Alliance & Leicester

Alliance & Leicester, together with its subsidiaries, offers a wide range of advanced financial and banking services which serve the business and personal sectors around the United Kingdom. The bank institution offers diverse products such as retail savings, mortgages, personal loans, current accounts, long term investment products, and general life insurance. A range of additional services is also available: telephone, business and Internet banking, lending, and money transmission. The company’s network covers around 2500 ATM’s which are scattered around the United Kingdom. Founded in 1852, Alliance & Leicester has chosen to house its headquarters in Narborough, Great Britain.

At present, the bank is owned by Grupo Santander which will re-brand all of its subsidiaries by the end of 2010. In 1985, a merger resulted in the unification of the Leicester Building Society and the Alliance Building Society. Alliance & Leicester was incorporated after this important merger. In 1997, the body was transformed into a banking institution and listed on the London Stock Exchange. Alliance & Leicester will be renamed soon to Santander, together with Abbey and Bradford & Bingley. In addition, their computer systems will be interconnected.

The commercial bank offers free of charge business banking. Moreover, business banking offers a variety of rates which are competitive for both, saving and borrowing. The application process is quite straightforward and may be handled online, using a safe website.

Recently, the bank has launched an improved current account, known as the Free Business Current Account, and offered to businesses which generate up to £ 1 million. While fixed for the first year, the bank offers an interest rate of 6 percent. Providing the best opportunity for small businesses, The Free Business Current Account is now offering a real return on surplus funds. The present economic situation requires that owners of businesses revise the costs they incur, thus ensuring the efficiency of their operations during the fiscal year.