Cash ISAs: The Best Currently Available List

Aidanmc

nomorekids said:

Bridlington1 said:

Melton BS has launched a Regular Saver ISA at 5% variable.
Branch/post only
Account can be opened with £1
£1650 max monthly deposit, except in final month in which you can top up the account to £20k
Closure/transfers out subject to 90 days interest penalty

has anyone got an application form link?

Just click 'Apply Now'  button at bottom of this page, accept the terms and a form will be downloaded

https://www.themelton.co.uk/tax_free_savings/regular-saver-isa/

Rich2808

SickGroove said:

Rich2808 said:

Ysoulsaver said:

Reed_Richards said:

soulsaver said:

Just an option/idea for those looking for a safety net against falling rates:

Lloyds bank 2 year fixed at 4.20% (4.25 for existing customers) allows top ups throughout the term. 

I looked at this account and went so far as to read the Terms and Conditions but I could not find any reference as to whether or when top-ups were allowed.  Can you point me to this, please?

From Cash ISAs - See our ISA interest rates | Lloyds Bank scroll down nearly to bottom right (on PC) just above FSCS bumph, 'Manage your account'; click 'Top Up Your ISA'

and you get to here: Top up your ISA | UK ISAs | Lloyds Bank

Top up your ISA

"Before applying for a new account you should check whether topping up an existing ISA would be more beneficial for you.

Top up your existing ISA online or transfer funds from an ISA held with another provider to maximise your ISA allowance. You can either set up a regular payment, pay in a lump sum or top up as often as you like, up to this year’s tax-free ISA limit. "

Well buried...

I can confirm this - I can still top up my Lloyds fixed rate isas (new money or isa transfers) seven months post opening including in the current (new) tax year. 

It can easily be done online via online banking. The process is very efficient with Lloyds - literally done within 2-3 working days in terms of every transfer I have done including one done just recently when they would have been busy with tax year end transfers/account openings. 

They are a good hedge - in the event rates drop sharply - as you could pay into a two year fixed rate isa opened now up to April 2026. And if rates don't drop - put your new money elsewhere.

So, with this one (I'm an existing Lloyds customer) I can open now with 3K and arrange a transfer in of a previous years oddment cash ISA of 2.5K from Gatehouse....

Then in mid may I can transfer the remaining 17K for 24/25 allowance (if rates elsewhere dropped by then) then in 25/26 if again rates dropped elsewhere, I can still put the full new 20K allowance straight into here, without opening another cash ISA?

Yes - the terms and conditions don't appear to have changed. Lloyds don't actively advertise it - but I can still transfer in/pay in seven months post opening! And have just done one.

Frogletina

Rich2808 said:

SickGroove said:

Rich2808 said:

Ysoulsaver said:

Reed_Richards said:

soulsaver said:

Just an option/idea for those looking for a safety net against falling rates:

Lloyds bank 2 year fixed at 4.20% (4.25 for existing customers) allows top ups throughout the term. 

I looked at this account and went so far as to read the Terms and Conditions but I could not find any reference as to whether or when top-ups were allowed.  Can you point me to this, please?

From Cash ISAs - See our ISA interest rates | Lloyds Bank scroll down nearly to bottom right (on PC) just above FSCS bumph, 'Manage your account'; click 'Top Up Your ISA'

and you get to here: Top up your ISA | UK ISAs | Lloyds Bank

Top up your ISA

"Before applying for a new account you should check whether topping up an existing ISA would be more beneficial for you.

Top up your existing ISA online or transfer funds from an ISA held with another provider to maximise your ISA allowance. You can either set up a regular payment, pay in a lump sum or top up as often as you like, up to this year’s tax-free ISA limit. "

Well buried...

I can confirm this - I can still top up my Lloyds fixed rate isas (new money or isa transfers) seven months post opening including in the current (new) tax year. 

It can easily be done online via online banking. The process is very efficient with Lloyds - literally done within 2-3 working days in terms of every transfer I have done including one done just recently when they would have been busy with tax year end transfers/account openings. 

They are a good hedge - in the event rates drop sharply - as you could pay into a two year fixed rate isa opened now up to April 2026. And if rates don't drop - put your new money elsewhere.

So, with this one (I'm an existing Lloyds customer) I can open now with 3K and arrange a transfer in of a previous years oddment cash ISA of 2.5K from Gatehouse....

Then in mid may I can transfer the remaining 17K for 24/25 allowance (if rates elsewhere dropped by then) then in 25/26 if again rates dropped elsewhere, I can still put the full new 20K allowance straight into here, without opening another cash ISA?

Yes - the terms and conditions don't appear to have changed. Lloyds don't actively advertise it - but I can still transfer in/pay in seven months post opening! And have just done one.

I've opened one without paying any money in yet and I was told via chat that there isn't a time limit for paying in the £3000. If this is the case, I'll only pay in if Isa rates get near to 4.25%. I looked online, and it seems that it just needs to be by the end of the first tax year. 

TheWoodler

Thanks to @soulsaver and also to @Rich2808 for the heads-up about Lloyd’s as I have the same account. As I’m app-only with them, I checked (via in-app messaging & it was easy to break the bot & talk to a human). They confirmed top-up was available and could be done by bank transfer, so you’re not confined to the online banking route. (I also read their Ts&Cs carefully - no confusion over the new regime!)

I hadn’t automatically considered this account as part of my ISA 24/25 portfolio, given that it’s a fix, but a fix that you can continue to pay into is pretty good IMHO, so thanks for the reminder! As it happens, I hadn’t yet filled up the ISA 2 allocation, so I could divert some funds away to this one. So I’m splitting this year’s allowance 3 ways, which I’d always planned on doing, but not quite this way! 

(All my 3 preferred 24/25 candidates were new openings, and available come 6 April, but I drew back from one as I didn’t think they’d updated their site, product terms, or declaration sufficiently. The other two were both watertight in terms of compliance.)

soulsaver

TheWoodler said:

Thanks to @soulsaver and also to @Rich2808 for the heads-up about Lloyd’s as I have the same account. As I’m app-only with them, I checked (via in-app messaging & it was easy to break the bot & talk to a human). They confirmed top-up was available and could be done by bank transfer, so you’re not confined to the online banking route. (I also read their Ts&Cs carefully - no confusion over the new regime!)

I hadn’t automatically considered this account as part of my ISA 24/25 portfolio, given that it’s a fix, but a fix that you can continue to pay into is pretty good IMHO, so thanks for the reminder! As it happens, I hadn’t yet filled up the ISA 2 allocation, so I could divert some funds away to this one. So I’m splitting this year’s allowance 3 ways, which I’d always planned on doing, but not quite this way! 

(All my 3 preferred 24/25 candidates were new openings, and available come 6 April, but I drew back from one as I didn’t think they’d updated their site, product terms, or declaration sufficiently. The other two were both watertight in terms of compliance.)

@TheWoodler Also check back a page or 2 for the Shawbrook 4.5% 2 year fix £1k to start and Top ups.. or their 4.38% 3 year fix also allowing top ups, for consideration.

2010

Charter 1yr ISA cut to 4.70%.

SickGroove

Going back to the Lloyds fixed 2 year cash ISA which you can continually add to during the term...

I have a 20K one year fix with charter, which expires in October this year....if by then the rate is below the 4.25%from Lloyds, can it then be transferred into the Lloyds one to get the current 4.25%?

Can you transfer other old ISAs in at any point during the term & if so how do you do it?

Cheers

badger09

SickGroove said:

Going back to the Lloyds fixed 2 year cash ISA which you can continually add to during the term...

I have a 20K one year fix with charter, which expires in October this year....if by then the rate is below the 4.25%from Lloyds, can it then be transferred into the Lloyds one to get the current 4.25%?

Can you transfer other old ISAs in at any point during the term & if so how do you do it?

Cheers

Yes
As long you have already opened the Lloyds FRISA. They could of course withdraw it at any time. 

I suggest you look at Lloyds Bank website or even google

https://www.lloydsbank.com/isas/isa-transfer.html

bioboybill

I decided to put £1K into the Shawbrook Fixed 2 year ISA as suggested by a few in this thread to take advantage of topping up later if rates fall in the next year. On their site it tells you that you deposit by bank transfer from a nominated account, but because they aren't part of the service that checks accounts match they suggest depositing £1 first time to put your mind at rest. I did that, but I'm wondering whether it will work since the minimum deposit is supposed to be £1K. Had anybody else successfully deposited a small amount?

refluxer

bioboybill said:

I decided to put £1K into the Shawbrook Fixed 2 year ISA as suggested by a few in this thread to take advantage of topping up later if rates fall in the next year. On their site it tells you that you deposit by bank transfer from a nominated account, but because they aren't part of the service that checks accounts match they suggest depositing £1 first time to put your mind at rest. I did that, but I'm wondering whether it will work since the minimum deposit is supposed to be £1K. Had anybody else successfully deposited a small amount?

I've made a test deposit of £1 into a Shawbrook cash ISA in the past - it took a couple of hours to show in the account and I received a confirmation text message that it had arrived.