Alliance & Leicester plc · Leicester United Kingdom

Alliance & Leicester offers deposit and lending services throughout the UK. Its largest segment is its traditional savings and home mortgage business, but the company also offers checking accounts, credit cards, and consumer finance, as well as commercial services such as cash management and asset financing. The company has alliances with such firms as Legal & General and Zurich to provide investment and insurance products. Alliance & Leicester's approximately 5.5 million retail customers can access the bank through more than 300 branches, 2,500 ATMs, and 14,000 post offices across the UK. Spanish banking giant Santander bought Alliance & Leicester in 2008. It will be rebranded as Santander by the end of 2010. To read the full description, subscribe now.