I'm interested in finding out as much information about the online
banks in the UK as possible.  Specifically;

1) A comprehensive list of banks, building societies & online
financial instutitions in the UK (whether they have online banking or
not)
2) Details of who owns who
3) Any claims made either by the banks themselves, or by independent
research, as to how many users they have, how active they are, what
level of business they do, how many products (eg. credit cards)
they've sold etc.
4) Any recent comparative analysis of the features / advantages each
of the main players offer

At this stage I'm not too concerned about the security aspects, but
other than that - pretty much any information that will give me a
better insight into the online banking industry would be fantastic.

Dear dgster,

There are over 398 authorised banks in the United Kingdom, let alone
building societies and financial companies subject to Financial
Services Authority regulation. All have a web presence but fortunately
a lot fewer are involved in online banking.
 
However, due to the number involved, the details cannot be posted
here. Therefore you will have to access the links yourself and
download the information.

The British Bankers Association maintain a list of online banks and
the various services that they offer:
http://www.bba.org.uk/public/consumers/40133/43204?version=1

The British Bankers Association have posted some independent research
by Elaine Kempson and Claire Whyley of the Personal Finance Research
Centre, on opening a "basic" accounts and how the banks vary. Download
a pdf file at:
http://www.bba.org.uk/public/consumers/5128?version=1

http://www.moneyextra.com/banking/onlinebanking.html
Is an independent financial advice website run by Money Extra
Financial Solutions Ltd. It recommended by many other financial web
sites.
Download a detailed examination of the online bank accounts offered,
computing requirements, subsidiary companies and other investment
products offered.

Another site offering a similar analysis is
http://www.compuserve.co.uk/template/money/ebanking/intro.htm
Once in the site there are over three pages of analysis of online
sites.


The banking world is a complex web of companies, subsidiaries and
off-shore branches. The Bankers Almanac is a detailed bankers guide to
banks. You can apply for a 14 day trial membership at
http://www.bankersalmanac.com/
and receive a full analysis of any bank in which you are interested –
financial position, directors, staff, share-ownership, company
structure.

Once you have narrowed down your selection. Check that your bank or
financial institution is regulated by the Financial Services
Authority:

“The Financial Services Register contains information about firms
authorised by the FSA under the powers granted to it in the Financial
Services and Markets Act (FSMA). This act came into force on 1st
December 2001 - this means that the FSA Register only contains details
of firms in regulation since this date.
The FSA Firm Check Service is a user-friendly way of consulting the
FSA Register to check if a firm is regulated and who to contact in the
firm if you have an enquiry or complaint.”
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/register/reg_fsa_side.html

The Building Society Association has a list of its members with links
to their site.
http://www.bsa.org.uk/MembersList/members_x.html
A-M
http://www.bsa.org.uk/MembersList/members2_x.html
N-Z

If you need further reading and advice on the subject, Amazon. co.uk
offer a book titled 'Sams Teach Yourself e-Banking Today'
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/books/0672318822/reviews/202-3827859-1359852

From the back cover: “Sams Teach Yourself e-Banking Today is a
comprehensive tutorial of this emerging online trend. Learn the
practices of online banking, how to compare services and fees, and how
to determine which online bank is right for you. The book explains the
security risks of online banking in clear, friendly terms. Take
control of your money by employing the information available on the
Internet. The book also shows you how to link popular software
packages like Quicken and MS Money to your online bank. “
 
Or for $2500 you can download a pdf file from IDC Business Research a
detailed analysis of the UK online banking market.
http://allnetresearch.internet.com/item/0,3008,2195261_1,00.html

Search strategy
Personal knowledge of the Financial Services Industry and its
regulation
Permutations of  ‘online’ ‘bank’ ‘uk’ ‘analysis’

I hope that this research has been of assistance.

answerfinder-ga

Fantastic resources - thank you.  Obviously a massive topic but you've
given me lots to investigate further.  Would have liked some stats
regarding activity, sales etc. but I guess the banks don't release
these as they're a little sensitive. Oh, and cheers for a amazingly
quick response!