loose change

General Accident Direct will insure houses with more than five bedrooms and has set a new ceiling of pounds 150,000 for home contents insurance. Call 0800 121004.

Skipton is relaunching its two-year Step Up bond, offering 6 per cent gross until February next year, rising to 7.5 per cent gross in the six months to August 1999. Call 0800 446776.

Northern Rock has a telephone-based direct mortgage division offering a standard variable rate of 6.08 per cent. Call 0800 591500.

Nationwide Building Society has a five-year guaranteed equity bond. Growth is linked to the performance of the FTSE 100 share index. If the Footsie does not grow, the investment is returned. Call 0345 030300.