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Internet and telephone banks and card issuers |
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| Loan Line | Apply for a loan online. | |
| Cahoot | Abbey National's online branch. | |
| Egg | Innovative online service from Prudential Corporation. | |
| First Direct | The web service created by First Direct the telephone banking arm of HSBC. | |
| GM Card | Online arm of General Motors' credit card business. | |
| Intelligent Finance | Service created by the Halifax retail bank. Halifax had high hopes of it, but the launch was delayed. | |
| Investec | Online service from South African financial services group. Designed to give customers access to all their financial information, even accounts held at other banks. | |
| Marbles | HFC's internet service. | |
| Smile | An admired online bank created by the Co-operative Bank. | |
Investment Fund supermarkets | ||
| Egg | Provides investment fund service for its savings account customers. | |
| Fundsnetwork | Run by Fidelity, the fund manager. | |
| Interactive Investor | No online sales, although plans to offer full service. Discussion groups are another feature. | |
| Virgin Money | No online sales, but searches entire market. | |
Mortgage supermarkets | ||
| John Charcol's web service | It carries 400 mortgage deals from 45 lenders. | |
| Creditweb | The site allows searches of every lender in the market, giving access to more than 4,500 products. But online applications cannot be made. | |
| E-loan | This has an array of useful calculators to work out monthly payments. It features more than 1,700 loans from 50 lenders. | |
| FTYourMoney.com | Several hundred people use this site every week for mortgage quotes from 24 participating lenders. | |
| Money Gator | Search and buy mortgages, credit cards and personal loans, with helpful guides. Must register first. | |
| Independent Mortgage Brokers | ||
| Virgin Money | Offers a selection of mortgages, rather than covering the whole market | |
Offshore | ||
| British Airways Jersey-based savings |
British Airways Jersey-based savings accounts from British Airways and Royal Bank of Canada. | |
| F Sharp | The first offshore online bank, owned by Bank of Ireland and based in the Isle of Man. | |
| Halifax International | Halifax International Basic site listing interest rates for Jersey and Isle of Man accounts serviced by telephone. | |
| Lloyds TSB in Channel Islands and Isle of Man |
Lloyds TSB in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Information about services but no internet banking. | |
| Offshore | Interactive Offshore General offshore site with information on investing and saving. Helpful guides but limited numbers of links to banks. | |
| Moneynet Offshore | Moneynet Offshore Excellent search engine for interest rates. | |
The regulator |
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| The Central Register | The FSA's Central Register. Clunky and difficult to use database of all regulated financial companies regulated in the UK. Probably easier to call 0845 606 1234 and ask a human being to search the database for you. | |
| FSA | Financial Services Authority | |
Search and comparison sites |
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| Find | Listing of websites of much of the financial services sector. | |
| Interactive Investor | Mainly investment site with information and links to product providers. | |
| Money Extra | Everything from mortgage and life insurance quotes to stories about share trading. But sales only for travel insurance. | |
| Moneynet | A very comprehensive financial search tool. It allows very details searches. A search can, for example, be narrowed to list best savings accounts for a £10,000 deposit plus a cash card and internet access. | |
Traditional banks and building societies | ||
| Abbey National | ||
| Barclays | ||
| Bank of Scotland | ||
| Citibank | ||
| Co-operative | ||
| Halifax | ||
| HSBC | ||
| Lloyds TSB | ||
| National Westminster | ||
| Nationwide Building Society | ||
| Newcastle Building Society | ||
| Norwich & Peterborough Building Society | ||
| Royal Bank of Scotland | ||
| Woolwich | ||
Insurance sites | ||
| The Insurance Centre | Central location for free online quotes for car, home, travel and bike. Offers a unique service and genuine impartial advice. | |
| Screentrade | Search 22 insurers and buy home, motor, boat, caravan or travel cover. | |
| 1stquote | Find and buy insurance for pets, cars, vans, bikes home and travel. | |
| Direct Line | The original telephone insurer, zapped to the web. Discounts for the internet. | |
| Inspop | Search insurers and buy online, but still fixing bugs with the service. | |
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If you would like to add an entry, request an existing one to be altered, or report a dead link, please fill in the comments form | ||
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(c) Compiled by B V & T M Wood. |
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