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Metro
13-06-2025
- Business
- Metro
The best bank account switching deals for June — with bonuses up to £310
Four banks in the UK are now offering cash for you to switch allegiance. The bonuses start off at £100, but if you're willing to do a little more or stick with the bank for longer, the highest paying one is worth a healthy £310. If you've never switched before you'll be good to go on most of the offers, but sadly, if you've received a bonus for swapping from these banks before, you're ruled out for getting money again. Let's start with the easiest one to get… This June, there's a straight £180 from Santander if you open up an Everyday, Edge or Edge Up current account, set up two direct debits, deposit £1,500 and switch from a different bank within 60 days. Do all this and you'll get the money within three months of starting the process. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video There are some caveats though (aren't there always). First up, you can't have had a Santander current account on January 1, 2025. If you've opened one up since, then you'll be okay to proceed. Also, those direct debits must be from a named household bills supplier, so you'll need to check that your phone, broadband, water or energy provider are listed. Next up is First Direct. You'll get a little less at £175 but it's also one with comparatively fewer tasks to complete. You need to move over two direct debits from your old account as part of the switch (meaning they need to be on the old account rather than set up on the new one), deposit £1,000 within 30 days, and use your debit card five times in the first 45 days. Once you meet these criteria you'll get the cash on the 20th of the following month. However, if you've ever had a First Direct current account – even if it's now closed – you won't be eligible. You can't have opened a new HSBC current account since January 1, 2018, either. If you're already with Nationwide, and had a current account, savings account or mortgage with the building society on March 31, 2025, then you've got access to an exclusive £200 switching promotion. This one also requires you to transfer two direct debits as part of the switch from the old account. You'll then need to add £1,000 to the account in 31 days, and use the debit card once to have the bonus paid into your account within 10 days. What's different about this offer is you might be able to get it more than once! Though you can only take advantage with one personal current account, you can also do it in addition to a joint account. So as a couple, you could potentially get three lots of £200 back in your pockets. The final offer to share is potentially worth the most money, but it does require the most action each month – so it's up to you whether you think it's worth it. This deal from TSB offers £100 for the switch itself, and it's for the Spend & Save or Spend & Save Plus accounts. You'll need to use the debit card five times before 19 July 2025 and switch from a different bank. So far, so simple. But for the next level of the offer, worth £15 a month for six months (so a total of £90) you'll need to increase your debit card usage to 20 times each month. And then , if you do the same in December this year, you'll be able to claim a £120 credit for Expedia in the new year. So it's a long game, but you could end up with £310 back. More Trending Be sure to check all the terms and conditions again on all these before you apply, as there may be one or two extra t's to cross and i's to dot. And remember, as part of the switch, your old account will completely close, so be sure you don't want or need to keep hold of it for any reason, such as a connected savings account. It's worth having a look out TopCashback and Quidco first too, as there's up to £40 extra available for the TSB, First Direct and Santander accounts if you click through from there. Better still, if you're new to either site, search for welcome offers worth up to £20 to grab. View More » Follow award-winning blogger and podcaster Andy on Instagram and YouTube or visit MORE: NatWest banking app goes down leaving thousands unable to access their money MORE: I make an extra £500 a month by selling old clothes — this is my recipe for success MORE: Pride doesn't come cheap — the LGBTQ+ 'queer tax' has cost us thousands Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Using AI to make exam coaching competitive
Ed-tech startups have long battled a perception problem. So, last year, two entrepreneurs from Chennai travelled across India visiting hundreds of UPSC coaching centres. Jubran Siddique and Mohammed Khalid, founders of Zaryah Angels , aimed to address problems faced by these institutes and gaps prevalent in their tech layer. The result is EdgeUp, a software powered by an AI model that intends to shake up the ecosystem for competitive exam preparation .Siddique brings more than a decade of experience in investment banking and backing technology startups, while Khalid operates a UPSC coaching centre alongside an industrial automation business. What began as a platform for their own institute evolved into a standalone venture. They built a software platform that enables highly-personalised learning using student assessments and data analytics. Unlike many startups that rely on publicly available AI models such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, the duo developed a proprietary small language model, trained on extensive curated datasets including study material, lesson plans, and question sets in both video and text software evaluates candidates across metrics, including personality traits, cognitive strengths, and subject knowledge to design individualised lesson plans, daily study schedules, and learning parameters. Operation Sindoor 'Our job is to hit target, not to count body bags': Air Marshal Bharti on Op Sindoor Precautionary blackout imposed across parts of Rajasthan, Punjab 'Indian Navy was in position to strike Karachi': Vice Admiral on Operation Sindoor For instance, it can identify whether a student is a visual learner, or whether they struggle with logical reasoning, but excel in memory-based tasks."The academy is a non-profit, and I approached it as a software guy," says Khalid. His network across coaching institutes, academies, and administrative services helped gather data from more than 50 institutions. Siddique adds, "Founders often get overly optimistic. I have seen this firsthand through countless startup pitches. We made it a point to validate our idea with faculty and institutions before building. We brought in mentors and advisors, and are now preparing for a year-long pilot."He believes the traditional product-building cycle where perfecting before release is not suitable for the rapidly evolving AI era. "It is important to release and iterate. The pace of development today does not allow for the old approach," he says. The startup has signed agreements with multiple institutes and expects to reach at least one lakh users within six months. It plans to expand further through free trials, especially targeting the same institutions that contributed data. "As more people use the platform, the algorithm becomes more refined. Coaching centres will appreciate its hands-on accuracy and domain-specific models that are less likely to hallucinate," Siddique Angels recently raised $1 million from angel investors and plans to use 40% of its budget for technology building. Siddique, who also has experience in blockchain, is experimenting with decentralised AI compute to lower infrastructure costs. EdgeUp sees UPSC test preparation as a low-hanging market and eyes to enter into various competitive exams such as JEE, NEET, starting with southern state govt services exams. In the long run, it plans to hit 10 million users on the platform in five years. More ambitiously, the startup aims to contribute towards and build a larger decentralised and open-source AI ecosystem, like Linux for AI. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Mother's Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
