UK Banks and Building Societies

The tables below show a comprehensive list of UK banks and building societies and their license holders, which can be different to bank ownership. Please note that this Bank Directory does not include foreign owned banks or financial institutions.

All UK banks and building societies are registered with the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and if the firm is regulated all deposits are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Following changes to European legislation, in January 2011 the FSCS deposit compensation threshold increased to €100,000 or around £85,000 providing further protection to UK depositors.

A list of banks registered in the UK that should be part of the compensation scheme can be found on here.

FSCS Compensation Scheme

It’s worth noting that FSCS compensation applies per institution, so if you have more than £85,000 invested with any one bank or building society it is sensible to spread the investment between different providers. Rather confusingly, different banking institutions operate under a number of brands so it is important to identify whether all brands are separately registered with the FSA, or whether a single registration covers the whole group. For example a number of brands operate under the HBOS license including Birmingham Midshires and the AA – so if you have savings with each of these providers only £85,000 is covered.

Recent Bank Mergers and Acquisitions

In the last few years there have been many profound changes affecting the United Kingdom retail banking sector, including the merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS PLC. In addition, several UK building societies have merged or been acquired by foreign banks during the period and most significantly Northern Rock has been nationalised following its near collapse in 2008.

UK Banks

Note: Following the Lloyds TSB and HBOS merger in January 2009, previous Lloyds TSB savers retain separate cover to previous HBOS savers.

UK Building Societies

Disclaimer

This Bank Directory page is provided in good faith and all information contained is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of preparation (March 2011). However UK banks and building societies merge and change bank licenses on a fairly regular basis, as well as being the subject of mergers and acquisitions. For this reason the Business Directory makes no warranty concerning the accuracy of information provided and usage of this list is entirely at your own risk.

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