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This week’s top savings accounts including a new 4.20% one-year deal

Written By:
Guest Author
Posted:
17/02/2023
Updated:
17/02/2023

Guest Author:
Rebecca Goodman

A new one-year fixed-term account has been launched this week, by Ahli United Bank (UK) plc, paying 4.20%.

The Raisin UK 1 Year Fixed Term Deposit account, which has a minimum deposit of £1,000, has been voted as excellent by Moneyfacts.

Several other new savings products have been launched, including the Chip Instant Access account which is powered by ClearBank. The online account pays 3.05% AER on a minimum opening deposit of £1.

Across the ISA charts, Virgin Money continues to dominate with its exclusive accounts. While market-leading there are restrictions to be aware of with these.

Here we take a look at the best options for savers this week, as picked by Moneyfacts.

The best easy-access cash ISAs

Once again Virgin Money remains at the top of the table with its Easy Access Cash ISA Exclusive Issue 2. The account pays interest yearly and there’s no minimum deposit required to open it.

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It’s only available to new and existing Virgin Money current account holders from 4 December 2019. The exception to this rule is any Virgin Money customers who originally opened a Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank or B current account.

You can apply in a branch or online but it can also be managed via the post, phone, or the bank’s mobile app.

The next-best accounts as picked by Moneyfacts are the following:

  1. Shawbrook Bank’s Easy Access Cash ISA – Issue 22: Paying 2.77% AER on a minimum opening deposit of £1,000, interest is paid away or compounded either monthly or on anniversary. It needs to be opened online but can be managed on the phone as well.
  2. Coventry BS’s HL Active Savings – Limited Access ISA and its Limited Access ISA (Online) (4): There are two options here from Coventry BS, which both pay 2.90% AER. The first compounds and pays interest monthly, while the online option is a flexible ISA and you can choose if interest is paid away or compounded either monthly or on anniversary. With both, you can only make six penalty-free withdrawals per year and subsequent withdrawals will be subject to a 50-day loss of interest penalty. They can only be opened through the Hargreaves Lansdown Active Savings platform.
  3. Gatehouse Bank’s Easy Access Cash ISA: Paying an expected profit rate of 2.90% AER, you can open this account with £1. Profit can be paid away or compounded monthly or on anniversary.

This week’s best fixed-rate cash ISAs

Virgin Money and Gatehouse Bank continue to dominate the best buy tables for fixed-rate accounts but Skipton BS also features this week.

The Virgin Money 1 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA Exclusive Issue 4 pays 4.25% and doesn’t require a minimum opening deposit. It also allows further additions to your funds while the issue remains open and within 30 days of the issue closing.

Early access will result in a 60-day loss of interest penalty while your rate is paid on maturity. It needs to be opened online or in a branch but can also be managed by post.

The next-best accounts are as follows:

  1. Castle Trust Bank’s Fixed Rate Two-Year e-Cash ISA: Paying 4.10% AER, this online-only account pays interest on maturity while further additions are only allowed for 14 days from account opening. If you need earlier access the account will close and you’ll receive a 180-day loss of interest penalty.
  2. Gatehouse Bank’s Two-Year Woodland Cash ISA: Second-best in the two-year charts this week, this Shari’ah-compliant provider will plant a tree in a UK woodland for every Woodland Cash ISA opened and funded. It pays an expected profit rate of 4.20%, either monthly or on the anniversary of opening the account. Minimum deposits start at £1,000 while further additions are not allowed. There is a 270-day loss of profit penalty for early access and it must be opened online and managed online or via mobile app. Its three and five-year ISAs also appear in the best ISA tables from Moneyfacts.
  3. Skipton BS’s 3 Year Fixed Rate Branch Cash ISA Issue 204 and its 3 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA Issue 204: Both accounts pay a rate of 4.20% AER with a minimum investment of £500. Interest can be paid away or compounded monthly or on anniversary. Earlier access will result in the account being closed and a 240-day loss of interest penalty. The branch ISA can be opened and managed in a branch, via the post or over the telephone while its other account has the option of being opened and managed online.

This week’s best notice accounts

The Aldermore 30 Day Notice Account remains in the top spot with an AER of 2.80%.

It has a minimum opening deposit of £1,000 with interest paid away or compounded monthly or on anniversary. Withdrawals are subject to a 30-day notice period, or funds can be accessed earlier subject to a 30-day loss of interest. It can only be opened and managed online.

The second best again goes to the Furness BS’s 45 Day Notice Cash ISA paying 3.00% AER. It has a minimum deposit of £1,000 and you need to open this one in a branch or by post. It can also be managed over the phone once opened.

The Moneyfacts best savings accounts of the week

The new Chip Instant Access account from ClearBank now pays 3.01% gross. The mobile-operated account can be opened with a fee-free Chip subscription or by paying a £4.99 fee per 28-days subscription. It has a minimum opening deposit of £1.

The Investec Bank plc – 90-Day Notice Saver Issue 1 pays 3.55% AER and is suitable for savers who may need to access their cash and don’t want it locked away for a long period. It has a minimum opening amount of £5,000 and is opened and managed online.

The rate has increased on the Castle Trust Bank – 1 Year Fixed Rate e-Cash ISA this week, and it now pays 3.90% on maturity. It has a minimum deposit of £1,000 to open and access is allowed but will result in the account being closed and a 90-day loss of interest penalty.It can be opened and managed online and via the mobile app.

Another option for a one-year account is the new Ahli United Bank (UK) plc – Raisin UK – 1 Year Fixed Term Deposit. It pays 4.20% AER on maturity with a minimum opening deposit of £1,000. It must be opened online but can be managed online, by phone or by post.

There has also been a rate increase on the NatWest – Digital Regular Saver to 6% gross. The account requires savers to put in between £1 and £150 every month and the rate drops to 0.65% for anything over £5,000. It’s open to new and existing NatWest current account customers.