Chosing the right bank account for your charity is never easy, so TFN and SCVO have created a bank account comparison table to help trustees decide

Charities struggling with banking problems are being encouraged to switch accounts to one that better suits their needs.

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and Third Force News have created a new charity bank account comparison table to help organisations chose the right bank for their needs.

Rhonda McLean, information officer at SCVO, said: "Many banks and building societies offer special current accounts for voluntary organisations and charities, and most give free banking if the account is in credit.

"Conditions and benefits vary, and can change over time, but our table highlights the main features of current accounts from institutions that have strong links to the third sector, or who have a significant high street presence in Scotland."

Some things to remember when choosing a current account include:

• Choose a current account which offers the services your organisation needs, e.g. a local branch, internet banking, direct debits etc.
• Ask questions about processes – how do you change a signatory, does it take a long time?
• Be aware of any charges e.g. if you go into an overdraft
• Ask about interest rates
• Internet banking is convenient but does not give the security of a cheque payment that requires two signatories. So as to protect against fraud, any internet or card payments should ideally be approved by two people.
• Some accounts require high minimum deposits, so may be of no use to very small organisations.

The SCVO Information Service provides a range of information on charity finance.