RBS customers worried over global financial crisis

Royal Bank of Scotland customers in Edinburgh today spoke of their concerns over the dramatic drop in its share price.

Workers at the bank’s historic base on St Andrew’s Square were tight-lipped but RBS customers said they were worried by the falling share price, although they acknowledged it was part of a bigger picture of worldwide financial instability.

IT worker David Nelson, 31, from Edinburgh, admitted he was concerned but he said he believed his money was safe.

“I think somebody’s making a lot of money somewhere and it won’t be me,” he said.

“I’m a bit concerned but I’ve everything in premium bonds, which seems to be the best decision at the minute.”

He added that he was actually thinking about buying shares in the bank within the next few months.

“They’re a good long-term investment, not maybe the best short-term at the minute but in the long-term it should be good.”

Edinburgh pensioner Nora Bruce also aired her concerns but was cautiously optimistic.

The 74-year-old retired civil servant said: “You wonder if it’s safe with your money in the bank but surely it will get better.

“Share prices mean nothing to me. I haven’t got shares, I just have my things in the bank.

“I think the Royal Bank’s pretty safe, well I hope so.

“The climate’s bad. It’s not just here, it’s everywhere.”

Another investor, who did not want to be named, said today’s news about the share price was “not very encouraging” and expressed a hope that “they’ve come up with a safety plan”.

Neil Raeburn, 32, visited RBS to deposit money on behalf of his work at the NHS.

He said he believed some investors would find the situation “quite scary”.

On the wider financial crisis, he said: “I think it’s a pretty bad situation, I don’t see it getting any better any time soon.

“I think a lot of people have been quite reckless in the stockmarket and I think that’s having an influence.

“I could see a lot of people taking their money out of the banks because they’re scared of what’s going to happen.”

London-based Coralie Morris, 62, who banks with NatWest, which is part of the RBS group, said she had already lost money in the stockmarket with other shares.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen with your money or where to put it,” she said.

“I don’t know what can be done, to be honest.

“I don’t really know what’s caused it and what the answer is, but I hope they find something soon.”