That'll not do so nicely

I'm no personal finance expert. But I would never normally head to the airport without my Nationwide Flex Account debit card and my Abbey Zero credit card. The reason? Put simply, these two cards save me money on transactions overseas.

Until now that is. This week Nationwide disclosed that transactions in Europe will remain free (for now anyway), but charges will apply from May for credit cards and June for debit cards. More bankers who have lost touch with the real world.

Most banks impose a 'foreign loading charge' every time customers use their card abroad . Nationwide was different as it covered the charges levied by Visa.

That card was the main reason I chose to bank with Nationwide. It was widely held to be a top money-saving travel tip, one of the best ways to avoid rip-off charges when buying goods or using an ATM abroad. It meant, sometimes, I could afford to eat when I'd run out of the local currency.

Now, in the same week that Ryanair considers charging £1 to spend a penny in the air, this is another example of creeping stealth charges eroding my spending power abroad. Thankfully my Abbey Zero card remains untouched so far, although it is no longer being offered to new customers.

So, time to mobilise the troops. Let's tell Nationwide where to stick their stealth charges. A certain Twitter feed today reveals that the Chief Executive of Nationwide is graham.beale@nationwide.co.uk.

Email him. I have.