Banking & Personal Finance > Mortgage Lenders

Advantages: Post office banking internet access no rubbish through the door
Disadvantages: not as ethical in the Uk as the make out!!

II have been banking with Smile for nearly 10 years now, I swapped from HSBC because I wanted to bank easily on line. Opening the account was quick and ease running has been the same. One of the main reasons I opened the account with Smile was the free 500 pound overdraft facility they offered. OK I did use a few times but recently times for me like most of us a bit hard and I had started relying on it. Thank you Smile as soon as my overdraft was ...
...ethical would charge reasonable fees, but Smile charges the same as all the others. I like millions of others I am sure are just waiting for the court case and hoping the judge sees how unfair these charges have been hitting the people who can least afford it. . ... Read review

Advantages: great building society
Disadvantages: none

The west bromwich building society is a company i have had an account with for 22 years, They offer a wide range of saving options ranging from your basic accounts where you can pay as little or as much in as you want to and can withdraw your money when ever you choose to to realy high interest accounts where you have to give notice of wanting to remove money. There are lots of options, i have a basic account with them where i put any spare cash ...
...fetch it out but once it has acumilated to a large sum i change it over to my high interest account which is easy to do ether go to the buildig society or by phone. The only bad point to my account with them is that you have to with draw your money over the counter, there is no option for a cash card so you only have access to your money during buisiness hours. The staff are always very polite and friendly and there are never too many people waiting ... Read review

Advantages: great simple banking
Disadvantages: none

...me a bank account with hsbc 5 months ago now on line, it was simple realy, just fill out your details and wait for your card to arrive, i opted for there basic account to have money paid into, i didnt want anything fancy as all i wanted it for was to pay money into from the internet sites like this one. Customer services are great and very helpful, there is always a friendly face in there branch when ever i go in and not too many people waiting to ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent product
Disadvantages: Appalling Customer Service

Trying to get a remortgage completed with C& G is a total nightmare. Having had an offer in principle at the begining of March, the final offer is still not though as at begining of May when I was hoping to complete as my old mortage deal ends. Each time I call them (which takes forever to get through) I am told that that they require another piece of information e.g. How much savings have you got ? - Never heard that one before. I am probably ...
...seems that they are trying every trick in the book at getting out of lending me at what is an extremely attractive rate (0.38% above base for lifetime of mortgage) which was offered before the full extent of the credit crunch hit. Each time I have spoken with them they have said that they now have everything an that the offer will be out shortly. Upon hearing nothing, I then call again only to be told they now need something else (hoping to find ... Read review

Advantages: Quick and easy, full range of facilities
Disadvantages: none, unless you want access to a branch

...have had an account with Smile for about two years now. They are the internet only bank attached to the Co-operative bank. I have been very happy with the service I have had from them. I can log onto the website which is clear and easy to use, 24 hours a day and transfer funds, check my balance, pay bills etc. They do not charge me anything to keep the account only and they pay me interest monthly when my account is in credit. I do not pay my ...
...£500 overdraft. Everything I have done has worked well - I have a Visa debit card and cheque book too, though I don't need to use the cheques much - you can do everything on line really that needs a cheque. They are an ethical bank and say they do not invest your money in projects they disapprove of, just to make a profit. I have found the whole process of dealing with them very swift and efficient - the account was very easy to set up and the web ... Read review