This comparison simply includes all savings accounts.
High Interest Savings Accounts
Why we like it: No notice period. Deposit from £100. Interest paid monthly or annually. Apply in minutes. Your eligible deposits with RCI Bank UK Limited are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
Why we like it: Tax free ISA account. Open with £1 or transfer in existing ISA funds. Invest up to £20,000 per tax year. Interest can be paid into account, alternative Nationwide savings or current account, or an external current account. Must be UK resident and aged 16 or older. Headline interest rate applicable if no more than 1 withdrawal per account year, fFor 2 or more withdrawals the interest rate drops to 0.50% AER. FSCS Protected
Why we like it: Earn 1.00% gross/AER on balances from £1,000 to £1 million. Unlimited withdrawals without restriction or loss of interest.
Why we like it: MARKET LEADING 1 YEAR FIXED RATE BOND. Save from £5,000 to £500,000. No additional deposits or withdrawals permitted. FSCS Protected
Why we like it: Minimum deposit £1,000 - No withdrawals permitted - FSCS Protected
Why we like it: Investec Click & Invest is an online investment service that aims to make actively managed, globally diversified investment portfolios accessible to a wider audience. Everyone deserves harder working money, and Click & Invest’s goal is to make a positive difference to more financial futures. Their experts build and manage investment portfolios from £2,500 online, intelligently blending expertise with high-quality service. With a £2,500 minimum investment, Click & Invest aims to deliver an exceptional service for a straightforward fee. They offer both stocks and shares ISAs and general investment accounts, with a seamless online experience, with dedicated 24/7 support available. Capital at risk.
Disclaimer: The value of your investments can fall as well as rise, so you could get back less than you paid in.
Why we like it: Why we like it: Up to £250 cashback for new investors.1, 3 or 5 year fixed term. Invest from £100 up to £20,000 this tax year (2018/19) and/or transfer in from an existing Cash ISA, Stocks & Shares ISA or IFISA. Secured by UK property. No platform or investment fees. Interest paid annually. Returns are not guaranteed and your actual returns may vary. Capital is at risk
Disclaimer: When making a peer to business loan, your capital lent to a borrower is not covered in the event of loss by the FSCS
Why we like it: Why we like it: Up to £250 cashback for new investors.1, 3 or 5 year fixed term. Invest from £100 up to £20,000 this tax year (2018/19) and/or transfer in from an existing Cash ISA, Stocks & Shares ISA or IFISA. Secured by UK property. No platform or investment fees. Interest paid annually. Returns are not guaranteed and your actual returns may vary. Capital is at risk
Disclaimer: When making a peer to business loan, your capital lent to a borrower is not covered in the event of loss by the FSCS
Why we like it: Why we like it: Up to £250 cashback for new investors.1, 3 or 5 year fixed term. Invest from £100 up to £20,000 this tax year (2018/19) and/or transfer in from an existing Cash ISA, Stocks & Shares ISA or IFISA. Secured by UK property. No platform or investment fees. Interest paid annually. Returns are not guaranteed and your actual returns may vary. Capital is at risk
Disclaimer: When making a peer to business loan, your capital lent to a borrower is not covered in the event of loss by the FSCS
Why we like it: Invest up to £20,000 this tax year (2018/19) and/or transfer in from an existing Cash ISA, Stocks & Shares ISA or IFISA. When you join the easyMoney family you will automatically become an easyMoney plus card member, offering savings up to 55% at over 100 of Britain’s biggest retailers and more! e-Money Capital Ltd trading as easyMoney is authorised and regulated by the FCA (FRN 231680). As with all investing, your capital is at risk when you lend to businesses and returns are not guaranteed. No FSCS. For more details please refer to our full risk statement.
Disclaimer: When making a peer to business loan, your capital lent to a borrower is not covered in the event of loss by the FSCS
Why we like it: 5.00% interest for 12 months on balances up to £2,500 for the first year. You must pay in £1,000 or more each month to receive interest (excluding transfers from any Nationwide account held by you or anyone else). 12 month fee-free arranged overdraft available. No monthly fee. Must be aged 18 or older.
Why we like it: Earn 1.50% AER (variable) interest on balances up to a maximum of £20,000. Up to 3% CASHBACK on various household bills. Monthly fee of £5. Must pay in £500 pm.
Compare high interest savings accounts
With any savings account, the interest rate you earn makes a big difference to the ongoing value of your money. There are several different options when it comes to high interest savings accounts, so it’s important to understand the various possibilities and work out which one best fits your needs.
Current Accounts
The highest interest rates are often found with current accounts, although these usually only apply up to a certain deposit threshold.
If your savings go over the interest-paying limit on your current account, you will need to move them to a different kind of account to get the maximum return on your money. It’s also worth bearing in mind that some current accounts offer higher rates for a limited time after you sign-up and then drop to a much lower interest rate long term. You may therefore be better placing your money into a different kind of account, with a fixed interest rate, for saving over a longer period.
Fixed Rate Bonds
If you are willing to lock your money away for a fixed term (generally 1-5 years), you can get very attractive rates of interest that are guaranteed for the length of that fixed term. The longer you can go without access to your savings, the better interest rate you will usually be offered.
Because you won’t have access to your savings if you need them, fixed rate bonds are generally best suited to long term saving. They are, however, often a good choice if you have a large lump sum that you wish to see a return on, as the maximum deposits are often as high as £5million.
Regular Savings Accounts
For people who want to build up their savings over time, a regular savings account will usually offer an attractive rate of interest. To qualify, you will need to commit to making a minimum deposit each month and there will usually be a maximum deposit as well, which prevents you from building up your savings too quickly. There will usually also be a yearly limit to how many times you can take money out of your account if you need to.
Because you can only grow your savings pot slowly with a regular savings account, it will take a while before you start seeing any significant returns on your money. However, if you are planning for long term savings, then this can be an attractive option.
Notice Savings Accounts
If you want to be able to access your savings when you need them, but still get a good interest rate, a notice savings account can be a good compromise. This allows you to remove money from your account whenever you want as long as you give your account provider an agreed period of notice first.
In exchange, you will usually be offered a better rate of interest than you would get with an account that gives instant access to your money. Notice periods generally start from around 30 days, but the more notice you are willing to give, the higher rate of interest you will usually receive.
Cash ISAs
Cash ISAs may not necessarily offer the very best rates of interest, but this can be offset by the fact that they allow you to earn tax-free interest on deposits up to a yearly maximum set by the government. That amount is £20,000 for the 2017/18 tax year.
Fixed term cash ISAs will usually offer the best return with similar conditions to fixed rate bonds (i.e. not being able to remove funds before your ISA matures, and receiving higher interest rates the longer the account term).
Instant access cash ISAs give you more flexibility by allowing you to put money in and take it out at your convenience, but the trade-off is that you will usually be offered a lower interest rate that for a fixed term cash ISA.
Find the best high interest savings account for you
The interest rates offered by various brands on their savings accounts vary over time in response to market conditions and consumer demand. This can make finding the best interest rate available at any giving moment a challenge.
Our high interest savings accounts comparison table (above) allows you to easily size up the best deals in the industry to find the right choice for you. That way you can be confident of finding the best savings account for your needs.
