We only select products that are generally available and not restricted to, say, local residents or intermediaries.

If a chart is top-heavy with similar institutions we will also select a few larger ones because people expect to see some household names.

The entry must be self-explanatory in the space available. Complicated bonuses or conditions cannot be explained and therefore we will not normally quote them.

Savings Charts Criteria

In the savings charts we aim to show a good cross section of products across a range of notice periods and balances. Larger balances of say £50,000 or £100,000 are rarely used as they are of limited interest. However, if rates from one or more institution are the same at a specific lower band we will look to see who is also best at the higher bands. Rates that top the rest by 0.01% for example will not be looked on favourably. All rates are shown gross.

Mortgage Charts Criteria

We use the rate as the starting point. Redemption penalty, period, loan-to-value, fees, compulsory insurances and any incentives are also taken into account.

Fixed and Capped rate sections distinguish between products with and products without redemption penalty tie-ins.

For First Time Buyer sections the loan-to-value will always be 90% or above whereas, for a general section, a range of loan-to-values will be used.

When selecting products we like to give a cross-section of lenders even if the best rates might sometimes all come from one lender.

Cards Charts Criteria

Credit Cards:- consideration is first given to the monthly rate. We aim to give a balance between interest-free period/no interest-free and annual fee/no annual fee. We may quote introductory rates when making our choice as they are now on offer for a considerable period. We will always try to show the standard rate applicable at the end of the introductory period. Where we show more than three cards in a section we try to include some non-introductory as well as introductory rates.

Donation Cards:- these are chosen more for the size of the donation given to the charity/affinity group than the cost to the cardholder. We try to show a range of charities and lenders as cards from the same lender tend to have same interest rates.

Store Cards:- we show the lowest monthly rates, but normally restrict the selection to well known high street stores.

Business Current Accounts

Accounts must be available to the majority of businesses. Those accounts only available to specific businesses or only within a local area are not included in our selections. Business accounts are selected for the rate of credit interest payable, rather than for their charges. For further details on bank charges, return to the Business Selection menu and select “BBA Business Account Finder”.

Business Deposit Accounts

As with current accounts, the account must be available to the majority of businesses – so accounts with restricted availability will be excluded. The rate of credit interest payable is the starting point for selection. The selection shows the highest rates available across a selection of notice periods. Where one provider features heavily, we may look to increase variety by selecting another provider with a similar rate or product.

Commercial Mortgages

We feature a selection of commercial mortgages available at any one time. As the interest rate payable is not the main factor when choosing a product, we feature a range of lenders by lending sector –commercial industrial, franchises, office purchases etc. Preference is given to products that feature a high loan to value for the given sector.

Buy-to-Let Mortgages

We use the rate as the starting point. Redemption penalty, period, loan-to-value, fees, incentives and any compulsory insurances are also taken into account. When selecting products we like to give a cross-section of lenders even if the best rates might sometimes all come from one lender.

Please see the Moneyfacts Group website for more information about our products and services.