
Below are the key milestones, year by year, in the history of Virgin Money. We've started at the top with the big events so far this year, but if you'd rather begin at the beginning, simply scroll down to 1995 - the year Virgin launched into financial services.
2006
2005
2004
November | Virgin Money wins the Interactive Marketing and Advertising award for Best Finance Advertising |
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May | Virgin launches Car, Home, Travel and Pet insurance![]() "There's nothing we love more at Virgin than improving the customer's lot. With our new insurance products, not only will they save money on their premiums, but they won't get charged for paying monthly either", says Richard Branson. |
April | Richard Branson takes 100% ownership of Virgin Money As a signal of our ambition and Richard's belief in the company, he invests £90 million to buy out our other 50% shareholder, bringing full ownership of Virgin Money into the Virgin fold. |
2003
September | Virgin Money welcome our millionth customer worldwide! |
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May | Virgin Money goes global![]() |
January | 200,000 credit card customers reached |
2002
July | Virgin Money grabs more awards Virgin win 'Best Pension Provider' at both The Guardian and Your Money Awards. |
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June | The Virgin Credit Card becomes an industry 'Best Buy' "The Virgin Card is a regular feature in the best buy tables". Moneyfacts |
May | Virgin launches personal loan |
February | Virgin Direct and virginmoney.com merge to become Virgin Money |
January | Launch of the Virgin Credit Card![]() "UK customers have long been made to feel grateful just to be offered a credit card by their bank and it's high time people were given a better deal." Richard Branson |
2001
June | virginlifeinsurance.com launched Virgin shines at the Guardian Consumer Finance awards |
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April | Stakeholder pension launched Virgin is the only company in the UK to get the green light to automatically turn our existing pension into a Stakeholder, because it already meets all the standards. |
2000
June | virginmoney.com launched Virgin judged Call Centre of the Year for third year running |
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May | Virgin enters the workplace Our Group Personal Pension is the blueprint for the Government's Stakeholder launch in 2001. |
April | More gongs at the Your Money Direct awards Your Money Direct voted us 'Best direct ISA and pension provider', as well as 'Best Internet life insurance provider'. |
March | On our fifth birthday we reach 1/3 million customers, insuring peoples lives to the tume of £2 billion. |
January | Virgin calls on FSA to beef up risk wordings in the small print Two years later the Government sponsored 'Sandler Review of long-term saving' is released, reaching the same conclusion. |
1999
September | Service excellence recognised![]() Virgin wins prestigious Management Today/Unisys Service Excellence Award. |
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April | Virgin launches a range of ISAs championing CAT standards |
January | Branson's guide to PEPs, TESSAs and ISAs To help consumers through the ISA minefield. Virgin launches 'Branson's guide to PEPs, TESSAs and ISAs'. |
1998
December | Virgin leads the way on pensions We welcome government plans to 'benchmark' pensions, paving the way for Stakeholder. |
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November | Virgin launches deposit account |
September | Virgin fights for standards Virgin (and 10,000 of our customers) lobby parliament to get high standards 'kitemarked'. |
June | Call Centre of the Year![]() Awarded by BPS Teleperformance. Based on 54,000 mystery shop calls to 2,000 companies; |
1997
October | Virgin launches the revolutionary One account |
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August | Virgin hits £1 billion funds under management and 200,000 investors |
May | ![]() |
February | Virgin lobbies Government Virgin is the first company to pledge not to ask life insurance applicants for the results of any genetic tests. After a four year campaign by Virgin the Government force other companies to do likewise. |
1996
November | Richard puts a rocket up the pension industry The Virgin Personal Pension is launched, years ahead of its time, challenging the cost and complexity of the average pension, which has five or more different charges. |
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May | Virgin launches life insurance "People ask me why we're getting into the murky world of life insurance. Everyone hates it, all the salesmen seem too unscrupulous, barging into your home and taking a secret commission. It's a terrible industry. Exactly. That's why Virgin can make a difference." Richard Branson |
February | Virgin Direct's first TV advert The opening scene shows a mystery man getting out of his car clutching a bundle of papers. In true Roger Cook fashion, the voice-over explains how last year this man convinced 30,000 people to part with their cash, promising to help them avoid the taxman while taking no commission himself. In the final frame the camera reveals that the culprit is in fact... Richard Branson. |
1995
November | Virgin slams banks and building societies We launch a major advertising campaign to 'name and shame' banks and building societies that dupe savers over interest rates. They try to silence us by threatening court action. |
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October | Income PEP launched Virgin launches the cheapest income PEP on the market and challenges everyone to match our high standards. |
April | £42m invested in first month |
March | ![]() Virgin pioneers index tracking by launching the best value PEP in the market. Over 4,000 calls received on opening day. |