? If you have that little bit extra give it to Halifax who offer 7% on amounts up to E750 a month If your middle class give it to Irish Nationwide who have a two-year fixed rate of 9.25% on deposits between Euro20,000 and Euro1m

BEST CREDIT CARDS ? Halifax's purchase-rate 9.5% is the best around, especially as the first six months are 0%. Its cash rate is also competitive at 11.2%.

? NIB's Visa card is next best, with a 10.5% rate on cash and purchases after five months at 0%.

BEST BANK FOR YOUR MONEY ? Halifax is offering 10% credit interest on balances up to Euro2,000 but 0% afterwards. No transaction fees included and Halifax has the cheapest overdraft rate at 9.43% APR.

? Permanent TSB's current account interest of 4% is next best

BEST SAFE PLACE FOR YOUR SSIA LUMP SUM ? Rabobank offers 5% on Euro10,000, 3.75% on amounts up to Euro1m at a fixed rate for 12 months. For those who don't trust the internet and prefer paper, Northern Rock offers 4.75%

BEST PERSONAL LOAN ? If you are stuck for a cash boost go to First Active, which will give you the best rate on a loan of Euro10,000 over five years of 6.8% APR.

BEST STOCKBROKING CHARGES Sharewatch for buying and selling Irish and British shares - Euro60 a year and 0.3% commission per online trade. Minimum charge of Euro20.

BEST MORTGAGE SWITCHER ? NIB offers the most transparent remortgage with the fewest restrictions at between 0.5 and 0.59 points above the ECB interest rate. If you are looking for a mortgage at 60% of the value of your home, it can be a big saving over the life of the loan. NIB also doesn't penalise you if you switch again.

? Ulster bank offers a Euro1,000 gift to switch, plus a loan rate that is 0.75 points above the ECB rate, making it a close second, particularly after dropping a lot of fine print.