Royal Bank Halifax came into existence in 2001, as a result of the merger between Halifax plc and the Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland. Halifax plc was transferred to the Bank of Scotland under HBOS Group Reorganisation Act 2006. The Group has its operational headquarters in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, and the corporate headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland. In January 2009, the bank was bought by Lloyds TSB and started operating under Lloyds Banking Group. HBOS still operates at ‘The Mound,’ in Edinburgh as a separate entity.
Royal Bank Halifax conducts all its operations through the three main businesses:
Bank of Scotland plc: It has a number of brands operating in the UK and internationally. Its UK brands include the following:
Bank of Scotland
Bank of Scotland Treasury Services
Halifax Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd
Sainsbury's Bank
St James's Place Bank
Its international brands include:
Banco Halifax Hispania
Bank of Scotland Corporate
Bank of Scotland (Netherlands)
HBOS Australia: It was incorporated in 2004 with the aim of consolidating the Australian holdings of HBOS. It has two subsidiaries
Capital Finance Australia Limited
BOS International (Australia) Ltd
HBOS Insurance & Investment Group Limited: This division handles the insurance and investment brands of the group in the UK. Its brands include:
First Alternative
Halifax General Insurance Services Ltd
St Andrew's Group
Sainsbury's Bank
Insight Investment Management Limited
After Lloyds TSB Group plc acquired HBOS plc, the former changed its name to Lloyds Banking Group plc. The acquisition made the group the UK’s biggest retail bank. It is also among the leading banks providing mortgage, savings and bancassurance products and services. The bank boasts the largest distribution network in the country that serves more than 30 million customers.