Alliance & Leicester International wins expat banking awards

Alliance & Leicester International Limited (ALIL) has been voted joint winner for the best offshore bank for sterling instant access accounts for expats, by Nexus Magazine’s Best Banks for Expats Awards 2009. ALIL was also highly commended for best offshore bank overall.

Banks were ranked by the number of times their savings accounts appeared in the ‘best buy’ tables printed in Nexus Expatriate News magazine during 2008. The banks appeared in the ‘best buy’ tables by virtue of having the best interest rate available at the time, as judged by Moneyfacts.

Simon Ripton, Joint Managing Director at Alliance & Leicester International comments: “It’s fantastic to see ALIL do so well in Nexus Magazine’s Best Banks for Expats Awards, particularly winning the sterling instant access account. We are delighted to have been acknowledged for the consistently competitive rates we offer to our customers. ALIL, as one of the largest offshore deposit takers, is focused on providing the best rates and accessibility to its expat customers. Our eSaver Offshore range offers the most accessible and efficient accounts available. The efficiency created from these online accounts benefits expats as the more efficient we are, the better the rates we can pay.”

ALIL know how expats prefer to save and have responded to their customers by offering easily accessible online accounts with great rates. ALIL’s eSaver Offshore Issue 2 guarantees access to funds anytime and anywhere in the world, in addition to a highly competitive rate of interest of 3.76% gross/AER on balances of £15,000 to £1 million. ALIL’s eSaver Offshore range makes it the only Offshore Savings Provider to offer a genuine, online application process.

Simon Ripton continues: “Whilst we serve customers around the world the award is testimony to our staff, all of whom live on the Isle of Man and provide prompt and efficient service to our customers both here, and around the world. Our staff are members of the Manx community and, whilst often dealing online with international clients, continue to provide service to Manx residents at our branch counter as well as online.”

Awards won by ALIL

Winner - Best Offshore Bank for Expats, Sterling Instant Access Accounts
Highly Commended - Best Offshore Bank for Expats, Overall
Highly Commended - Best Offshore Bank for Expats, US Dollar Accounts
Highly Commended - Best Offshore Bank for Expats, Sterling Notice Accounts

Information about Alliance & Leicester International’s offshore savings accounts are available by calling +44 (0) 1624 641888 or visiting www.alil.co.im.

For further information, please contact:

Kate Gibbins - Alliance & Leicester press office: 0116 200 3385 Mobile: 07753 712283

Alliance & Leicester Press Office: 0116 200 3355

Notes to Editors:

*Joint winner with Bradford & Bingley International

Alliance & Leicester International offers a range of savings products for both Personal savers and for Non-Personal applicants such as Companies and Trusts.

ALIL’s popular eSaver Offshore savings account range remain the first and only offshore savings accounts to offer an online application process without the need for a ‘wet’ signature, so setting up an eSaver Offshore savings account could not be easier. By allowing customers to both set up and manage their accounts online, eSaver Offshore provides access anytime and anywhere in the world, in addition to highly competitive rates of interest and the option to receive interest monthly, quarterly or annually.

For more information on the ‘eSaver Offshore’ savings account range or to apply online visit www.alil.co.im. Information about Alliance & Leicester International’s other offshore savings accounts is available by calling +44 (0) 1624 641888 or visiting www.alil.co.im.

Alliance & Leicester International Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alliance & Leicester, itself now part of the Santander Group, which has more than 150 years' experience in banking, and more branches worldwide than any other international bank. Banks in the Santander Group are committed to serving our customers and helping them make the most of their money. In 2008 Santander won the Euromoney 'Best Global Bank' award.

*Accounts must be opened with money that is not already deposited with the bank

*Rates correct as at 29 January 2009