Bank of Scotland (Ireland) is one of the most aggressive newcomers, offering a fixed 7.2% rate of interest on loans of 2,500- 25,000 taken out before the end of August.

The big two banks have even lower headline rates, with AIB advertising 6.99%, but you have to borrow at least 25,000 to qualify.

For 9,000 borrowed over five years, the payments on a Bank of Scotland loan are 178.07 per month. It claims that, over the course of the loan, this works out almost 500 cheaper than the same sum borrowed from AIB and 550 less than BoI.

Other lenders offering cheap loans include National Irish Bank and Tesco Personal Finance, which has a special fixed rate of 7.5% on sums of 2,500 - 30,000 borrowed before the end of July.

Equity-based SSIA holders get jitters

HAVING watched smugly as the value of their savings left deposit-based SSIA in the shade, it now seems that the recent stock market slide has wiped the smile off some faces who invested their SSIAs in stocks and shares.

The Financial Regulator has reported an upsurge in callers to its helpline seeking advice on how to protect their savings from falling markets. But consumer director Mary O'Dea says now may not be the time to cut and run.

Fleeing to the safety of cash would "remove any opportunity to make good any current losses or to benefit from any future stock market growth were the market to recover", she says. Rather than obsessing about recent losses, O'Dea advises savers to think about their impressive gains since 2001 and 2002.

The Professional Insurers Brokers Association is more blunt, warning that savers would be playing into the banks' hands by switching SSIAs into deposits. Chief executive Diarmuid Kelly says stocks and shares should have a place in everyone's savings.

"Equities have always outperformed deposits when a view of five years or longer is taken. While a complete equity portfolio does not fulfil everyone's needs, there is no doubt but that a partial equity portfolio would best serve many consumers, depending on their individual circumstances."

Hibernian property fund gets relaunch

INVESTORS who still see an upside in property may be interested to learn that Hibernian's 250m Irish property fund is open again for business. Having averaged close to 19% annual growth over the past three years, it became a victim of its own success . . .

with too much cash from new investors chasing too few opportunities in an overheated market. Rather than leaving surplus money on deposit, Hibernian decided to pull down the shutters until things cooled down.

The decision to reopen was made after a number of new investment opportunities came on stream, including AIB's landmark Bankcentre headquarters in Dublin.

Investors wishing to spread their wings might want to check out a new German investment marketed by Declan Kennedy, who made his name selling investments Irish forestry to small savers, with the minimum investment as low as 750.

This time, Kennedy's syndicate, Augusta Property Services, is courting the more affluent investor, with an entry threshold of 50,000, for a share in a Berlin medical centre, with a projected return of almost 16% a year for five years.