Features

Rating: 4/6

Nationwide's website has a decidedly retro feel - not least because it's optimised for 800 x 600-resolution screens. However, simple isn't necessarily stupid and Nationwide does basic online banking reasonably well.

The login process asks for a ten-figure customer number and a piece of memorable data from the three you provided when you registered.

The final piece of the login process provides three drop-down menus for you to enter randomly selected digits from your six-numeral passnumber, which should help thwart most keyloggers. A recent update adds an extra layer of security by occasionally asking one of five additional security questions, and the bank tells us it will soon introduce portable card readers.

Once in, you'll find the site will stretch to fill your screen's horizontal resolution, although there's only a list of your accounts and a few neatly arranged buttons and links to fill that space.

The spartan design is a boon for low-speed connections, as the site zips from

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screen to screen, and is a real advantage on mobile devices with a full web browser, such as the iPhone. If your phone isn't that advanced, you're stuck with WAP access - and then only if you have one of the 16 compatible Nokia phones.

The WAP site only lets you view recent transactions and transfer money between accounts, and there are no text message alerts of any kind.

While there's little glamour to the site, it performs competently. For peace of mind, you're clearly told when you last logged on, and the site is easy to navigate. Transferring money from one Nationwide account to another is effortless, as is activating an online account to transfer money to.

However, the online statements system isn't as comprehensive as it might be. While we appreciate being able to search statements from the past 15 months, anything older is stored in the awkward-to-manipulate PDF format. It also doesn't support Quicken.

One thing Nationwide does extremely well, though, is support Microsoft Money. Unlike any other bank here, you can access your account direct through the software with no need to download monthly statements into it.

If you own Microsoft Money, and you're also looking for good old-fashioned efficiency, Nationwide is a solid choice. But if you're after more cutting-edge account management, though, you should look elsewhere.

Next: Natwest

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