Barclays Bank

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Modest Beginnings

The history of Barclays can be traced back to 1690 in the dark streets of London. It was named after David and Alexander Barclay, who were known for providing credit to transatlantic slave traders. In 1896, a number of banks in London and in provinces including Gurney's Bank of Norwich and Bankhouse's Bank of Darlington united under one banner - Barclays and Co. By 1919, the bank acquired several banks, such as the British Linen Bank and the South Western Bank, amalgamating them and extending the branch network. In 1965, the company established its first affiliate in the United States, the Barclays Bank of California. Since then, numerous acquisitions, takeovers and mergers have been made, making it one of the leading forces in banking and financial services industries in the world.

Offshore Banking

When it comes to offshore banking, Barclays is one of the most trusted in the world. Its offshore banking arm, the Barclays International and Private Banking Division, is often the choice of many British expatriates who were clients before they left the UK. Overall, its offshore banking division has a good reputation recognized by a growing customer base. Its success is highly attributed to its quality of service especially when it comes to management, security and growth it provides. Not to mention that it serves both individuals and corporations, allowing them to streamline cross border banking and trading.

If you are an expatriate, an international business professional or simply someone who has to make a transaction while you cross national borders, Barclays may be the right bank for you. It offers convenient and secure access to your account through the Internet or over the phone. It also offers tempting discounts on money transfers and the ability to transact in multiple currencies. It also provides UK tax advice, international mortgages and great interest rates.

Apart from that, the company offers personal, private and corporate banking solutions and international premier banking solutions for people with excess of 100,000 pounds to invest or deposit. If you have excess of 1 million pounds, however, offshore private banking is perfect for you.

To sign up, all you need to do is visit their website and set up an account. You'll be surprised that its official website is very user-friendly. Each service they offer is indicated with the details on how to get started.