We are all aware of the top UK banks, and we assume they must be popular for a reason, but are they the most appropriate for us? To establish whether or not it is it is important to do plenty of research before hand, we all want our money to be in a safe place, with support who actually help us, but sometimes we can fall victim to choosing too soon!

When you start your research you will find lists stating which banks are best for what, now if you are looking for a simple account this is great, but if you are looking for a specific account or feature then this can leave you at a bit of a dead end in your search.

Reviews on the internet are easy to access but they may not be what you are looking for, if you have specific needs then it is likely they will not cater for them so your best bet may be trying to make the time to get into the bank.

If you know someone who has had the same needs as you for an account then you can go on word of mouth to some extent to find an appropriate account.

Generally speaking, there are some banks which stand out leaps and bounds from others. You do not just want the one with the best rates, you want a bank with high customer satisfaction, with good usability, adequate access and something which is simple to use.

Online banking is becoming a huge factor for most people so if it is for you then be careful, most banks have good online banking systems now however some seem to easy to access whereas others seem to require far too much information, although if you do not intend on using online banking this is clearly not an issue.

In the UK there are four top banks which are, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds tsb and Santander. These do not seem to have huge differences in their policies however, so it is more a factor of going on reviews and which fits your needs. With rates being so similar at the moment it can be difficult to establish the pros and cons from each bank.

The top UK banks are great for basic accounts, or even some specialist accounts, it is just important to do the research, or if you do research and they do not offer what you require or you are not satisfied look at the smaller or private banks.

To learn more about big UK banks and Barclays Bank please visit http://www.ukbanks.org