I visited the Northern Rock site, and the first thing that greets you is a message assuring depositors. Weird! I did manage to glean from the site that “temporary national ownership” will last for as long as credit problems persist, or words to that effect. And for any one who may have been interested in their new security guarantee, US residents can’t open an account with them for some reason. As to whether UK lending standards are tighter or more lax than the US, I’m not sure how you would go about measuring this except in the mess it usually leaves behind, so it’s a case of wait and see.
