Bank ethically, save £123 a year
Sod the ethical benefits of banking with Smile. If you go for its £90-a-year Smilemore premium current account you receive a whole stack of eco goodies and deals that it reckons could save you £350 a year. Here's the how: you get £25 off your eleccie bill when signing up with green power outfit Ecotricity (its new Dagenham turbine is in the photo) plus the equivalent of £150 in annual worldwide travel insurance from Norwich Union and £38's worth of roadside assistance from Green Flag. Yep, I make that £213 too. Minus £90, however, you're still 'saving' £123. The banking side isn't bad, either - there's an interest-free overdraft to £250 and the interest rate is 3.3%, which trashes the high street and most of the net banks. The ethical side isn't bad either - unlike everyone but Triodos and the Co-Op, Smile guarantees your money won't end up being invested in arms companies, contributors to climate change or anyone with a dodgy human rights' record. I should also point out that I've been banking with Smile for over a year - the site is superb and the customer service is very good. Find out more for yourself over at Smile's website.
