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

By This Is Money

Published: 07:33 EDT, 22 October 2004 | Updated: 06:10 EDT, 29 June 2018

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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    
Post Office Online Saver 31 (£1+) (6) 1.33 1.06  0.8 
Coventry BS Limited Access Saver (£1+) (11) 1.30 1.04  0.78 
Tesco Bank Internet Saver (£1+) (1) 1.28 1.02  0.77 
Bank of Cyprus UK Online Easy Access (£1+) (8)1.28 1.02  0.77 
AA Savings Easy Access 7 (£100+) (3) 1.15 0.92  0.69 
     
Accounts WITHOUT bonus - These rates are not boosted by a temporary bonus that drops off  after a year
   
National Counties BS Classic Saver 4 (£20,000+)(12)1.31 1.05  0.79 
RCI Bank Freedom Savings (£100+) (2) 1.30 1.04   0.78
Shawbrook Bank Easy Access 12 (£1,000+) 1.30 1.04  0.78
Sainsbury's Bank Defined Access Saver 5 (£1,000+) (7) 1.30 1.04  0.78 
Virgin Money Double Take E-Saver 6 (£1+) (4)1.30 1.04 0.78
Coventry BS Easy Access Online (£1+) 1.25 1.00  0.75 
Paragon Bank Easy Access 4 (£1+) 1.25 1.00  0.75 
Ford Money Flexible Saver (£1+)1.22 0.98  0.73 
AA Member Saver Issue 2 (£10+)£100+) (10)1.20 0.96 0.72 
Sainsbury's Bank eSaver Special (£15,000+) 1.200.96  0.72 
Sainsbury's Bank eSaver Special (£1,000+) 1.15 0.92 0.69 
Kent Reliance Easy Access Issue 28 (£1,000+) 1.010.82 0.62
Skipton BS Super Tracker (£1,000+)(9) 1.02 0.82  0.62 
Virgin Money Easy Access Saver 31 (£1+) 1.01 0.81  0.61 
Saffron BS Esaver 11 (£10+) 1.01 0.81  0.61 
Ikano Bank Easy Saver (£100+) 1.010.81 0.61
Coventry BS Easy Access Saver 5  (£1+) 1.00 0.80 0.60
Aldermore Easy Access Issue 11 (£1,000+) 1.000.80  0.60 
National Savings & Investments Income Bonds (£1+) 1.00 0.80  0.60 
Family BS Market Tracker Saver (£500+) 0.95 0.76  0.57 
National Savings & Investments Direct Saver (£1+) 0.95 0.76  0.57 
Skipton e-Saver 9 (£1+) 0.900.72  0.54 
Principality BS e-Saver 16 (£1+) 0.90 0.72  0.54
     
(1) Rate drops to 0.55 per cent after 12 months    
(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 making two withdrawals each calendar year. Closing your account counts as a withdrawal     
(5) You are limited to three withdrawals a year. If you make more your rate drops to 0.25 per cent.     
(6) Rate drops to 0.25 per cent after 12 months     
(7) You can only make three withdrawals a year from your account     
(8) rate drops to 0.85 per cent after 12 months   
(9) Guarantees to pay 0.52 percentage points over base rate until 30 June 2020. Maximum two withdrawals a year   
(10) Only available to members of the AA. Your money is deposited with Bank of Ireland.   
(11) You are limited to three withdrawals a year. The rate includes a 0.3 percentage point bonus payable for 12 months.   
(12) You can only add money to the account until 31 July 2018   
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 11 (£500+) (8) 0.75 0.60 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+) (1) 1.35 1.08 0.81
Kent Reliance Easy Access Issue 27 (£1,000+)11.251.00 0.75
Yorkshire BS Single Access Saver 10 (7) 1.2 1.20 0.96 0.72 
Family BS Branch Saver 1 (£1+) 1.11 0.89 0.67 
Skipton BS Super Tracker (£1,000+)(5) 1.02 0.82 0.62 
Virgin Money Easy Access Saver 31 (£1+) 1.01 0.81 0.61 
Coventry BS Easy Access Saver 5 (£1+) 1.00 0.80 0.60 
Principality BS Easy Saver (£500+) 0.90 0.72 0.54 
Yorkshire BS Triple Access Saver 5 (£100+) (4)  0.85 0.68 0.51
Leeds BS Rainy Day Saver Issue 8 (£25,000) (6)0.80 0.640.48 
Newcastle Community Saver Issue 7  (2) 0.80 0.64 0.48
Scottish BS Instant Access (£100+)0.80 0.640.48 
Cambridge BS Your Saver (£100+)(4) 0.75 0.60 0.45 
Leeds BS Rainy Day Saver Issue 8 (£10,000) (6)0.75 0.600.45
Saffron BS Branch Saver  (£5,000+) 0.75  0.60 0.45
West Bromwich BS Direct Limited Access 3 (£1,000) (6)0.75 0.600.45 
Manchester BS Easy Access Saver (£1,000+) 0.70 0.56 0.42 
    
(1) 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.
(2) Plus an additional 0.1 per cent to charity.

(3) You are limited to three withdrawals a year. If you make more your rate drops to 0.25 per cent  
(4) You are limited to one withdrawals a month  
(5) Guarantees to pay 0.52 percentage points over base rate until 30 June 2020. Maximum two withdrawals a year  
(6) You are limited to six withdrawals a year   
(7) You are limited to making withdrawals on just one day a year. After 12 months your money is transferred into a Triple Access Saver account   
(8) Rate drops to 0.1 per cent after 12 months.   

* Note: From April 2018, tax conversions will apply only to taxpayers living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scottish taxpayers are subject to different income tax rates after this date.

 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 Conduct 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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