ONE in five savers in the South East can name their bank balance in one - down to the last penny, in fact. And nearly half - 44 per cent - are able to predict it to the nearest £10, according to research carried out by HSBC Bank.

Keeping up to date with their finances has become a high priority for a large number of anxious Britons as 19 per cent (21 per cent in the South East) admit to checking their account three times or more in one day. This figure rises to almost one in three (27 per cent) for people who use more than one method to bank, such as branch and Internet bankers.

Compelled to feel in control of their money, more than one in 10 (12 per cent) "variety bankers" are self-confessed "bankaholics" who admit to sometimes accessing their account four times a day. Men are more likely to be "figure conscious" than women as nearly twice as many (25 per cent compared with 13 per cent of women) will carry out regular check-ups three or more times a day.

HSBC's research revealed that people who use technology to bank - TV, Internet, telephone and mobile phones - are more likely to be astute money managers.