particularly important if you’re buying an older property. If you find any problems you can then decide whether to back out of the purchase or negotiate on the price
• If you’d like help at any time, call into any RBS branch