The big perk is 50 of free call credit, although AIB has fixed the rules to ensure that only students who have been hooked as genuine customers get the freebie. To qualify, they must make a minimum number of banking transactions and phone top-ups using AIB internet banking or ATM. Even then, they will have to wait until the end of January before the 50 is credited to their phones.

The student package is a predictable mix of free banking, special rates for overdrafts and loans, as well as interest paid on credit balances, albeit at a minuscule rate of 0.025%.

AIB is also offering a credit card with a low rate of interest for the first year.

Student credit cards have sparked controversy in the past, amid fears that they could lure cash-strapped college-goers into a lifetime of debt. But banks claim that . . . contrary to popular belief . . . students generally handle plastic with care, and are less likely than other card-holders to carry balances from month to month.

ANGLO UPS THE ANTE IN BATTLE FOR SAVERS ANGLO Irish Bank is using the latest interest rate hike by the European Central Bank to offer a sweeter deal for regular savers who put money away each month.

Even though the ECB moved by a quarter percent on 3 August, Anglo upped the rate on its Regular Saver account by a half percent to 5.5% from last Tuesday.

This matches the marketleading rate paid by AIB in the hotly-contested market for monthly savings. Anglo has the added attraction of allowing savers put away up to 1,000 a month, compared to the 300-amonth AIB limit.

Meanwhile, Bank of Scotland (Ireland) will increase the interest paid on its Monthly Saver account to 4.5% from the beginning of September.

This is less than Anglo or AIB but, while the competition refuses to accept lump sums, Bank of Scotland allows customers to deposit up to 10,000 to get their savings started.

As more SSIAs mature month by month, regular savings have become a battleground for banks eager for business from people who have decided to keep up the savings habit.

People looking for a home for an SSIA lump sum should check out Northern Rock's Demand Online, which will pay 3.75% interest on balances over 1,000 from the end of the month.

National Irish Bank's ECB Tracker Deposit is even better, paying 3.8% interest on balances of up to 20,000 and 4% on bigger amounts. The catch is that accounts must be opened before the end of August, although savers who make the deadline will benefit from a generous interest rate promise that lasts until the end of 2008.

EXPERTS SANGUINE ON PENSION FUND BLIP RISING interest rates, the political crisis in the Middle East and uncertainty over oil prices have taken their toll on pension savings.

The average managed fund is up by a paltry 1.8% so far this year. Bank of Ireland Asset Management has lost money while Friends First, Irish Life and KBC Asset Management also performed below par.

Investment experts caution that pension savers should keep their eyes on long-term trends, avoiding the temptation to become distracted by temporary performance blips along the way. According to Fiona Daly, managing director of Rubicon Investment Consulting, managed pension funds have averaged close to 10% growth a year over the past decade.

"It is important to remember that the investment horizon of most pension schemes is generally over 25 years, and that equities have historically provided significantly higher returns over the long term than bonds, property or cash, although at the cost of greater volatility, " she said.