Alliance and Leicester is currently offering £100 to new customers who switch from their existing current account to the Alliance and Leicester Premier Current Account using its Premier Switching Service.

The current account pays 1% AER on balances up to £2,500 and then 0.10% on anything over this.

You will also have access to an overdraft with a typical EAR of 0% for the first 12 months after the account is opened. The maximum overdraft limit is £2,500.

After the 12 month period you will be charged 50p for every day that the overdraft is used, up to a maximum of £5 per month.

What’s more, you will get an exclusive linked PlusSaver savings account which pays 5.25% gross p.a. (variable) on balances up to £50,000.

To qualify for these excellent benefits, you need to be 21 or over and must pay in at least £500 into your account each month.

Plus, there is the option to manage your account either online, by phone or in branch.

If your application for the bank account is successful, through the Premier Switching service, £100 will be credited your new Premier Current Account within 15 weeks of it being opened.

Click the link for more information about the Alliance and Leicester Premier Current Account
 

Barclays has launched a new bank account aimed at giving more to its customers who like to constantly keep on the move.

The Barclays Additions Active account comes with worldwide multi-trip travel insurance, comprehensive car breakdown cover throughout the UK and Europe from the RAC and mobile phone insurance, all of which should keep even the most active person covered.

On top of this, you will be paid 3.00% AER (variable) interest on credit balances over £1 and get the option to apply for an interest-free overdraft of up to £300.

Account holders will also be given cardholder protection, which will cover against loss or theft of cards and passports, plus extended warranties on their electrical items (both subject to registration).

The Additions Active account costs £14 per month, or £168 per year. However, the total cost of the above extras adds up to as much as £680 so, if you would ordinarily buy these items anyway, you set to save up to £432 throughout the year.

Plus, this account will give you the additional flexibility of an interest-free overdraft and the ability to set off on your travels without having to go through the hassle of arranging cover.

If, however, you don’t regularly go on long car journeys or on long haul holidays you may not set to gain from this bank account and would probably be better off with a standard free current account.

Click on the following link for more information about the Barclays Additions Active account

Don’t want to pay for your current account but don’t know which free one to choose? Click the link to compare bank accounts.
 

Automated teller machines (ATMs), or cash machines, are used by virtually all of us with bank accounts and debit cards, but how many of us think about other users whilst we are withdrawing our cash?

The truth is that our behaviour, though normal for us, may make another user feel very uncomfortable and angry, so what can we do to improve the ATM experience for our fellow users?

Put simply, we can follow the ‘ATM etiquette’.

• Some ATMs offer a wide range of services – if you want to carry out lots of different transactions try to choose a time that’s not too busy
• If there’s only one ATM and a large queue of people waiting to use it, carry out your urgent transactions but try to leave your non-urgent ones until another time

DOs

• DO form a single file queue behind anyone already using the ATM
• DO give those using the ATM space to use the machine in private. An ideal amount of space is standing around 2m away from them
• DO have your card ready when you are about to approach the ATM
• DO take your cash and receipt and quickly (and discreetly) put your money away safely before walking away
• DO beware of strangers who take a lot of interest in what you are doing, for example those who offer you help particularly if they are standing close to you
• DO beware of those who try to distract you when using the ATM, they may be trying to reduce your guard so they can steal your money, your card or your pin number
• DO cover the keypad when entering your Personal Identification Number (PIN)

DON’Ts

• DON’T spend too long at the ATM but don’t rush your transactions either. If you rush you are likely to make mistakes which will probably mean you will have to cancel your transaction and start again
• DON’T offer your help to the person using the ATM – this may make them feel intimidated and scared
• DON’T distract those using the ATM
• DON’T stand in front of an ATM if you’re not using it
• DON’T use the ATM if it looks like it has been tampered with – report anything unusual or suspicious to the bank straight away

In November 2007, the sponsors of the Banking Code (the British Bankers’ Association, the Building Societies Association and APACS – the UK payments association) announced that both the personal and business Banking Codes would see some changes from 31st March 2008 following a public consultation and an independent review.

The Banking Code is a voluntary code which was first introduced in December 1991. It sets the standards of good banking practice for banks and building societies to follow when dealing with customers in Britain and is monitored by the Banking Code Standards Board.

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Don’t you just hate it when a company asks you to ‘put it in writing’? Are you someone who has a problem but don’t know what to say to get it resolved?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then compareandsave.com has just the thing for you.

In our ‘Tools’ section, you will find a number of letter templates which can be used to fix some of the more common problems you will face in the world of personal finance.

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In recent weeks, the news has been full of stories reporting on the global credit crunch and how lenders are refusing more people credit with the aim of minimizing their exposure to debt and therefore to risk.

Your credit rating will be looked at when you try to get credit facilities (such as credit cards, loans, mortgages, mobile phone and broadband contracts and store cards) and when you go to open bank accounts and savings accounts.

In light of this, we have compiled a list of the best tips to help you to improve your credit rating so that you can increase your chances of getting the credit you want.

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Last week saw the banking industry implement some overdue changes to the way cheques are dealt with by banks.

In the past, if a cheque turned out to be a forgery, banks could recoup the money from a customer’s account. This could happen weeks or months after it had initially been paid in.

The changes have been put in place to better protect the customers against the growing problem of forged cheques.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has been pressuring the banking industry for some time calling on them to clarify the banking system surrounding cheques and clearing processes.

A spokeswoman for banking payments body Apacs said: “The big change concerns certainty of funds. It’s only in the last few years that it has become an issue due to organised gangs getting into cheque fraud.”

Additionally, banks now have a maximum time frame within which they have to credit cheque payments to people’s bank accounts.

The changes mean that:

• Any cheques paid in by customers will now be considered cleared no later than six days after being paid in
• Interest will be credited no more than two working days after the cheque is paid in
• The money paid in by cheque must be available for spending after no more than four working days

These are now guaranteed limits according to the Cheque and Credit Clearing Company; however, it is likely that individual groups will compete to offer faster services.