The Society will conduct a search of a variety of registers in order to establish proof of identity and address. If your identity cannot be verified we will require proof directly from you.

After opening the account, you will have 14 days to reconsider your decision. You can withdraw your investment up to the end of the consideration period and earn interest at the rate paid by the Society. If the investment came from an existing account with the Society, the original account terms would be reinstated. If you’ve paid any cheques into your account, we can’t return that money until the cheque(s) have cleared – normally after six clear working days.

When you open an account, we will send you details of any fees and charges that may be payable. This is also available on request.

Other taxes and costs may exist that are not paid by us or imposed by us.

Cheques withdrawn from your account cannot be stopped except in the case of loss or theft (We can issue a replacement cheque but this must be made payable to the same payee as the original). Cheques withdrawn and subsequently returned for investment will earn interest from the date of re-investment.

Six days must be allowed for clearance on all cheques paid in before withdrawal can be made against them. Post-dated cheques will not be accepted. Three working days must be allowed for standing orders.

Cheques can only be accepted if made payable to the account holder(s) and crossed "account payee" with the account number on the reverse.

We will accept transfer from existing accounts held with the Society, subject to the normal transfer conditions applying on the relevant account.

You can transfer your investment to another person, subject to the conditions applying to your account, our approval and the payment of any necessary fee. No transfer will be valid unless made in a form approved by us and until registered in our records. We may refuse to permit such a transfer without giving any reason.

A withdrawal request taking the balance below the minimum level will be treated as a request to close the account.

Immediate withdrawals in cash of up to £500 may be made in person at the Kent Reliance Building Society branch office. If you use one of our agencies, they may have different limits, so you should check before making a large withdrawal.

All other withdrawals will be paid by cheque (maximum £50,000), payable to the investor. Where a withdrawal by cheque is to be posted, this will be sent to the account holders registered address. A few days notice is required for cash withdrawals in excess of £500 up to £2,500.

The passbook must be sent with all withdrawals requests(not applicable for statement based accounts).

We may require investors to produce proof of identity before permitting withdrawals.

The interest rate may vary from time to time. New rates will be set out in our interest rates sheet available at our branch and agencies, advertised in local papers (Kent Messenger Group, AKN Group and Gravesend Reporter) and displayed on our website. Customers living outside the Kent postcode areas will be notified in writing within 30 days of a rate change.

For all deposits interest is calculated on the balance held in the account from the date an investment is made until the day before withdrawal/closure or transfer.

Interest may be paid without deduction of tax to individuals who are eligible and certify that they do not expect to be liable to income tax. In the absence of the required certification, interest will be payable after deduction of income tax at the rate applicable to building society savings accounts.

Where the tax deducted exceeds the investor’s tax liability (if any), a claim may be made to HM Revenue and Customs for repayment of tax.

In order to determine whether there is any liability to tax at the higher rate (or any additional rate for investment income), the amount of interest actually paid or credited on the account must be included in the investors annual income tax return, together with the amount of gross interest earned.

Every year, the Society is required to supply, to HM Revenue and Customs, particulars of interest paid or credited to investors.

Interest on ISAs is paid in full with no tax deducted. Non taxpayers who are ordinarily resident in the UK can arrange to have their interest paid gross by completing a from R85, available from our branch/agents or by calling our Head Office on 08451 22 11 22*. If you need to check whether you are eligible to have your interest without tax deducted call HM Revenue & Customs helpline on 08459 800 645.

Several people may hold an account jointly, unless the terms of the account do not allow it to be a joint account.

All information regarding the account will be sent to the first named account holder's registered address.

Liability to the Society is joint and several, meaning that each named investor is responsible for all the obligations of the account.

If we have reason to think that there is a dispute between account holders we may (but will not be obliged to) require the signatures of all account holders, despite any authorisation that has been given previously.

On proof of the death of any joint account holder, we will recognise only the survivor(s) as having any ownership of or interest in the account and the survivor(s) shall be entitled to operate the account on the same terms.

Where an account is held on trust, trustees do not gain membership rights by virtue of the account.

In accordance with the Society’s rules only the first named of joint investors is entitled to exercise the rights of membership (such as voting and participation in any distribution of the Society’s assets). Joint investors may select which of them is to be the representative (i.e. first named) account holder.

We have the right to retain and set-off all money in any account you hold with us against any money you may owe to us (whether under a mortgage, loan, guarantee or otherwise) which is due for payment but which has not been paid.

We will give you notice in writing when we have done this. Interest or bonuses will not be paid on any money after it has been used in this way.

We may change these conditions and any special condition applying to particular accounts for any valid reason where we reasonably believe change is appropriate. Any change to your disadvantage will apply only after we have given you at least 30 days notice before the change takes effect.

All other changes will be displayed here on our website and on notices in our branch and agencies.

We can limit at any time without notice the amount, which may be withdrawn in respect of any account, if we reasonably consider it necessary in order to protect the interest of our membership as a whole.

The issue of accounts may be suspended from time to time at the Board’s discretion. Unless there are exceptional circumstances e.g. fraud, we will not close your account without giving you at least 30 days notice in writing.

The conditions are subject to the Rules of the Society for the time being in force, copies of which are available on request.

You will, by opening a share account, become a member of the Society and your rights and obligations, as a member will be as set out in our Rules.

In the event that you breach your obligations and investment contract we will require you to indemnify us in respect of any loss we may suffer as a result.

If your account is held jointly then we may hold either of you responsible to indemnify us in respect of any breach of your obligations.

Operation of all accounts will be governed by English Law and the language we will use in our communications will be English.

*Calls to 08451 numbers from BT landlines will cost no more than 5p per minute, the price of calls from other telephone companies may vary. For customer service and training purposes, calls to Kent Reliance may be monitored and/or recorded.