We offer local relationship banking and wealth management services to individuals and businesses, via dedicated account managers, with real decision-making capability.
For many banking customers, the experience they want is no longer simply about preferential rates, premium products or access to exclusive services. Increasingly, it means finding a banking partner who really understands the wider picture – including their personal finances and ambitions, family circumstances, and business interests – and can provide advice and decisions tailored to their needs.
What is relationship banking?
Our relationship approach is based on two core beliefs. The first is that we should empower the people best able to make good decisions – those closest to the customer.
The second is that focussing our efforts on customer satisfaction will also mean success for the bank. Everything flows from these values.
It means, for example, that we start from a full understanding of our customers’ needs, which in turn comes from a full understanding of their finances.
With so much banking now automated, we know there is still a strong appetite for personal relationships, underpinned by digital solutions for day-to-day requirements.
Every customer has a dedicated relationship manager who meets them how and where they want – face to face, whether at home or in branch, or digitally. That person has the authority to make decisions. And we offer all our banking services – whether personal banking, business banking or wealth management – under one roof, from the local branch.
Local relationship banking with deep roots in Scotland
Handelsbanken operates a network of fully-decentralised branches in key areas across Scotland and the UK.
Our decision-makers have detailed knowledge not just of their customers but also of the local business environment. They are embedded in their communities, engaged with other relevant professionals– chartered accountants, say, or lawyers.
This expertise can be particularly valuable when a customer’s circumstances are individual, and their requirements require a flexible approach.
Whether arranging borrowing, managing deposits or considering wider wealth requirements, the emphasis is on understanding the individual situation and determining the most appropriate solution.
In Scotland, Handelsbanken has been providing relationship banking for 18 years. We serve customers across the central belt with two branches in Edinburgh and a branch in both Glasgow, and Stirling. Further north there are branches in Aberdeen and Inverness.
Moving through the wealth cycle
Our offer extends beyond day-to-day banking. Our approach has always been to work with people who share our longer-term outlook and value our relationship-based approach – so it should be no surprise that we plan for the next stages.
Wealth accumulation, protection, and – ultimately – succession planning are simply an extension of the financial journey. We therefore provide advice and strategy across areas including investment management, retirement planning, tax-efficient savings, protection and intergenerational wealth transfer
Our approach is centred on customer needs rather than the sale of specific products.
Wealth management and succession planning for business owners
We can help with often-overlooked areas such as protection advice to business owners to provide cover for ‘worst case’ scenarios – including the death or illness of key individuals.
This integrated approach often suits entrepreneurs and business owners, where personal and commercial finances are frequently interconnected. Handelsbanken’s relationship managers understand both sides of that equation and can help ensure decisions are considered in context.
There is also a difference in culture. Our approach is centred on customer needs rather than the sale of specific products – through providing the best possible advice and support over the longer term and being fully transparent over fee structures.
Combining personal relationships with digital banking for the long term
With so much banking now automated, we know there is still a strong appetite for personal relationships, underpinned by digital solutions for day-to-day requirements.
A financial relationship where customers know whom to call, with decisions made locally – and a banking partner that takes the time to understand where their finances are today, but also where they want them to go.
For individuals and families across Scotland, that combination of access to decision-makers, personal relationships and integrated wealth expertise offers an alternative interpretation of what banking can mean. Why not get in touch?
Edinburgh East and Central Scotland: 0131 656 7200
Edinburgh West: 0131 561 9130
FAQs
What does Handelsbanken offer in Scotland?
Handelsbanken provides local relationship banking, business banking and wealth management through dedicated relationship managers with local decision-making authority.
Where does Handelsbanken operate in Scotland?
Handelsbanken has branches in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Aberdeen and Inverness, serving individuals, families and businesses across Scotland.
What is Handelsbanken’s relationship banking approach?
Customers have a dedicated relationship manager who takes time to understand their personal finances, business interests and long-term ambitions, with decisions made locally.
Does Handelsbanken provide wealth management?
Yes. Its services include investment management, retirement planning, tax-efficient savings, protection and intergenerational wealth transfer, including support for entrepreneurs and business owners.
This article is featured in the Autumn 2026 edition of The Business magazine.
Distributed with The Sunday Times Scotland.
Partner Content in association with Handelsbanken
