Cash ISA transfers brought into 21st century

29/06/2010
by Rachel Mason
Cash ISA transfers brought into 21st century

Julie Smith, Investment Administration Manager at Fair Investment Company welcomes new measures announced by the OFT to bring transparency to the cash ISA market through faster transfers and clearer statements.

"This is good news for the consumer. There is no good reason at all why it currently takes more than three weeks to action a cash ISA transfer; consumers are losing considerable amounts in interest waiting for transactions to complete. Fifteen days is still too long - it should really only take a matter of days - but this is still a vast improvement on the current system.

"The fact that the OFT is warning banks that they could face regulatory action if they fail to keep to the new timescales and that they must compensate consumers that end up worse off as a result of a delay, is a positive move and will hopefully push the banks into improving this area of service.

"I also welcome the news that banks will be forced to highlight interest rates on statements and inform their customers when bonuses end, because savers often lose out when they are unaware that advertised cash ISA rates include a temporary bonus. However, I am disappointed to see that banks have got until May 2012 to comply – again, there is no real reason why this should be, banks should be forced to bring this simple change in sooner.

"Hopefully, these changes will give consumers a fairer deal and drive stronger competition, but I think the OFT could have gone further. In a world where consumers' payments go through at the touch of a button, it is about time their savings could do the same."
 

Cash ISA Transfer Deals
ProviderAccountInterest Rate (AER)TermApply
up to
4.20%		3 YearsApply Now >
Earn 4.20% Gross/AER when you transfer in, or 3.80% Gross/AER standard rate. £1,000 minimum deposit. Transfers allowed from other cash ISAs.
up to
4.20%		3 YearsApply Now >
Earn 4.20% Gross/AER when you transfer in or 3.80% Gross/AER standard rate. £1,000 minimum deposit. Transfers allowed from other cash ISAs.
3.55%3 YearsApply Now >
Cash ISA with a fixed rate of 3.55% AER for 3 years. £500 minimum balance. No withdrawals or additional deposits.
3.50%2 YearsApply Now >
Cash ISA with a fixed rate of 3.20% AER for 2 years. £500 minimum balance. No withdrawals or additional deposits.
up to
3.90%		2 YearsApply Now >
Earn 3.90% Gross/AER when you transfer in or 3.50 standard rate. £1,000 minimum deposit. Transfers allowed.
up to
3.90%		2 YearsApply Now >
Earn 3.90% Gross/AER when you transfer in or 3.50% Gross/AER standard rate. £1,000 minimum deposit. Transfers allowed.
up to
3.35%		1 YearApply Now >
Earn 3.35% Gross/AER when you transfer in, or 2.60% Gross/AER standard rate. Minimum deposit £1,000. Transfer in from other cash ISAs.
up to
3.35%		1 YearApply Now >
Earn 3.35% when you transfer in, or 2.60% Gross/AER standard rate. Minimum deposit £1,000. Transfer in from other Cash ISAs.
2.00%Instant AccessApply Now >
Earn 2.50% on balances of £30,000 or more, 2.25% on £10,000-£29,999, or 2.00% on balances up to £9,999 (AER) Open to Natwest current account holders only.
0.55%Instant AccessApply Now >
Earn from 0.55% (balances up to £8,999); 0.75% (£9,000-£14,999); 0.95% (£15,000-£21,999); 1.75% (£22,000-£26,999); 1.90% (£27,000-£49,999); 2.00% (£50,000 or more) ISA transfers are eligible for additional bonus interest payments. Open to RBS current account holders only.
0.50%Instant AccessApply Now >
Minimum deposit just £1. Rates from 0.50% - 2.00% AER. Open to Natwest current account holders only.
45%6 YearsApply Now >
A 6 year capital protected structured deposit plan designed to pay 45% at maturity. Also available as a cash ISA and ISA transfer.
19%3 YearsApply Now >
This structured capital protected deposit plan offers a maximum return of 19% at maturity. Also available for Cash ISA and Cash ISA transfer.
* Income payments are dependent upon the FTSE 100 Index