A series of changes to the way current accounts are managed have been put forward, which are aimed at giving customers more flexibility.

The British Bankers' Association (BBA) has revealed that customers should be given the ability to keep on top of their money, such as by sending them alerts when balances get close to their agreed limit.

There is also an option of avoiding an overdraft facility all together, which will be especially handy for those who are worried about their accounts going into the red.

Another change is an advanced warning system that lets customers know when charges are to be made and when they will be taken out of the account.

However, if customers find that their account slips into the red by negligible amounts, then charges will be waivered to give people a fairer deal.

Lastly, the BBA has said that customers will be told when they need to pay money into their account to avoid charges.