Cash ISAs: The Best Currently Available List

KTF

March is the last opportunity to top up before the end of the tax year.

The nationwide rs ISA is the same.

Archi_Bald

Only "branch"- thing with the Nottingham ISA is the opening, I believe. Once it is open, you can make FP or SO deposits - but confirm that with the Nottingham.

If Branch is too much hassle, use the next best - Newcastle BHS. Or the DCU ISA.

veryintrigued

Archi_Bald wrote: »

Only "branch"- thing with the Nottingham ISA is the opening, I believe. Once it is open, you can make FP or SO deposits.

This^^^^^^

purplestar133

KTF wrote: »

March is the last opportunity to top up before the end of the tax year.

The nationwide rs ISA is the same.

Archi_Bald wrote: »

Only "branch"- thing with the Nottingham ISA is the opening, I believe. Once it is open, you can make FP or SO deposits - but confirm that with the Nottingham.

If Branch is too much hassle, use the next best - Newcastle BHS. Or the DCU ISA.

veryintrigued wrote: »

This^^^^^^

Thanks for all your responses. I hadn't realised regular savers tend to offer a chance to top up. Think I will make an appointment now to set this account up.

wattc

I have an old Halifax ISA Saver Online with £0 in it. It's paying about 0.25% interest, so that's pretty rubbish and why I didn't use it after the first year.

Halifax also have an ISA Saver Variable, which they claim is paying 1.50%.

If I ask them to convert my "ISA Saver Online" to the "ISA Saver Variable", will I get the 1.50% interest?

I'm not sure if the rate is only valid for new customers or not?

I don't want to do all the paperwork to convert, only to find out I'm still only getting 0.25%.

Thanks for any help

Consumerist

wattc wrote: »

I have an old Halifax ISA Saver Online with £0 in it. It's paying about 0.25% interest, so that's pretty rubbish and why I didn't use it after the first year. Halifax also have an ISA Saver Variable, which they claim is paying 1.50%.

If I ask them to convert my "ISA Saver Online" to the "ISA Saver Variable", will I get the 1.50% interest?

If the ISA is from a previous year and there is nothing in it then there is no point in converting/transferring it.

You can apply to open a new ISA Saver to get the 1.5% offered. The rate will drop by 1.0% after a year.

wattc

Consumerist wrote: »

If the ISA is from a previous year and there is nothing in it then there is no point in converting/transferring it.

You can apply to open a new ISA Saver to get the 1.5% offered. The rate will drop by 1.0% after a year.

I figured I could convert it, rather than do all the paperwork to set up a new account.

Consumerist

wattc wrote: »

I figured I could convert it, rather than do all the paperwork to set up a new account.

If there had been money in the account then a transfer/conversion would have made sense to keep the tax-free status on that money but with an empty account, you are effectively asking the bank to transfer £0 from one account to another. They may, however, do that if you ask and in those circumstances you would receive the interest appropriate to the new account.

I notice, incidentally, that Halifax is offering 1.55% AER on their Online Saver rather than the 1.50% AER from their ISA Saver variable, so why not apply for the Online Saver unless you need branch access to your money?

Hope that helps

Archi_Bald

Consumerist wrote: »

I notice, incidentally, that Halifax is offering 1.55% AER on their Online Saver rather than the 1.50% AER from their ISA Saver variable, so why not apply for the Online Saver unless you need branch access to your money?

If you are not likely to get near your £15K allowance this year, you could consider skipping ISAs entirely and put your money into one or more current accounts that pay decent interest. A cash ISA at all costs is often not the best choice.

Consumerist

Archi_Bald wrote: »

If you are not likely to get near your £15K allowance this year, you could consider skipping ISAs entirely and put your money into one or more current accounts that pay decent interest. A cash ISA at all costs is often not the best choice.

A good point but reading between the lines, I think a no-paperwork solution was what was wanted. Also there are no credit checks for ISAs as with current accounts. I don't really know what was behind the question unless it's just a lack of understanding of the ISA rules.