Cash ISAs: The Best Currently Available List

Kazza242

purplestar133 wrote: »

I'm deciding between the 2 ISAs below to put my 12/13 money into (I can't afford the min deposits required for the higher rate ISAs). As they're the same interest rate I'm looking at how long the bonus lasts for.

Skipton BS Online Bonus Cash ISA - 3.10%
Rate guarantee? No. Rate effective from: 19/03/2012.
Minimum deposit: £1. Operated via: Internet
Important: Rate includes a 1.10% bonus for 12 months.
Branch-based Bonus ISA also available, here.

Principality BS e-ISA (issue 3) - 3.10%
Rate guarantee? No. Rate effective from: 22/03/2012.
Minimum deposit: £1. Operated via: Internet.
Important: Rate includes a 1.30% bonus for 12 months from account opening.

For Skipton does the bonus operate from 19/3/12 or from date of account opening as for Principality?

The Skipton ISA 12 month bonus rate begins from the date that you open your account.

Key Features include

A 1.10% bonus interest rate for the first 12 months (from the date you open your account).

Source: Skipton building Society website, here

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Kazza242

liver-bird wrote: »

I was really excited when I saw the Nottingham ISA above but was then very disappointed to find it is branch-only and we don't have any in the NW! Just thought I'd warn others too.

The first issue of this ISA was also branch-only. I guess that they want customers to visit a branch in order to sell them other products. It's a shame really, but still a good ISA for people who can get to a branch.

purplestar133

Kazza242 wrote: »

The Skipton ISA 12 month bonus rate begins from the date that you open your account.

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Once again, thanks Kazza!

MoneySavingUser

Kazza242 wrote: »

Details on the new Aldermore range of ISAs have also been added. This includes the one year fixed rate ISA, paying 3.30%, the three year fixed rate ISA, paying 3.70% and the 60 days notice ISA, paying 3.15%. All three ISAs have a minimum opening deposit of £1,000.

Tried this - logged into my account and selected the option - it said the account would show up on my online login within a few days - didn't give any account details atm

The_Enforcer

Kazza242 wrote: »

The first issue of this ISA was also branch-only. I guess that they want customers to visit a branch in order to sell them other products. It's a shame really, but still a good ISA for people who can get to a branch.

Does anyone know if it's possible to set up a standing order to make the subsequent monthly payments after the initial visit to a branch to open the account, or do you have to physically go into a branch to make each payment by cash/cheque?

thenudeone

Kazza242 wrote: »

The first issue of this ISA was also branch-only. I guess that they want customers to visit a branch in order to sell them other products.

The Nottingham BS website says "Branch only" but if this is the right ISA for you, it might be worth completing the application form found here: http://www.thenottingham.com/uploadedFiles/Download_Library/INV211_0911%20Cash%20ISA%20Application%20Form.pdf and posting it to Head Office.

I have definitely opened Building Society "Branch only" accounts this way before following advice from MSE posters :beer: (I can't remember if it was with The Nottingham).

Poster_girl

The_Enforcer wrote: »

Does anyone know if it's possible to set up a standing order to make the subsequent monthly payments after the initial visit to a branch to open the account, or do you have to physically go into a branch to make each payment by cash/cheque?

I had the first issue of this regular saver ISA last tax year and it is possible to make the monthly payments by standing order. I just told them that I wanted to do that and they gave me the payment details to use.

The_Enforcer

A summary of the bits in bold below from their website might be worth adding to the Nottingham Building Society Regular Saver ISA info on page 1, word limit permitting:

Paying money in
The minimum to open an account is £10. You can then pay between £1 - £470 per month into your account. You don’t have to pay in the same amount every month or pay money in on the same day every month.

You can pay up to £470 into your account every calendar month (up to 5 April 2013). You can pay this in as a lump sum or make a number of payments, providing the total amount you pay in each month is no more than £470. You can also miss as many monthly payments as you like. In March 2013 you can top up your balance to £5,640.


However, surely the advice below can't be right, as I thought it wasn't permitted to split up money newly invested in an ISA during the current tax year?

You can transfer funds in full or in part to another ISA provider at any time. We will charge 180 days’ interest on the amount you transfer

amictus

thenudeone wrote: »

The Nottingham BS website says "Branch only" but if this is the right ISA for you, it might be worth completing the application form found here: http://www.thenottingham.com/uploadedFiles/Download_Library/INV211_0911%20Cash%20ISA%20Application%20Form.pdf and posting it to Head Office.

I have definitely opened Building Society "Branch only" accounts this way before following advice from MSE posters :beer: (I can't remember if it was with The Nottingham).

I asked a few questions about this on the dedicated thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3893373

I'd be grateful if anyone could help me out.


Thanks!

The_Enforcer

Hi Kazza,

Thanks for updating the Nottingham BS R/S ISA info earlier. I have been on 'bonus-watch' duty this evening and so if I may also suggest the following tweaks for the variable easy access/notice accounts:

1. Barclays Loyalty Reward ISA - 1.00% bonus is 'fixed'.

2. Halifax ISA Saver Online - 2.75% bonus is 'fixed'.

3. Kent Reliance BS Internet (60 days notice) ISA (Issue 2) - seems to have been updated on 6/4/12, no longer a bonus, it's a 'clean' 3.10%/2.95%/2.75%.

4. In respect of the Skipton BS Online Bonus Cash ISA & Principality BS e-ISA (issue 3) - It's not clear from the websites whether the 1.10% & 1.30% bonuses, respectively, are fixed or variable - anyone else able to shed any light on these? The Coventry BS (60 days) Notice ISA has a similarly vague 0.5% bonus, but this is effectively secured by the overall AER rate guarantee of 3.25% over the same period.

Cheers,
TE