Nottingham

Nottingham Building Society, usually branded The Nottingham, is a mutual building society that has been trading for over 175 years¹. It sells two main things: savings accounts, from passbook accounts held in branch to online-only accounts, cash ISAs and children's savings; and mortgages, including deals for existing customers who are moving home, borrowing more or coming to the end of a fixed rate. Its online savings brand, Beehive Money, was folded back into the main society in December 2024, so all online savings now sit under the Nottingham name².

The society is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference number 200785) and appears on the Bank of England's list of UK building societies³. Its trading names are The Nottingham and Beehive Money³. It has signed up to the Mortgage Charter, the government-backed set of commitments for lenders dealing with borrowers in difficulty⁴.

Savings accounts and ISAs at Nottingham

Nottingham Building Society offers a wide range of savings routes: passbook savings accounts, easy access savings accounts, fixed rate savings accounts, cash ISAs and a Lifetime ISA, plus children's savings accounts, accounts for over 50s and options for retirees¹. The choice between them is mostly about how you want to bank. Passbook accounts are held and updated in branch, easy access and fixed rate accounts come in both branch and online forms, and the online-only accounts are opened and managed through the website or app. If you are weighing up the different types generally, our savings accounts guide explains how easy access, fixed rate and notice accounts compare.

On the ISA side, the society offers cash ISAs, a Junior ISA and a Lifetime ISA, but not stocks and shares ISAs. You can, however, transfer an existing stocks and shares ISA into one of its cash ISAs, as well as moving a cash ISA from another provider to a Nottingham branch or online cash ISA⁶. Transfers can be arranged online, in person at a branch, or by post and email depending on which ISA you want to open⁶. The rules on ISAs generally, including the annual allowance and how transfers protect your tax-free status, are covered in our ISAs guide.

Age limits apply to the ISA range: cash ISAs are open to people over 18, and Lifetime ISAs to people aged 18 to 39⁷. For any online account you need to be a UK resident and a UK tax resident, with a UK-registered mobile number and a unique email address⁷.

Children's savings and the Junior ISA

Children's savings accounts at the Nottingham are opened and managed in branch, for children from newborn up to age 18⁸. Once registered for online services in branch, the account can also be viewed online⁸. Who can open the account depends on which one it is:

• For Their Future: parents, grandparents, guardians and other adults aged 18 or over can open it in branch, either directly or held in trust for a child under 18⁸.
• Junior ISA: only a parent or guardian with parental responsibility can open it, but grandparents and other family members can normally pay into it within the annual allowance⁸. It is opened in branch with an appointment booked by phone, and cannot be opened or managed online⁹.

Parents, grandparents and other authorised account holders can view a child's branch-based savings account online or in the society's app to see balances and recent transactions⁹. For comparison, NS&I's Junior ISA can be opened by a parent or legal guardian for under-16s, with children aged 16 or 17 able to open their own¹⁰.

Regular savings: variable interest, withdrawals allowed

The society's regular savings accounts are designed for saving a set amount each month rather than depositing a lump sum. They come in two versions: an online-only account, open to savers aged 18 and over, and a branch-only account open from age 16, both opened with a small minimum deposit and accepting joint accounts¹¹.

The interest on these accounts is variable, which means it can go up or down¹¹. Both versions allow unlimited penalty-free withdrawals, so they suit savers who want to put money aside monthly but still get at it without notice¹¹. Interest is paid without tax taken off, into the account or another suitable account of your choosing¹¹. The online-only account runs for a fixed term, after which the society will tell you what happens next¹¹. Because the interest rate is variable and the terms can change, check the society's own site for today's figures before opening.

Mortgages: fees, overpayments and switching deals

Nottingham Building Society lends on residential property and supports existing customers through the life of the mortgage. If your deal is coming to an end, its advisers will help you find your next mortgage¹². If you are moving home, you may be able to move your mortgage to your new house, known as porting¹². And if you have financial questions such as further borrowing on your current mortgage or making overpayments, advisers can talk those through with you¹².

Overpaying is a way to potentially clear your mortgage sooner by reducing the total interest you pay¹². You can normally pay a one-off lump sum or make regular overpayments, and the society allows up to a set percentage of the remaining mortgage amount each year¹³. Exceed that yearly allowance and you may have to pay an early repayment charge¹⁴. The exact allowance and any charges are in your mortgage terms, and the society's site sets out the current position.

On fees, some of the society's mortgages are subject to an arrangement fee¹⁵. Booking and valuation fees must be paid upfront by credit or debit card or cheque before an application can be processed, and a standard charge applies to cover mortgage funds transferred to your solicitor, deducted from the advance¹⁵. If a valuer needs to revisit the property, there is a fee for each extra visit¹⁵. The society's fees and charges page has today's amounts.

For existing customers coming to the end of a deal, the society contacts you around four months before your mortgage deal is due to end with the product options available, and you can switch to a new deal with it up to four months before your existing deal ends⁴. Switching with the society involves no affordability checks, and no property valuation is needed on a like-for-like switch⁴. This sits within the Mortgage Charter, under which customers who are up to date with payments can switch to a new deal at the end of their existing fixed rate without another affordability check¹⁶.

Affordability is checked in some situations even under the Charter: if you wish to permanently convert to an interest-only mortgage, or where the mortgage term is proposed to be extended beyond your expected retirement date¹⁶. Porting to a cheaper property also involves an affordability check based on the lender's current criteria¹⁸. Our mortgages guide explains the different deal types, and buying a home covers the full purchase process.

Help with mortgage advice, conveyancing and financial advice

The society's advisers are the main route for existing mortgage customers with questions. As well as helping when a deal ends or when you move home, they handle further borrowing for existing customers who want to borrow more¹³. The society also publishes a set of free mortgage calculators: an affordability calculator, a deposit calculator, a mortgage repayment calculator and a stamp duty calculator¹⁹. These are free to use with no personal details, sign-up or credit checks involved¹⁹. Lenders, including building societies, assess mortgage applications on the product type, your income, outgoings, deposit and credit history¹⁹.

One point worth knowing: the Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate taxation and trust advice, will writing or legal services²⁰, so any such help the society points you towards sits outside the FCA's complaints and protection regime. Some buy-to-let mortgages are also not regulated by the FCA¹². Conveyancing, the legal work of buying and selling property, is done by solicitors rather than the society; a solicitor is also who you need if you require representation in a court case or help making a court claim.

Beehive Money is now Nottingham: what changes for customers

Beehive Money, the society's online savings brand launched in 2018, has always been part of Nottingham Building Society, and on 3 December 2024 it changed its name to Nottingham Building Society². For customers, this is a rebrand rather than a transfer: Beehive Money's membership rules carry over, and online savings customers remain members of the society with the same benefits². Accounts, balances and protections are unchanged, and eligible savings remain protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme².

The practical difference is where things happen. The society's app is currently only for online savings accounts, so former Beehive customers manage their accounts there, while branch savings accounts and mortgages continue to be handled through the society's usual channels². The FCA Register still lists Beehive Money as a trading name of the society³.

Who can open an account online or in branch

How you open a Nottingham account depends on which account it is. The online-only regular savings account can only be opened and managed online, while the branch-only version is opened and managed in branch¹¹. Children's accounts are opened and managed in branch, though they can be viewed online after registering for online services in branch⁸. The Junior ISA can only be opened and managed in branch, with an appointment booked by calling your local branch⁹.

For any type of online account, you need to be a UK resident and a UK tax resident, with a UK-registered mobile number and a unique email address⁷. Age requirements vary by product: the online regular savings account is for savers 18 and over, the branch version from 16, cash ISAs for over 18s, and Lifetime ISAs for ages 18 to 39⁷.

Banking with Nottingham: branches, passbooks, online and phone

The society is unusual among building societies in keeping passbooks. While some building societies have started to phase them out, at Nottingham they still matter, and passbook savings accounts remain part of the range alongside online accounts¹. If you lose your passbook, visit your nearest branch as soon as you can, where the team will help secure a replacement and protect your account¹. Passbooks are also updated to show the most accurate balance of the accounts²⁰.

Online services cover the society's online savings accounts, including through its app, while branch accounts and mortgages are managed through branches, by phone and by post². Customer advisers can be reached on 0344 481 4444⁵. Mortgages, in particular, provide no online access at all, so existing mortgage business is done by contacting the society directly¹⁴.

When a customer dies or someone needs to act for them

When a member dies, the society needs to see a certified copy or the original death certificate to register the death, along with personal identification from the next of kin or executor, and full details of the person who has passed away: their full name, address, date of birth, details of holdings and any previous address held on record²⁰. The society can provide access to funds in the accounts to cover payments towards funeral arrangements or inheritance tax, on sight of a bill or invoice²⁰.

For mortgages, the process differs by ownership. Once the death of a sole mortgage account holder is registered, the society sends paperwork for the executor to provide their details, ID and future plans for the property, and it carries out regular courtesy calls to executors to keep them updated²⁰. Monthly mortgage payments are not expected on a sole account after a death, although they can continue to be made if desired, and interest will continue to be charged²⁰. On a joint mortgage, when the death is registered the mortgage is transferred into the name of the surviving holder²⁰. Under FCA rules, once a lender knows a consumer is deceased it must take all reasonable steps to communicate instead with a personal representative of the estate or the estate's beneficiaries²¹.

There are also services beyond the society. The Death Notification Service tells a number of banks, building societies and financial institutions about a person's death at the same time, with no account needed to use it, and a helpline on 0333 207 6574 open 08:30 to 17:30 Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays²². Many banks will accept interim death certificates, coroner's certificates and translated non-UK death certificates to release money for funeral expenses. HMRC must also be told who is dealing with the person's money and property, by helpline or by filling in form P1000²³.

For someone who needs another person to act for them, the society accepts Lasting Power of Attorney, Enduring Power of Attorney and Scottish Power of Attorney documents for registration⁵. The easiest way to register is to visit your local branch and book an appointment, though registration can also be done by post; if you are not already a member, you will need two forms of identification, which can be original documents or certified copies⁵.

Struggling with mortgage payments: what Nottingham offers

If you are worried about paying your mortgage, the society asks you to contact it straightaway, and says it will do all it can to help customers worried about monthly repayments¹². It has signed up to the Mortgage Charter, a set of commitments agreed between the government, UK lenders and regulators, under which lenders support borrowers having problems⁴. Under the Charter, a lender that has signed up can help if you are having problems with your mortgage²⁴.

Two commitments matter most. Speaking to the society's payment support team will not affect your credit rating or appear on your credit file⁴. And the society has committed that, except in a few exceptional situations, it will not force anyone to leave their home for at least a year after their first missed payment⁴. If arrears do build up, costs may be charged, and repossession is treated only as a last resort.

Free help is available outside the society too. Housing Rights Northern Ireland provides a support line for people concerned about their mortgage payments²⁶, and free debt advice services can talk through options such as debt management plans, bankruptcy, individual voluntary arrangements and debt relief orders. Our debt guide sets out where to get free, impartial advice and what each solution involves.

Complaints, scam protection and how your savings are protected

Complaints about the society start with the society itself, by phone on 0344 481 4444, in branch or in writing⁵. If you are not satisfied with its response, the Financial Ombudsman Service can look at complaints about bank accounts and bank cards, insurance, and problems with loans, among other things²⁷. It also handles complaints about the way a financial business has dealt with a scam involving unauthorised payments, stolen details or identity theft²⁸.

On scams, the society is clear about one rule:

If you think you have been scammed, contact your bank or building society immediately and report it to the police at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040²⁹. The Financial Ombudsman Service advises the same immediate steps: contact your bank or payment provider, contact the police on 101, report the scam to Report Fraud, and keep records of all contact and correspondence between you and the scammer²⁸. Our scams and fraud guide covers the main types and how to avoid them.

Your eligible savings with the society are protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)², the UK's statutory compensation scheme for customers of failed financial firms. This applies across the society's savings range, including the Junior ISA⁹. Because Beehive Money is part of the same society, savings held under either name count as savings with one institution. Our consumer protection guide explains how the FSCS works, what it covers and where it stops.