What passbook easy access savings accounts are there?

I don't want an internet based account (I recently opened and immediately closed the Santander ISA as I didn't realise all I would get is a bit of paper with an account number, not a book but not even a card!).

I don't want the hassle of having to keep shifting accounts after a year of interest rates dropping from their tempting opening amount so although interest rates are tempting, I just want something I will use year in year out, I'm not talking big savings so it's not so important anyway, maybe paying in a fiver or tenner here and there!

So, I just want a bog standard, easy access, standard high street account. I live in London so have access to all the usual high street banks.

I've found it hard to find sites to search by 'passbook', so has anyone come across any lately? Would have a card based account as well, as long as I can actually pay in any spare cash I have left via a branch.

Any recommendations?

Good customer service would be a plus.
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  • EarthBoy
    EarthBoy Posts: 3,031
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    Most instant access passbook accounts pay very little interest, but if that's not a problem then you have several to choose from.

    Halifax still do the Liquid Gold account, but you need £50 to open one:

    http://www.halifax.co.uk/savings/accounts/other-savings-accounts/liquid-gold/

    Nationwide CashBuilder is similar, with a choice of card or book, but you need £100 to open this one:

    http://www.nationwide.co.uk/savings/instant_access/cashbuilderbook/introduction.htm

    Yorkshire Building Society have the Cash Transactor account, but they don't have many branches in the London area:

    http://www.ybs.co.uk/savings/easy_access/cash_transactor.html
  • alanq
    alanq Posts: 4,216
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    edited 21 August 2011 at 12:26AM
    Britannia EasySaver (withdrawals restricted to 12 days per year)
    Chelsea BS Branch Instant
    C&G Cheltenham Gold
  • MoneySaverLog
    MoneySaverLog Posts: 3,232 Forumite
    As you say you'd accept a cash card then Lloyds TSB have a current account called vantage, you can save up to £5,000 in the account and can have a maximum of 3 accounts.

    You get a card and cheque book with each account, and can access all the usual online payments etc.

    The only draw back is you have to be able to cycle £1,000 through each vantage account every month, but you don't have to leave it there.

    Then you'll get tiered rates of interest starting with a pound in the account. The rates will vary from 1.5% AER to 3% AER depending on the balance, but typically will be better than your bog standard passbook account.

    As there is no bonus with the account the rates wont drop at the end of the year because of the bank pulling the bonus after 12 months. That's not not to say that interest rates may go up and down due to rate changes by the bank though.
  • Kirri
    Kirri Posts: 6,184
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    edited 21 August 2011 at 8:55AM
    Brilliant, thanks for all the suggestions, I shall have a look at all of these this week :)

    Additionally I would do a regular saver as long as they accept small/varied amounts per month, if that was branch based too, so any suggestions on those also appreciated. Also if there are any branch based ISA's (though even though I immediately shut my Santander ISA, not sure if I am eligible to open another in the same tax year??). Thanks again :)

    Saving used to be so easy years ago but now it's all such a faff even finding a suitable account!
  • Kirri wrote: »
    I would do a regular saver as long as they accept small/varied amounts per month, if that was branch based too, so any suggestions on those also appreciated.

    Regular savers are the way to go when you've built up a nice pot of money, put it all into the highest interest savings account which allows standing orders to go out. Vantage would be good for this. Then divide your pot by 12 and drip feed it across into the higher paying regular saver every month.

    It's all self funding then :)

    There's a pretty good explanation of how this works here http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/best-regular-savings-accounts#dripfeed
  • dwsjarcmcd
    dwsjarcmcd Posts: 1,855
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    The Yorkshire Building Society's Internet savings account comes with a cash card that you can withdraw money from any ATM and pays a 'decent' rate of interest with no short term bonus. The rate is about 2.1% from memory (or thereabouts)

    Compared to branch based accounts paying 0.1 it's pretty decent. The account operates 'e-I.D' meaning that for many you don't even need to send any documents to prove who you are or your address
  • alanq
    alanq Posts: 4,216
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    edited 21 August 2011 at 10:49AM
    I agree that this is an OK account with a reasonable and consistent rate but the OP stated "I don't want an internet based account" but a passbook account or a card account "as long as I can actually pay in any spare cash I have left via a branch." . One cannot make deposits to a YBS Internet Saver Account in branch nor via ATM.
  • dwsjarcmcd
    dwsjarcmcd Posts: 1,855
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    alanq wrote: »
    I agree that this is an OK account with a reasonable and consistent rate but the OP stated "I don't want an internet based account" but a passbook account or a card account "as long as I can actually pay in any spare cash I have left via a branch." . One cannot make deposits to a YBS Internet Saver Account in branch nor via ATM.

    I accept that but was suggesting a 'hybrid' account. It has a card hence pointing it out. In addition you can pay money in with a debit card.

    Just an alternative that would pay a higher rate of interest, is easy to manage and you get a card to withdraw actual cash.

    Entirely up to the OP, as I say an alternative suggestion
  • Sparky47
    Sparky47 Posts: 314 Forumite
    Kirri wrote: »
    Also if there are any branch based ISA's (though even though I immediately shut my Santander ISA, not sure if I am eligible to open another in the same tax year??).

    You can open another cash ISA this tax year provided you did not pay any money into the one you opened with Santander.
    You can only contribute new money to one ISA in any one tax year.
  • savetilibleed
    savetilibleed Posts: 1,363
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    The Northern Rock Everyday Access account would seem to do the job, if you have a branch to hand.
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