Internet Investor: The lazy way to medical cover

Men who enthuse about sports cars, fuel injection and acceleration are manly men's men. On the other hand, men who rattle on about downloads and disk speeds are nerds. Have you ever heard anybody describe a personal computer as a sex symbol? However, despite the risks to my image, I want to bring to your attention a new technological development. MoneyWorld, one of the UK's leading personal finance websites, and Legal & General are using Java technology so that the insurer can offer you bespoke medical insurance quotations direct from the MoneyWorld website.

This is the first time in the UK that a leading insurer has promoted its products using such technology. The first advertising campaign to promote the quotation system is being run exclusively on the MoneyWorld site. To get a quote, you simply select the level of cover you require, enter your age and the number of children you would also like cover for and then click.

Nationwide Building Society has put its Personal Accident Insurance on the Internet. Information and an application form for the product can now be found on the society's website. From pounds 4.95 per month, Nationwide Personal Accident Insurance offers pounds 100,000 of accident protection.

However, Nationwide has not gone all the way with its insurance policy. If you want to take one out, you may complete the application form and direct debit instruction on the screen. Thereafter, you need to print it out, sign it and post it I feel Nationwide, with an otherwise impressive track record of development - first in online banking, first financial services provider to offer an Internet service - may have missed a trick.

Finally, Save & Prosper has relaunched its website, adding a number of features, including an interactive investment calculator that allows you to simulate investment projections. Save & Prosper also says that the site will also be regularly updated with special promotions, investment insights and weekly reports covering key global investment markets. You can also access background information on the company itself.

MoneyWorld: www.moneyworld.co.uk

Legal & General: www.LandG.com

Nationwide: www.nationwide.co.uk

Save & Prosper: www.prosper.co.uk

Robin can be reached at RobinAmlot@aol.com