Here are some of the benefits our members enjoy:

A high quality local service
Timeline is a savings and loans co-operative owned and run by its members - that means we have to keep our members happy. We don’t have external shareholders so all our profits are ploughed back into the business or paid out to members in the form of a dividend.

See your savings grow
When you join Timeline you start making a regular saving into your account, so you always have some money put aside. When you need to spend it, you can withdraw your savings or take out a loan. As you repay your loan you keep making a small contribution to your savings so you always end up with more than you started with.

Always there when you need it
Our members come from all walks of life and use their loans and savings to pay for things like holidays, home improvements, birthday presents, weddings and religious festivals, to pay off existing debts or just to put money aside for a rainy day. It’s so easy and convenient once you get used to it.

The most affordable small loans
We offer some of the cheapest small loans around. In fact you would be unlikely to find anything cheaper when you include our free loan protection insurance.

Annual percentage rates (APRs) can be very misleading. Other companies often quote ‘typical’ interest rates which turn out to be much lower than you actually pay for your loan. We only have one rate (12.7%) but because we only charge interest on the reducing balance the effective rate is usually much less. For example, if you borrow £1,000 from Timeline and repay it over 1 year, you will only pay £66 interest - that is an effective rate of 6.6%.

Free loan protection
Plus of course you get our free loan protection which means that should you die or become disabled and unable to work, your loan will be paid off by our insurers (subject to age restrictions - see loans page).

No early repayment fees
Unlike most other lenders we don’t have an early repayment fee so you can pay off your loan any time you like. The sooner you pay it off, the less it will cost.

Responsible lending
We are a responsible lender so we try not to lend people more than we are confident they can pay back. This means that the amount you are entitled to borrow is linked to the amount of your savings and your repayment history.

Easy withdrawal of savings
You can withdraw your savings or close your account any time you like, provided you don’t have an outstanding loan balance. In that case you can withdraw the amount of savings which is greater than your share balance.

Dividend on savings
Any profits we make after covering our costs are paid out to members as an annual dividend. We can never guarantee this but we usually expect to pay at least 1% - that is a lot more than most current accounts pay.

Free life insurance
In the unfortunate event of your death we will transfer you savings to your named beneficiary, plus an equivalent amount of life insurance (subject to age restrictions - see savings page).

Safe and secure
Your savings are safe and secure - covered by the Financial Services Authority compensation scheme just like other banks and building societies.

Our record speaks for itself
Since we opened in 1998, over 3,000 Greenwich residents and employees have joined Timeline and we have loaned over £4 million.