Banking News Latest Fixed Rate Bond Deals 18471939

Written by Editorial Team

Latest Fixed Rate Bond Deals

12 April 2013 / by Isabel Buxton

Here we highlight a selection of some of the current fixed rate bond deals for April 2013 – as well as some alternative ideas if you’re happy to tie up capital for 3 years or more.

1. Short term fixed rate bonds

United Bank UK are currently offering a 1 year fixed rate bond paying 2.25% Gross/AER with deposits from £2,000, while current RBS or Natwest customers have the option of a 1-year fixed rate bond paying 1.75% Gross/AER.

2. Medium term fixed rate bonds

United Bank UK offers a 3-year fixed rate bond at 2.45% Gross/AER with the option of interest paid monthly, annually or on maturity. Vanquis Bank are also offering a competitive 3 year fixed rate bond which is currently one of the best 3 year rates in the market at a rate of 2.46% Gross/AER with a minimum deposit of only £1,000.

3. Long term fixed rate bonds

If you are happy to tie up capital for 5 years, Vanquis is offering a 5 year fixed rate bond which offers a rate of 2.56% Gross/AER. The minimum deposit for this plan is £1,000 and savers can choose from monthly and annual interest options.

Click here for a selection of our best fixed rate bonds.

Alternative options to fixed rate bonds

If you are looking for alternative options to traditional fixed rate bonds, structured deposit plans may worth a closer look. A structured deposit plan is a fixed term investment with a payout that is linked to the performance of an underlying asset, such as the FTSE 100.

Structured deposit plans are appropriate for people who have a low appetite for risk but are willing to accept a return on the deposit that involves limited exposure to the stock market. While returns are not normally guaranteed in structured deposit plans they offer the potential for competitive rates of return over fixed term bonds. When interest rates are low they can offer investors relatively low risk exposure to market performance.

In a deposit plan money is held with a deposit taker such as a high street bank. Capital is at risk if the deposit taker is unable to meet its liabilities and repay investors. As with a savings account in the event of default of the deposit taker you have recourse to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) which currently covers an individual up to £85,000 per authorised institution.

Some of the plans currently available include:

3 year plans

Investec’s 3 Year Deposit Plan offers a fixed return of 14% if the value of the FTSE at the end of the term is higher than its starting value, subject to averaging. This plan can be opened from £3,000 and is also available for cash ISAs and transfers.

Early maturity plans

The ability to mature early is a feature which is unique to structured products. Investec’s Kick Out Deposit Plan offers a potential 4.5% per annum (not compounded), with the opportunity to mature early provided the value of the FTSE 100 at the end of each year (from year 2 onwards) is higher than its value at the start of the plan.

Please note:

Since returns are not guaranteed, these savings plan alternatives may not be suitable for every saver. The right plan for you will depend on your financial objectives and attitude to risk. As with any savings product, there is always a trade off for receiving a higher rate of return and with structured deposits, this is made absolutely clear at the outset. The two main downsides are that the deposit taker may go into liquidation (as with any deposit) and that the payout mechanism within the plan does not occur so you only receive your capital back. This has to be balanced and compared to the upside which is inevitably a greater return than could be achieved by putting you money away for the same length of time with a similarly rated credit institution.

Savings Selection

Provider	Plan Name	Deposit Taker	Term	Maximum Potential Return	More Info
	FTSE 100 6 Year Deposit Plan	Investec Bank plc	6 years	45% at end of term	More Info >
45% fixed return if the Index is higher Capital protected Low minimum – £3,000 Medium/longer term alternative to fixed rates Also available for Cash ISA & ISA Transfers Covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) Plan designed to be held for full term Arrangement fee applies Returns not guaranteed. You may only receive a return of your original capital
	FTSE 100 Kick Out Deposit Plan	Investec Bank plc	Up to 6 years	6% per annum	More Info >
6% for each year if the FTSE 100 finishes higher than its starting value Opportunity to mature early at year 3, 4 or 5 Capital protected Short/medium term alternative to fixed rates Available for Cash ISA, ISA Transfers and non-ISA Covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) Plan designed to be held for full term Arrangement fee applies Returns not guaranteed. You may only receive a return of your original capital
	6 Year Defensive Deposit Plan	Investec Bank plc	6 years	25% at end of term	More Info >
25% fixed return if the Index is higher than 75% of its Initial Level Capital protected Low minimum – £3,000 Medium/longer term alternative to fixed rates Available for Cash ISA, ISA Transfers and non-ISA Covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) Plan designed to be held for full term Arrangement fee applies Returns not guaranteed. You may only receive a return of your original capital
	FTSE 100 3 Year Deposit Plan	Investec Bank plc	3 years	15% at end of term	More Info >
Target return of 15% Capital protected Low minimum – £3,000 Short/medium term alternative to fixed rates Available for Cash ISA, ISA Transfers and non-ISA Covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) Plan designed to be held for full term Arrangement fee applies Returns not guaranteed. You may only recieve a return of your original capital
	Investec FTSE 100 Income Deposit Plan	Investec Bank plc	6 years	3.50% per annum	More Info >
Potential annual income of 3.50% Income paid if the FTSE 100 finishes above 75% of its starting value Alternative monthly option also available paying potential 0.28% per month (equivalent to 3.36% pa) Capital protected Medium/long term alternative to fixed rates Also available for Cash ISA & ISA transfers Covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) Plan designed to be held for full term Arrangement fee applies Returns not guaranteed. You may only receive a return of your original capital
	FTSE 100 Defensive Kick Out Deposit Plan	Investec Bank plc	Up to 6 years	4.5% per annum	More Info >
4.5% for each year if the FTSE 100 finishes above kick out level Kick out level reduces from 100% to 85% over the term Opportunity to mature early at year 3, 4 or 5 Capital protected Short/medium term alternative to fixed rates Available for Cash ISA, ISA Transfers and non-ISA Covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) Plan designed to be held for full term Arrangement fee applies Returns not guaranteed. You may only receive a return of your original capital
	FTSE 100 3 Year Defensive Deposit Plan	Investec Bank plc	3 years	10.5% at end of term	More Info >
10.5% fixed return if the Index is higher than 90% of its Initial Level Capital protected Low minimum – £3,000 Short/medium term alternative to fixed rates Available for Cash ISA, ISA Transfers and non-ISA Covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) Plan designed to be held for full term Arrangement fee applies Returns not guaranteed. You may only receive a return of your original capital

Important Information: Structured deposits offer you the potential to earn higher returns than you would with a regular savings account. Your returns are based on the performance of an index or commodity. If the investment does not perform well you may receive no income or capital growth, but you can be confident that your capital will be repaid. You have no access to your deposit during the term of the account, typically 3 to 6 years but your original capital will be repaid in full at the end of the term. In the event that the deposit taker is unable to repay your initial investment and any returns stated you may be entitled to compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) depending on your individual circumstances.

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