Best savings rates: General savings - easy access online and branch

  • The web's best savings tables
  • Completely independent and unique
  • Accounts with catches are stripped out or shown separately 
  • Compiled by savings expert Sylvia Morris  
  • Unlike other tables, providers do not have to pay to appear


ONLINE ACCOUNTS - EASY ACCESS 
Type of account (min investment) 0% tax 20% tax 40% tax
BONUS accounts - Pay a bonus for the first 12 months or more. These are the rates including the bonus
BM Savings Online Extra 19 (£1,000+) (5) 1.6 1.28 0.96
Post Office Online Saver Issue 15 (£1+) (7) 1.41.12 0.84 
Tesco Bank Internet Saver (£1+) (9) 1.35 1.08 0.81 
Halifax Online Saver (£1+) (3) 0.8 0.64 0.48
Accounts WITHOUT bonus- These rates are not boosted by a temporary bonus that drops off  after a year
RCI Bank Freedom Savings (£100+) (2) 1.65 1.32 0.99
Kent Reliance Easy-Access Issue 10 (£1,000+) 1.65 1.320.99 
West Bromwich WebSave Easy Saver (£15,000+) 1.55 1.24 0.93 
Virgin Money Defined Access E-Saver (£1+) (8) 1.51 1.21 0.91 
Skipton BS Limited Edition eSaver 2 (£1+)1.401.120.84
GE Capital Direct GE Saver Issue 8 (£500+) 1.31.04 0.78 
Sainsbury's eSaver special (£30,000+) 1.31.040.78
National Savings & Investments Income Bonds (£1+) (1) 1.25 1 0.75
State Bank of India (£500+) 1.25 1 0.75
Charter Savings Bank (£1,000+) 1.25 1 0.75
Leeds BS E-Saver (£100+) (1) 1.25 1 0.75
Aldermore Easy Access Issue 10 (£1,000+) 1.25 0.75 
Sainsbury's eSaver special (£15,000+)  1.25 1 0.75
Sainsbury's Extra Saver (£20,000+) 1.2 0.96 0.72
Sainsbury's Extra Saver (£10,000+) 1.15 0.92 0.69
Coventry BS Easy Access Saver (£1+) 1.15 0.92 0.69
National Savings & Investments Direct Saver (£1+) 1.1 0.88 0.66
Saffron BS e-Saver 10 (£10+) 1.1 0.88 0.66
Sainsbury's Extra Saver (£1+) 1.1 0.88 0.66
West Bromwich WebSave Easy Saver (£5,000+) 1.1 0.88 0.66 
Virgin Money Easy Access E-Saver 16 1.01 0.81 0.61 
(1) Interest paid before tax but is taxable.

(2) Money up to €100k protected by FGDR - French Savings Protection Scheme  
(3) Rate drops to 0.2 per cent after 12 months.


(4) You are limited to just three free withdrawals a year.

(5) Rate drops to 0.25 per cent after 12 months.

(7) Includes a 0.75 percentage point bonus payable for the first twelve months.

(8) You are limited to making three withdrawals a year. If you make more the rate drops to 0.75 per cent   
(9) Includes a 0.6 percentage bonus for the first 12 months.

(11) Includes a 0.5 percentage point bonus payable for the first year.

(12) Licensed to Bank of Ireland UK subsidiary - more explained here.

(13) Includes a 0.8 percentage point bonus for the first year.

(15) You are limited to six free withdrawals a year.

(16) Only available to those aged 60 or over.

(18) Including a 0.35 percentage point bonus for one year.

BRANCH-BASED ACCOUNTS - INSTANT ACCESS 
Type of account (min investment) 0% tax 20% tax 40% tax
BONUS accounts - They pay a bonus for the first 12 months or more. These are the rates including the bonus
Post Office Instant Saver Issue 5 (£500+) (8) (13) 1 0.8 0.6
Halifax Everyday Saver (£1+) (11) 0.75 0.6 0.45
Accounts WITHOUT bonus- These rates are not boosted by a temporary bonus that drops off after a year
Newbury BS welcome to Newbury (£50+) (16) 1.65 1.32 0.99
Kent Reliance Easy Access Issue 9 (£1,000+) 1.55 1.24 0.93 
Virgin Money Defined Access E-Saver (£1) (3) 1.51 1.21 0.91 
National Counties BS Branch Saver 3 (£500+)1.261.01 0.76 
West Bromwich BS Limited Access (£1,000) (6) 1.25 0.75 
Leeds BS Everyday Saver (£100+) 1.25 1 0.75
Chelsea BS Triple Access Saver (£100+) (4) 1.2 0.96 0.72
Barnsley BS Triple Access Saver (£100+) (4) 1.2 0.96 0.72
Yorkshire BS Triple Access Saver (£100+) (4) 1.2 0.96 0.72
Tipton BS Hallmark Access (£1,000+) (14) 1.2 0.96 0.72
Coventry BS Easy Access Saver (£1+) 1.15 0.92 0.69
Hinckley & Rugby BS Premier Saver 2 (+£500) (12) 1.1 0.88 0.66
Virgin Money Easy Access Saver 16 1.01 0.81 0.61 
Newcastle BS Bobby Robson Foundation 6 (2) 1 0.8 0.6
Scottish BS Instant Access (£100+) 1 0.8 0.6
Saffron BS (£5,000+) 1 0.8 0.6
(1) Includes a 0.75 percentage point bonus for 12 months. Rates from June 30.

(2) Plus an additional 0.1 per cent to Bobby Robson Foundation Charity.

(3) You are limited to making three withdrawals a year. If you make more the rate drops to 0.75 per cent.   
(4) You are limited to 3 withdrawals a year.

(7) Maximum four withdrawals a year.

(12) You are limited to one withdrawal a month.

(13) Licensed to Bank of Ireland UK subsidiary - more explained here

(14) You are limited to three withdrawals a year. Only available to existing members or new members who live in the society's operating area.
(16) The maximum you can put in this account is £3,000. Only available to those living in the building society's operating area. Not available to existing members or those who have been members in the last six months.

 Dear Reader,

These tables are unique on the web. They are independent and providers are not forced to pay to appear, which is typically the case at big comparison sites.

Independent savings expert: Sylvia Morris

Independent savings expert: Sylvia Morris

They are completely unbiased - we simply show the best rates around and don't do 'featured deals'.

We've gone a step further, too. To feature in the best buys on variable rate accounts in our savings tables, an account must give you easy access to your money and come with no hidden catches.

In the past we have refused to include accounts where the rate is boosted by a short-term bonus or those with over-restrictive conditions so you only earn the advertised rate if you make three or less withdrawals a year.

But with interest rates so low, most of today's best deals have some sort of clause built in, whether that's a bonus or a restriction on withdrawals.

For that reason, we've included decent bonuses as long as they last for at least 12 months. This is to avoid you having to switch your account too often when short-term bonuses run out.

If there is a restriction on withdrawals we have made this clear in the notes on each account.

We also ignore old-style 'notice' accounts where the bank or building society can demand you give up to six months' notice that you want to take our money out while it can change the rate at any time without warning.

All banks and building societies are registered with the Financial Services Authority and signed up to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, either directly (protecting up to £85,000) or via its passport scheme (where the compensation limit depends on the bank's home country. In Europe it is €100,000).

If you have a question about the tables email sy.morris@dailymail.co.uk and editor@thisismoney.co.uk

Sylvia Morris

This is Money savings tables expert


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