Zurich Financial, Bank of Scotland Form Alliance

Zurich Financial Services Group and the Bank of Scotland have reached an agreement to provide banking services for Zurich’s 4.5 million U.K. customers. The products would include loans, mortgages and credit cards.

The banking initiative, which is planned to start later this year, is part of Zurich’s overall strategy aimed at increasing its customer base and the number of products available to its clients. It also plans to launch a full range portal of online services, including financial and insurance options, as well as banking, by midsummer.