What Big European bank's name replaced those of Abbey, and Bradford & Bingley, in an extensive 2010 rebranding of its acquired branches?
Bradford & Bingley deposits and branch network (and a licence to use the B&B name for those aspects) was sold to Abbey National, itself owned by the Spanish Santander Group. The branch network was rebranded Santander on 11 January 2010 and the Bradford & Bingley name now solely relates to the nationalised section of the bank. Bradford & Bingley Building Society was formed in 1964 as a result of the merger of the Bradford Equitable Building Society and the Bingley Permanent Building Society, both of which were established in 1851. In May 1997 the Society bought "Mortgage Express" from Lloyds TSB for £64
Bradford & Bingley Asset Resolution, on 1 October 2010. The group ran two distinct businesses: retail and lending. Bradford & Bingley distributed brand-name and third party financial products. As at 31 December 2007 they had 197 branches and 140 third party agent locations offering retail products and face to face advice in addition to online and intermediary distribution. Bradford & Bingley's approach to mortgage advising was innovative as they advised on and sold other providers mortgages as well as their own from 2000 to 2006. In late 2006, as part of their aim to become the UK's leading specialist lender, Bradford & Bingley