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Holt’s Military Banking

The bank of the British Armed Forces.

Clients

Holt’s Military Banking (Holt’s) serves our 35,000 British military personnel customers and 900 Business Banking customers, based across the globe, supporting them with their personal, private and business banking needs.

Holt’s has paved the way in military banking since it was established in 1809. From one of the first military banking agents appointed to the Crown and His Majesty’s Forces, to the only UK Military Bank that offers bespoke services and products to the those that serve, and the military charities and associations that support them.  Holt’s prides itself on understanding the complexities of serving in the military and has a history of making life easier for its customers. Holt’s is committed to serving the military communities and putting the interests of customers first. Wherever they serve, we serve.

Our personal banking customers consist of Holt’s Branch and Holt’s Premier Customers covering all ranks of the military from young military recruits and cadets, to senior Officers across all the three services; The Royal Navy, The Army and The RAF (Royal Airforce).  Holt’s also caters for the wider Military Community providing banking services to all Military Families and the four million Armed Forces Veterans, based in the UK and aboard.

Holt’s offers a bespoke Military Business Banking service.  We currently have over 900 non-public account customers consisting of Royal Naval Bases, Ships and Flotillas, Army Regiments, RAF Stations, Military Charities and Military Associations.

We also provide Banking Services to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Diplomatic Service and all British Military Defence Partner service personnel who serve alongside the British Military, based in the UK. 

Holt’s has been running our FINCAP (Financial Capability Development Programmes), an impartial financial education programme for 17-55 year-olds, for more than 18 years. Helping as many of 180,000 serving personnel, their families and Veterans, who have served our country, to understand and take control of their finances.

History

Holt’s can trace its origins back to around 1809 when William Kirkland set up in business as an army agent in London. At that time army agents kept the accounts of regiments, distributing pay and subsidies, dealing in supplies of clothing and equipment and administering claims for pensions and injury. Over time, Holt’s expanded its business by providing banking facilities to soldiers and their families.

During the First World War Holt's dealt with the pay of more than 65,000 army officers almost doubling its staff numbers to 850. The firm also began to develop similar connections with the other services. In 1915 Holt’s acquired the naval agent Woodhead & Co (est. c.1804) of Charing Cross, in London, and when the Royal Air Force was formed in 1918, Holt’s took on part of the official pay agency.

In 1976 Holt’s opened a branch in Farnborough, and in 1992 Holt’s business was brought together there when the London office in Whitehall closed. In 2003 the ‘Military Centre of Excellence’ was launched in Farnborough and Holt’s Military Bank expanded the scope and range of its services.

The Holt’s squirrel dates back to at least the 1920s. Some components of the emblem have varied over time. Colour was first introduced in 2003 to coincide with the launch of the ‘Military Centre of Excellence’ in Farnborough.

Partnerships

  • For the past 21 years, Holt’s has been the proud sponsor of the Royal Military Academy Boxing Club.

  • Holt's is a corporate partner of the Army Sports Control Board which strives through sport to hone the competitive edge of servicemen and women, producing regiments and individuals who are better prepared to withstand the physical and mental demands of the battlefield.  It encourages leaders to think clearly, confidently and positively when under pressure.  And fundamentally it feeds a winning culture and ethos that inspire hunger for success.