Nationwide FlexDirect Current Account
Earn 5% AER Fixed Interest for 12 Months
- On balances up to £2,500
- Interest paid for first 12 months
- No current account fees
- Easy online account management
- Can be setup as an extra account
Our view: With this current account you get 5% AER on the first £2,500 of your cash which is fixed for 12 months. To qualify you will need to pay in £1,000 pm (Equates to a £12,500 pa salary) . Please note the interest rate drops to 1% after 12 months. Unusually you do not have to set up any direct debits with this account, so you can just open it as an extra account. The account has full savings FSCS protection.
Savings Offer – Fixed Rate
Earn 2.00% AER Fixed Interest
- MARKET LEADING 3 YEAR FIXED RATE
- Provider – Axis Bank
- Minimum deposit – £1,000
- Interest paid monthly, quarterly or annually
- Available as a single or joint account
- Easy online account management
Our view: A market leading 3 year fixed rate. If you are not prepared to risk your capital and you want a fixed rate of return then take a closer look at this latest savings offer.
Gross/AER
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IDAD The Callable Deposit Plan
or 2 x Index growth
Investec FTSE 100 6 Year Deposit Plan
at end of term
Investec FTSE 100 Kick Out Deposit Plan
per annum
Investec FTSE 100 3 Year Defensive Deposit Plan
at end of term
Gross/AER
Gross/AER
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AER fixed on balanced up to £2,500
AER fixed on balanced up to £2,500
AER fixed on balances up to £20,000
Investec FTSE 100 6 Year Deposit Plan
at end of term
IDAD The Callable Deposit Plan
or 2 x Index growth
Investec FTSE 100 Kick Out Deposit Plan
per annum
Investec FTSE 100 6 Year Defensive Deposit Plan
at end of term
Investec FTSE 100 3 Year Deposit Plan
at end of term
IDAD The FTSE Growth Deposit Plan
capped at a maximum 30% return
Investec FTSE 100 3 Year Defensive Deposit Plan
at end of term
Investec FTSE 100 Defensive Kick Out Deposit Plan
per annum
Investec FTSE Income Deposit Plan
per annum
for first 18 months
for first 12 months
Gross/AER
Gross/AER
Instant Access Best Buys
RCI Bank – Freedom Saver
Market leading RCI Bank offers a competitive instant access savings account:
- Highest UK rate on instant access savings 1.35% AER/Gross pa (variable)
- Interest is paid monthly or annually
- Unlimited deposits and withdrawals
- Open an account singly or jointly
- Minimum deposit – £100
- Protected by the FSCS
Quick online application setup from RCI Bank
With UK savings rates at an all time low you need to take action to ensure your savings are getting the best interest deal possible.
Many savings accounts below-inflation interest rates, which means people’s savings are being eroded in real terms. While there are many savings accounts on the market, many do not offer much of a financial advantage as they offer interest that only matches the base rate set by the Bank of England.
For savers looking to access their money regularly, a good instant access savings account will offer flexible withdrawal facilities while combining these with a good rate of interest.
Nationwide FlexDirect Current Account
Earn 5% AER Fixed Interest for 12 Months
- On balances up to £2,500
- Interest paid for first 12 months
- No current account fees
- Easy online account management
- Can be setup as an extra account
Our view: With this current account you get 5% AER on the first £2,500 of your cash which is fixed for 12 months. To qualify you will need to pay in £1,000 pm (Equates to a £12,500 pa salary) . Please note the interest rate drops to 1% after 12 months. Unusually you do not have to set up any direct debits with this account, so you can just open it as an extra account. The account has full savings FSCS protection.
What are fixed rate bonds?
When trying to save money for the future, there are several options open to cash savers. Options include instant access savings accounts, easy access savings accounts, notice savings accounts, fixed rate bonds and structured deposit plans.
With interest rates at the time of writing at all time lows many savers are looking for a range of best saving plans. For savers who are prepared to tie up capital for a year or more typically higher rates of interest are available from savings providers.
A fixed rate bond is a way of gaining a fixed rate of higher interest on your savings for a fixed period of time, typically between one and five years. Generally speaking the longer your savings can be locked away, the higher the interest rate you can get on your money. Some providers offer fixed rate bonds within a Cash ISA so you benefit from tax free interest returns.
Providers normally have a minimum subscription age of 18 but some providers offer options to younger savers.
How Do Fixed Rate Bonds Work?
Normally there is a minimum commitment for depositing money into a fixed rate bond – usually around £1,000, but this can be more. This makes bonds unsuitable for those who wish to top up a savings account in small increments, as this is not usually possible beyond the first lump sum, therefore could look into alternative savings and investments plans.
Having a fixed term means that bonds have a maturity date at which time you will be contacted by your savings provider and provided with options on how you wish your money to be returned to you – you may be given options of putting the money into a new account in which case you should always shop around before accepting a savings deal offered by an existing provider as the rate of interest may or may not be competitive.
Product providers do not normally allow you to access your money during the term and if they do there are normally conditions which may involve a loss of interest so ensure you read the small print before you sign up. Some fixed interest providers will allow one withdrawal a year without penalties.
Interest paid on your savings is treated as income and you may have to pay tax on it depending on your circumstances. If you don’t pay tax you can receive interest gross if you complete HMRC tax form R85. Some accounts will pay interest gross and it is up to you to declare any tax owed to the Inland Revenue.
Fixed rate bonds are cash deposit based and you will get back your original deposit plus any interest owed unless the bank or building society gets into serious financial difficulty. In the unlikely event that this happens the Financial Services Compensation Scheme would pay compensation of up to £85,000 per account holder per authorised institution.
What to consider when choosing a fixed rate bond
The length of time that savers choose to deposit their money depends on personal financial time frames and other budget and savings considerations. If you need rapid access to your cash, bonds are possibly not the best savings option – it might be preferable to look at an alternative savings options or just an instant access savings accounts.
Minimum deposits can vary from £500 to over £2000. Make sure that you are happy to part with that amount of money for a longer period of time! It is worthwhile having a five-year plan of projected expenses – such as mortgages, car purchases, or planning for a family or retirement – to ensure that you will not need access to your fixed rate bonds account.
Withdrawals are either not permitted or restrictions will apply. Read the provider terms and conditions so that you know what you are getting into. Some providers for example will allow one withdrawal during the term without penalties.
The payment of interest can also vary- some offer monthly interest, others quarterly or annually, and some only pay at the end of the agreed term. Choose a product that fits in with your requirements for the best rates of high interest.
Tax is payable on interest accrued unless you are a non tax payer in which case you can receive interest gross if you complete HMRC tax form R85. Alternatively it is often possible to take a Cash ISA fixed rate bond (current cash ISA allowance for 2018/19 is £20,000 per individual) from which interest can be taken tax free.
If you have cash ISAs from previous tax years you may be able to transfer to a new Cash ISA provider offering a fixed rate bond cash ISA deal.
Please note that this information is based on current law and practice which may change at any time.
Top 10 tips for your 2019 fixed rate bond selection
1. Consider all options – from instant access to fixed rate bonds to instant access options – All have advantages and disadvantages when trying to build a nest egg for the future.
2. Check the market – shop around to find the right savings plan for you. Interest rates are changing all the time and deals come and go on a regular basis.
3. Make sure you find a product that works for you – The choice of bond is dependent on the amount of money you intend to deposit, the fixed rate, and the length of the fixed rate period. Whether you want the account to be operated on an online account basis, postal basis or telephone basis. These should all be taken into consideration before making your choice. Read the savings provider terms and conditions carefully.
4. Read the fine print – determine when the provider is likely to let you access your money, how much notice is required, and if there are any penalties for requesting access before the bond matures.
5. Some deals require you to have the interest paid into a current account – check the small print.
6. Check the small print on how interest is paid – If monthly or annually this will be need to be declared if you submit a tax return. If interest is paid on maturity this may be useful for tax planning purposes.
7. Many deals require you to have internet access – Some are offered on a postal or branch basis – check the small print.
8. Check that your money is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme – they will guarantee £75,000 of savings against institutional failure. Most UK banks should have this cover, but Irish banks that do not have a UK arm may not be covered by the FSCS.
9. Check what happens when your savings product matures – Providers will write to you when your account matures; if you do not respond the provider will often put your savings into a low or no interest holding account until you provide instructions on what you want to do with the money. It is therefore important to diarise the maturity of your bond and have in mind what you want to do with the money.
10. What is the tax treatment if you are a non taxpayer – If you are not a tax payer many providers will pay interest gross on submission of the relevant HMRC tax form.
Top UK Current Account – Earn up to 5% AER on £2,500 for 12 months – reverts to 1% after that
Some of the best rates of interest you will get on cash currently are on current accounts. The Nationwide Flex Current Account offer 5% AER fixed (4.89% gross pa) in credit interest on balances up to £2,500 for the first 12 months – More info…