Bank of Wales

The Bank of Wales (Welsh: Banc Cymru) is a trading name used by Bank of Scotland plc, a subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group.

Bank of Wales
Banc Cymru
TypeDivision of Bank of Scotland Private
IndustryFinance
Founded1971
ProductsFinancial services
ParentLloyds Banking Group
Websitewww.bankofwales.co.uk

History

The Bank of Wales was founded by Sir Julian Hodge in 1971. The company provided commercial banking services to small and medium-sized businesses in Wales.[1]

From the outset Sir Julian Hodge wanted the company to be called the Bank of Wales, but the compromise title Commercial Bank of Wales (Welsh: Banc Masnachol Cymru) was adopted following objections from the Registrar of Companies and the Bank of England, which claimed that the proposed name would imply a central bank.[1] The company was eventually officially renamed Bank of Wales in December 1986. By the year 2000 it had seven regional offices and assets of over £460 million.[1]

The Bank started its life on St Mary Street, but in 1989 moved to Kingsway in a brand-new landmark building opposite Cardiff Castle that later became the headquarters of the Welsh Development Agency.

The bank was taken over by the Bank of Scotland in 1986 and ceased trading under the Welsh brand in 2002.[1] In 2009 Geraint Talfan Davies, Chairman of the Institute of Welsh Affairs, said that the banking crisis showed the need for the revival of the brand.[2]

In 2014 Lloyds Banking Group announced that it would re-establish the Bank of Wales as a savings provider.[3] Its savings products are currently only available through a selected panel of life assurance companies.

See also

References
  1. Davies, John; Jenkins, Nigel (2008). The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.
  2. "Bring Back the Bank of Wales". Western Mail. 21 February 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  3. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/11291467/Lloyds-quietly-revives-Bank-of-Wales-name.html


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.