Best high-street ISA?

LizD_2

Who's got the best ISA rate and service on the high street? I don't want online because I'll be too tempted to take the money out. If I have to physically go out I won't take the money out. A notice account isn't practical, as I'll need the money available to pay deposits for my wedding.

ReportInvestor

Rates before any interest rate rises from the November BofE decision:

Portman BS 5.55% (15 day - includes 0.80% 6 month bonus & minimum £1K) There is also a £30 transfer out fee but this will go when if they merge with Nationwide in late 2007.
Yorkshire BS 5.25% 30 day (but this isn't a problem with your criteria).

The rest are not exactly scintillating. Where do you live?

LizD_2

I live in Dorset. I'm dubious about the Portman: won't the rate go down if they merge? Nationwide are only 4.85%

ReportInvestor

But meanwhile the rate is up there and you only lose 15 days interest if you withdraw. Just a thought.

BTW until the site crashed in the middle of my post, I was going to suggest that the Nationwide instant access ISA @ 4.65% before any rate rise was about the best I could find on the High Street.

Instant access branch based ISAs are not where the action is I'm afraid .

Mr_Mumble

A bunch of small building societies have branch based ISA accounts around the 5.1% to 5.2% range. National Counties (5.26%), Leek (5.25%), Dudley (5.2%), Melton Mowbray (5.2%), Kent Reliance (5.16%).

Guess its a matter of if any are down your local high street. If you only have access to the big institutions then Natwest's mini-cash ISA will rise to 5% in the next couple of weeks (under their base rate tracking guarantee).

ReportInvestor

It's a long trek from Dorset to that lot :rotfl:

NatWest sounds promising, though.

uk_steve

ReportInvestor wrote:

Rates before any interest rate rises from the November BofE decision:

Portman BS 5.55% (15 day - includes 0.80% 6 month bonus & minimum £1K) There is also a £30 transfer out fee but this will go when if they merge with Nationwide in late 2007.
Yorkshire BS 5.25% 30 day (but this isn't a problem with your criteria).

The rest are not exactly scintillating. Where do you live?

i have just done a online app on the Yorkshire BS e-Isa 5.15%

i would love to go to nsandi isa but i have 2 lots of tax years worth (its such a shame they dont do transfers from excisting isa's) oh well i still be better off!! my prevoius provider was hsbc 4.55% :-(

LizD_2

ReportInvestor wrote:

But meanwhile the rate is up there and you only lose 15 days interest if you withdraw. Just a thought.
Instant access branch based ISAs are not where the action is I'm afraid .

Yes, that's true about the Portman figure. I'll be needing the money around April, so probably won't make that much of a difference as and when the merger goes ahead.

It's also painfully true about branch ISAs, but as I say, an internet one's not for me, far too tempting! :rotfl:

uk_steve

uk_steve wrote:

i have just done a online app on the Yorkshire BS e-Isa 5.15%

i would love to go to nsandi isa but i have 2 lots of tax years worth (its such a shame they dont do transfers from excisting isa's) oh well i still be better off!! my prevoius provider was hsbc 4.55% :-(

typical just seen another post that kent relince isa is 5.46% :eek:

ReportInvestor

Anyway Liz, good luck for the big day .

Sometimes in life, thank goodness , there are more important things than the odd 0.1% here and there.

Phoenix79_2

West Brom BS fixed at 5.40%
http://www.westbrom.co.uk/westbrom/savings.product?id=2844&FROM_CAMPAIGN=true&CAMPAIGN_SRC=SAVINGS_HOME
Again its a trek but can be sorted out on the phone.