This local credit union is a real establishment in North Belfast. Pretty much everyone has an…read moreaccount here, because they are waaaaayy better than a bank and more trustworthy. You can save away and then borrow against your earnings and they always have realistic payback agreements, and never let you borrow an unbelievable amount that you know you won't be able to pay back. They are helpful, courteous and down-to-earth - the staff always remember you and treat you as a valued customer, which is more than I can say for some banks. They recently had a new building established and it's light, spacious and modern, with suitable seating for those waiting to be seen, and lots of information about upcoming local events on the LCD montitors scattered around. They are also heavily involved in developing and improving the community and recently held the Newington Credit Union Young Peoples Awards, which were a testament to thier commitment to the local people. If you live in Belfast and you haven't got a Credit Union Account, I would recommend you get started....you'll thank me.

Newington Credit Union is a fantastic facility for the community to take advantage of. Everyone I…read moreknow has an account and would use it before even considering going to a bank for a loan. You put money into your account and thus are able to borrow either on the value of your savings or against your wages, the latter enabling you to take out more. The staff are always really friendly and remember your face. As Emma P said, the building went through a complete revamp and it now looks fantastic. The old building reminded me of some sort of centre were you got your communal wages in the GDR.

I used to work for this bank, not this branch but upstairs in one of the other departments. I have…read moreworked in lots of branches so I like to think that I know what I'm talking about. I have been in this particular branch lots and lots of times and being the flasghip branch this is pretty impressive. It is clean, crisp has every amenity that Northern Bank can offer. The staff are top notch and they have excellent self service options, which can help you avoid the queues which, to be honest can be quite big. An excellent city centre bank branch.

Huge, modern refurb has made this a great bank. The cashier desks have multiplied making queue time…read moremuch shorter. The staff are friendly and helpful and the fast lodgements system is quick and keeps lodgers out of major queues. More efficient than most city centre banks.

I rarely go into banks and I've never knowingly met a bank manager either socially or…read moreprofessionally. And I see no reason to break the habit of a lifetime. In fact as I think about it I've never withdrawn money from a hole in the wall using a credit card either. I'd heard that this town centre place has a coin counting machine so if you've accumulated a lot of coins you push a few buttons chuck in all your coins and it counts impressively quickly and gives you a print out credit note. Then you need to have an account or a relative with same. For me it's the latter as they must lodge the money on the credit note and withdraw it to avoid money laundering legislation. Well that's the theory. It didn't quite work out that way as the machine was already full of coins so it only counted a small part of what I'd accumulated at home and on screen it froze and said go get an assistant. The assistant didn't keep me waiting any time at all but it became tedious with her repeatedly pushing on screen buttons, opening and closing the machine and restarting the machine only for it to count very few coins and stop again. So after 10 minutes of this unsatisfactory process we each became fed up. When told the machine was full and they had to wait for Securicor to arrive to empty and re set which mightn't be today I said I'd try again next week. That'll have me in a bank twice in a week or about the number of times I've been in a bank in the last 10 or more years. I'd say the machine counted the coins that it did count in well under a minute but had I to sort and count it would have taken me many hours. The staff are all mega helpful and a cheery bunch. Oh and a word about our stupid politicians who devise stupid legislation that even if you only get five pounds via coin lodgement it still must be lodged into an account to be paid out meanwhile real criminals can money launder tens of millions of pounds undetected. I mean about two years ago here one of the biggest money laundering scams - a dodgy exchange bureau- that had gone on for years was right next door to a police station. Ya couldn't make it up.

The Nationwide has been operating in one form or another apparently as far back as 1846…read more Interesting fact... This particular branch of the UK building society is located fantastically at the very top of Bedford Street, looking onto the City Hall and the hustle and bustle of Belfast city life. The ideal location makes it one of the busier branches that I have visited and as a faithful member, I have frequented this branch a number of times. One particular time which sums up exactly what Nationwide is about was when I went in to get some information about a new credit card. I only wanted a leaflet which I could read on the bus home (it was pouring with rain and I didn't fancy walking) but the nice lady behind the magic screen told me of all of the benefits of various cards, what would best suit a student and what would best suit me. We spoke for nearly ten minutes and although I didn't sign up there and then, I did come out knowing a lot more than I did when I went in. That in itself is the best thing about Nationwide because they are customer friendly. They are not there to make a quick buck. They want to help you with your finances as best they can. Though the security man looked a bit suspicious of me. It could have been that it was closing time and he wanted me out into the rain... Never the less the staff are lovely and very helpful. It's all you can ask from a bank these days as no one has any money.

Weirdly I feel quite affectionate about Nationwide Building Society and especially this branch in…read morethe heart of Belfast. A stones throw away from City Hall it couldn't get any more convenient. Facilities include 2 manned kiosks with always friendly and helpful staff. They also have recently installed 2 ATM's within the building itself and a machine where you can lodge paychecks. Although I always prefer doing this the old fashioned way - besides you can't beat a bit of human interaction. One thing that might trip you up at this branch is the door. Yes, I said the door. They have installed a security door where you have to press a button to get in and out. This door bamboozled me on my first visit after they installed it and to be honest it still catches me out. This is a great branch - just watch out for that door - trust me you'll thank me for that tip!

A credit union is a group of people who save together and lend to each other at a fair and…read morereasonable rate of interest. But credit unions world-wide offer members much more than financial services. They provide members the opportunity to own their own financial institution and help them create opportunities such as starting small businesses, building family homes and educating their children. In some countries, members encounter their first taste of democratic decision making through their credit unions. Ormeau Credit Union is one of the largest credit unions in Northern Ireland. Located at 252 Ormeau Road in south Belfast, we have been in existence since the early 1960's and currently have around 8000 account holders. Membership is open to anyone who has something in common with the rest of our membership. In credit union parlance this is known as the common bond of membership. Generally that means if you live or work in central or south Belfast (including Carryduff) you should be able to join. The service provided here is really brilliant and in the current economic climatethe need for Credit Unions is even greater and this one is brilliant. The staff are local and friendly and always willing to help you out.

Joined 2 years ago for help with wedding applied for 1st loan having saved nearly 2500 got declined…read moreso took out a secured loan basically borrowed my own money back then 10 monthd later tryed again for a unsecured loan still owing them money but haven't missed any payments work full time good wages got declined again I'm high risk Cuz I wasted to clear some credit card debt just don't understand how in other credit union people who aren't working get money ok no this for a fact husband mother in one so I closed account never join again maybe other credit union are different but I'm disappointed

This is my local branch of the Halifax, and I really like it. A lost of places can take forever to…read moreget served, but in here, you are rarely stuck in a queue in here, which is always a good thing! The branch itself is totally basic, with only two counters and no real space for customers. Instead where this place excels is with the excellent and friendly customer service. The main ladies who work here are called Caroline and Karen and are wonderfully polite and friendly, and will help you out in whatever way they can. It is good to go somewhere where the people know you and genuinely care about you, which is quite important when you trust those people with your money! Unfortunately i gather the security of this place is under threat due to RBS cutbacks to local branches: I hope this isn't true and this place can continue to provide a good service to the people of Ballygowan and beyond.