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 cannot pay to appear

By This Is Money

Published: 07:33 EDT, 22 October 2004 | Updated: 06:43 EDT, 22 August 2019

 

> Top DIY investing platforms: Best and cheapest places to invest 

 

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     
Marcus by Goldman Sachs Online Savings (1+) (5)  1.50 1.20  0.90 
Principality BS Online Saver (£1+) (1) 1.43 1.14  0.86
      
Accounts WITHOUT bonus - These rates are not boosted by a temporary bonus that drops off  after a year 
   
Virgin Money Double Take E-Saver 10 (£1+) (4) 1.50 1.20  0.90 
Shawbrook Bank Easy Access 15 (£1,000+)  1.48 1.18  0.89 
Ford Money Flexible Saver (£1+)  1.42 1.14  0.85 
Investec Bank Easy Saver (£10,000)  1.40 1.12  0.84 
Yorkshire BS One Year Limited Access Saver (£100)(11)  1.40 1.12  0.84 
Charter Savings Bank Easy Access 14 (£5.000+)  1.35 1.08  0.81 
RCI Bank Freedom Savings (£100+)   1.35  1.08   0.81 
Sainsbury's Bank Defined Access Saver 14 (£1,000+) (7)  1.32 1.06 0.79 
Kent Reliance Easy Access Issue 34 (£1,000+) (1)  1.30 1.04  0.78 
Saffron BS E-Saver 16 (£10+)  1.30 1.04  0.78 
Family BS Market Tracker Saver (£500+)  1.25 1.00 0.75 
Family BS Online Saver 1 (£100+)  1.26 1.01  0.76 
Paragon Easy Access savings account 1.25 1.00  0.75 
Aldermore Easy Access Issue 11 (£1,000+)   1.251.00  0.75 
AA Member Saver Issue  (£100+) (10) 1.210.97  0.73
Coventry BS Easy Access (Online) 3 (£1+)  1.20 0.96  0.72 
Oaknorth Bank (£1,000)  1.20 0.96  0.72 
Virgin Money Easy Access Saver 32 (£1+) 1.16 0.93  0.70 
National Savings & Investments Income Bonds (£1+)  1.15 0.92  0.69 
Skipton e-Saver 10 (£25,000+)  1.15 0.92  0.69 
Cambridge BS Everyday e-Saver (£100+)  1.10 0.88  0.66 
Coventry BS Easy Access Saver 6 (£1+)  1.05 0.84  0.63 
Sainsbury's Bank eSaver Special (£15,000+)  1.05 0.84 0.63 
National Savings & Investments Direct Saver (£1+)  1.00 0.75  0.57 
Skipton e-Saver 10 (£1+)  1.000.75 0.57 
      
(1) Rate includes a 0.25 percentage point bonus payable for 12 months     
(2) Rate drops to 0.25 per cent after 12 months      
(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) Rate includes a 0.15 percentage point bonus payable for 12 months     
(7) You can only make three withdrawals a year from your account      
(10) Only available to members of the AA. Your money is deposited with Bank of Ireland.   
(11) You are limited to making withdrawals on just one day a year. After 12 months your money is transferred into a Limited Access Saver account  
(12) You are limited to making two withdrawals a 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 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) 1.50 1.20 0.90
Co-op Bank Britannia Select Access Saver 10 (£500+) (9) 1.40 1.12 0.84
Kent Reliance Easy Access Issue 34 (£1,000+)11.30 1.04 0.78 
Family BS Branch Saver 2 (£1+) 1.21 0.97 0.73 
Cambridge BS Your Saver (£100+)(4) 1.200.96 0.72
Newcastle Community Saver Issue 9 (2) 1.16  0.93  0.70 
Virgin Money Easy Access Saver 32 (£1+) 1.16 0.93 0.70 
Coventry BS Easy Access Saver 6 (£1+) 1.05 0.84 0.63 
Tipton & Coseley BS Hallmark Access 3 (£1,000+)(3) 1.05 0.84 0.63 
Sainsbury's Bank Extra Saver (£1+)0.95 0.76 0.57 
Principality BS Easy Saver (£500+) 0.90 0.72 0.54 
Saffron BS Branch Saver  (£5,000+) 0.85  0.68  0.51 
Scottish BS Instant Access (£100+)0.85 0.68 0.51
Manchester BS Easy Access Saver (£1,000+) 0.80 0.64 0.48 
   
(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  
(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.   
(9) You are limited to four withdrawals a year   

* 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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