In Italia, a bank that takes deposits and a firm that only lends can both be licensed — under different permissions — and both sit under the Banca d'Italia and CONSOB. A familiar high-street name is not automatically cheaper. A specialist lender is not automatically more expensive. Compare TAEG, fees and the written offer.
What deposit protection does and does not cover
Eligible deposits with a licensed deposit-taker are covered by Fondo Interbancario di Tutela dei Depositi. A loan balance you owe is not a deposit. Owing a consumer-credit firm money does not put that debt under the deposit scheme.
Brokers
A broker introduces you to one or more lenders and is paid for the introduction. Judge the resulting offer the same way you would a direct lender. The lender directory and bank list split those roles where we have the data.
Then open personal loans or match. How we get paid: editorial policy. How we score: methodology.
Written for readers in Italia. Bankmatch is paid by providers and never by readers; that does not change what we write.