Smaller savers should look to AIB which will pay out 7.1% for those who contribute between 10 and 300 a month to a savings account.

? For larger amounts, EBS and Anglo Irish Bank offer 7% interest on monthly deposits of up to 1,000. For "xed-term savings over 1,000 go to Anglo for a deposit rate of 4.76%.

? The wealthy among us should consider EBS which offers 4.7% fixed CAR over 12 months on amounts above 100,000.

Best credit cards

Halifax has a purchase-rate of just 9.5% on its card after six months at 0% with a cash rate of 11.2%. NIB's visa card has a cheaper cash rate at 9.75% but a slightly high purchase rate of 9.75% after five months of no interest.

Best bank for your money ?

Between tomorrow and February, Bank of Ireland will offer you 10.5% interest on your current account on balances up to 1,500, after which the rate will switch to 4.05%.

? Halifax offers 10% for amounts up to 2,000 subject to monthly 1,500 lodgements.

Best safe place for your lump sum

First Active's eSavings internet account is the best stash-house with a rate of 5.22% on amounts up to 15,000 and 4.07% on amounts up to 1m.

Best personal loan

The cheapest money in Ireland is to be had at First Active which charge 6.8% interest on loans between 2,000 and 30,000. For larger amounts try Tesco Personal Finance with 6.9% APR.

Best stockbroking charges ?

Buying and selling Irish shares online can be done cheaply with Sharewatch which charges 60 a year and 0.3% commission per online trade for buying and selling Irish shares.

The minimum charge is 20.

? For a more traditional institution try NIB's ebanking where fees start at 75.

? For international trading check out firsttrade. com or etrade. com whose fees start at $7.

Best mortgage switcher ?

NIB's mortgage switcher rates go 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 course of the loan. NIB also doesn't penalise you if you decide to switch again.

? Halifax offers better value for higher loan-tovalue ratios.

Best fixed rate mortgage

For a two-year fixed rate mortgage try Bank of IReland where you can get an interest rate of 4.89%.