The Britannia Building Society is part of the Co-operative Banking Group. Although it is technically a bank, it remains has no share holders and acts like a building society. Like a true building society, it is owned by its members (it's a mutual society) and so has no share-holders. While this might seem quite a minor difference, it means that there are no big investors baying for huge profits at the expense of the customer, as could happen with high street banks like Lloyds, HSBC etc. It also means that they are governed by slightly different legislation to the banks. They are not allowed to take part in some of the more risky types of investment instruments, such as ..  Read the complete review

I have been a member of Britannia Building society for as long as I can remember, starting off with the account aimed at encouraging children to save. Despite being based around Stoke on Trent they have an extensive branch network, particularly around this region and the westcountry since they have taken over the former branches of Bristol and West, and they also have partnerships with some of the largest sports clubs and trade unions in the UK. The products they offer are generally of a good standard and competitive with the best in the industry. By being a building society it is also a mutual, meaning that it is owned by all it's members, who are ...  Read the complete review