Cash ISAs: The Best Currently Available List

Middle_Sister

I went to the Santander website to open a 2 year Fixed Rate Postal ISA at 3.50% as I want to transfer my existing ISA into it. However it says "visit branch". How can it be a postal account if you have to go to the branch!

Also I know they have a flexible saver earning 3.5% but that's no good for me as I want to transfer in.

Anybody else found this?

I have been a past customer of Abbey and am currently a customer of A&L.

boobbby

Middle_Sister wrote: »

I went to the Santander website to open a 2 year Fixed Rate Postal ISA at 3.50% as I want to transfer my existing ISA into it. However it says "visit branch". How can it be a postal account if you have to go to the branch!

Also I know they have a flexible saver earning 3.5% but that's no good for me as I want to transfer in.

Anybody else found this?

When you open a new ISA they normally want to see some identification/location documents such as bills driving license etc. After they have been checked it will then become serviced as a postal ISA.

10_66

Middle_Sister wrote: »

I went to the Santander website to open a 2 year Fixed Rate Postal ISA at 3.50% as I want to transfer my existing ISA into it. However it says "visit branch". How can it be a postal account if you have to go to the branch!

Also I know they have a flexible saver earning 3.5% but that's no good for me as I want to transfer in.

Anybody else found this?

I have been a past customer of Abbey and am currently a customer of A&L.

There has been mention, either earlier on this thread or another, that it's probably because they've been inundated with applications so the online option has been withdrawn at the moment requesting that you go into a branch.

Froggitt

but that's no good for me as I want to transfer in.

I thought it didnt allow transfers.

MarkyMarkD

Kent Reliance 2010/11 Tax Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
Minimum £100.
3.2% tax free/AER.
No transfers in.
On 6 April 2011 reverts to a variable rate, currently 1.02%.

Applications available from Friday 26 March but deposits won't be accepted until 6 April.

welshmoneylover

Don't know if this has been mentioned but Principality Building Society are offering 4.5% and allowing transfers in.

The sting in the tail is that its fixed for 5 years!

Thoughts folks on this one?

My own opinion is that a lot can happen in 5 years time.

boobbby

Leeds also offer a 5 year ISA at 4.6% but with one big advantage. You can withdraw up to 25% of your capital investment without notice or loss of interest prior to maturity (31 May 2015). If you exceed this limit, the account will be subject to 180 days loss of interest or an equivalent amount on the amount withdrawn/transferred.

Middle_Sister

The 3.5% Flexible ISA with Santander doesn't allow transfers in but the 2 year fixed at 3.5% does. That's the way I understood it.

welshmoneylover

Middle_Sister wrote: »

The 3.5% Flexible ISA with Santander doesn't allow transfers in but the 2 year fixed at 3.5% does. That's the way I understood it.

I thought the two year one was a bond and not an ISA?

pete1976

Not sure if anyone else has seen this...

I received a statement yesterday for my new A&L FLEXIBLE ISA. Problem was it clearly stated at the top "DIRECT CASH ISA ISSUE 5" which is an account paying 2% rather than the Flexible ISA which pays 3.5%. I had a nasty feeling I'd accidentally applied for the wrong account. However, I think this account type is old (hasn't been available for new investors for some time).

Anyway, I logged on to my accounts and it clearly shows 'Flexible ISA'. Furthermore, A&L have a facility on their website where you can search interest rates based on the first three digits of your account number. This confirmed that account numbers starting with 897 and 898 are indeed Flexible ISAs paying 3.5%. Mine starts with 898. So, I'm assuming there was a printing error on the statement and nothing more!

One final point...the interest rate information for the Flexible ISA on the website states 3.5% for balances of £1 to £5100 but doesn't give interest rates for other balances. I appreciate that ALL balances will be in that range at the moment but what about after 6th April when people (including me and the wife) want to add in their 2010-11 allowance?