good savings accounts - post 7th Nov

[cjanderson]

for those who have benefitted from the rate drop, its now BETTER to stick money into savings than pay off mortgage.

Before, it was only (untaxed) isa's that could beat mortgages, now even taxed accounts can beat them.

if your mortgage is now 3%, even a 40% would be better off with a savings account paying 5.2%.

So any good deals (and always stick 3-3.6k into a cash isa before doing these)

ICICI has a fixed 1 year deal at 7.1%.

Always worth looking at regular savers - halifax has one for 7.1% fixed
http://www.halifax.co.uk/savings/monthlysavings.asp - though with most reg savers you can only put in a max of £250 a month.

anyone else got any good deals, we can update when they are pulled.

[farmroad38]

Birmingham Midshires (http://www.askbm.co.uk) did have some good fixed rate bonds at around 6.5%. They're still coming up on the Moneysupermarket site, but they aren't on the BM site itself, so it looks like they've pulled them.

I'm in the middle of applying for a BM fixed rate ISA (at 6.15%) to transfer last year's money from ING - I hope they let me have it at that rate.

Edit: They've still got the bonds listed under telephone accounts - just disappeared from the postal accounts section.

http://www.askbm.co.uk/savings/t/fixed/intro.asp

[Kryten]

http://www.coventrybuildingsociety.co.uk/savings/poppybond.aspx

When you open your Poppy Bond not only will you receive a highly competitive rate of 6.25% AER/gross p.a. fixed until 31 December 2009, but you'll also be helping us to support the 2008 Poppy Appeal.

[farmroad38]

According to their website, Barclays still have a monthly savings account which is paying 7.75% on between £20 and £250 a month. There are no withdrawal penalties (although you get a reduced rate of interest in any month you make a withdrawal, and if that's not a penalty I don't know what is!), and you can change the amount you pay in each month.

With interest rates the way they are, it sounds too good to be true. Any one got one of these? Non-Barclays customers can only apply at branches which is a bit of a sod as I'm out of the country at the moment - bet they withdraw it before I get back next week!

[cjanderson]

thats new. I will open one now (WHERE IS THE DAMN LOG ON MACHINE grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr) 7.75% not bad for monthly savings.

you can open it online (though not THROUGH the online banking for some reason). have done so, will see how long it takes to set up.

A&L also have a linked savings account - e-saver issue 2 paying 6.3% as long as you don't withdraw any money.

[pyrogena]

A&L also have a linked savings account - e-saver issue 2 paying 6.3% as long as you don't withdraw any money.

Except in July - that's withdraw and spend freely month! :D

[Hot Ice]

thats new. I will open one now (WHERE IS THE DAMN LOG ON MACHINE grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr) 7.75% not bad for monthly savings.

you can open it online (though not THROUGH the online banking for some reason). have done so, will see how long it takes to set up.

A&L also have a linked savings account - e-saver issue 2 paying 6.3% as long as you don't withdraw any money.


So how do you open it online!?

[cjanderson]

So how do you open it online!?

you can apply on the normal barclays website. and complete all your details yourself. And then get an email saying they will look into it :D

you can't just open it when logged into online banking and they use all your details for this one, though you can open a few savings accounts this way with barclays. seems a bit daft but there you go.

[farmroad38]

You can't apply online if you're not a Barclays customer (or so it says). If it doesn't ask you for any login details though, I guess I could just masquerade as a customer and see what happens :suspect:

[cjanderson]

it asks you for your barclays account details so that would stop you :D it just doesn't automatically populate them, like a cahoot savings application would.

[farmroad38]

Okay, so I've just received the last bit of money from my Premium Bonds. Moneysupermarket is useless at the moment, because they're still listing old rates - anyone got any recommendations for a good account?

I want a reasonably good return, and am willing to lock away the money for a maximum of 6 months. Best I've seen so far is Birmingham Midshires 6 month bond at 4.5%. Not interested in ICICI's 5.whatever% account, as I don't trust them at all.

[Dick Long]

You can't apply online if you're not a Barclays customer (or so it says). If it doesn't ask you for any login details though, I guess I could just masquerade as a customer and see what happens :suspect:
My guess is that this is to do with the ID/ anti-money laundering requirements. They may need to see you and your passport, recent utility bills etc. if you're a new customer. Doesn't apply if you're already with them.