Regular Savings Accounts: The Best Currently Available List!

Westie983

Neil_Jones wrote: »

Not sure how "new" it is but on the subject of MUFC, I see a new 1yr E-ISA MUFC has appeared in the list. Same rate as the Issue 237, but the only "peak" over issue 237 is entry into a prize draw for two tickets to Old Trafford at every home game next season. That and the United Rewards scheme. Doesn't look like you get a voucher for a free pie either.

I do wonder actually if the withdrawing of the Man U Reg Saver means they're going to cut back on Regular Saver. There's only two available now, Issue 4 online and Issue 3 Store. Would be nice to see regular E-saver 5 though. And 6, and 7...

Of course, I am hoping for 4, and 5 to make my list look pretty, I closed the Matchday accounts when the issue 3 came out, as now my online banking flows, that said I'm running out of money to put in them, but I have now got a maturing RS every two months till Christmas, and thinking of pulling of of Bucks as they only pay 1.25% but you just never know if different rates will be launched for customers only like other Building Societies, which is making me hesitate a little.

I got a book today about the history of Virgin Bank, when I donated a suggestion amount to their charity which I hope will be a good read.

Westie983

isasmurf

Neil_Jones wrote: »

Not sure how "new" it is but on the subject of MUFC, I see a new 1yr E-ISA MUFC has appeared in the list.

It was launched when the regular saver was withdrawn.

Neil_Jones wrote: »

I do wonder actually if the withdrawing of the Man U Reg Saver means they're going to cut back on Regular Saver. There's only two available now, Issue 4 online and Issue 3 Store. Would be nice to see regular E-saver 5 though. And 6, and 7...

I wouldn't read too much into there not being an issue 2. I would have thought the whole idea of the partnership with Man U is to attract their supporters to be new customers of VM. They've probably come to realise that a large proportion of people opening the Matchday saver aren't Man U supporters and that the marketing budget on the Man U rewards scheme is being wasted. Far better to divert that budget to accounts where there is no need for a non Man U supporter to open.

Having said that, I have thought for a while VM cannot continue allowing people to open each RS. Most people would have been able to transfer their entire savings pot into these accounts by the time the first ones mature and i'm sure the intention wasn't to hold entire savings pots at 2.25%. They may have well just increase the rate on their limited maximum balance Saving to Buy instant access account. They could have done some analysis on whose opening the RS and found the more recent issues are attracting fewer and fewer new customers and the bulk of account holders are holders of other RS. On that basis they might decide to offer RS less frequently or to change the terms to be more in line with other RS. Or, they might have achieved their funding targets they set with the RS and have no need to continue to offer new ones. It is very difficult to understand what their strategy is with their RS offering. We'll just have to wait until mid to late May to know if there will be a new issue of their RS.

Westie983 wrote: »

Of course, I am hoping for 4, and 5 to make my list look pretty, I closed the Matchday accounts when the issue 3 came out, as now my online banking flows, that said I'm running out of money to put in them,

Are you talking about branch issues? You're one behind on the online issues. In a situatition where you are running out of money to fund, I would fund later issues with money from earlier issues as at least you then know you will be getting 2.25% on that money for a couple of months longer. I would keep a little in the first RS as they talk about their being a loyalty account to transfer maturing funds into, and until we know the details of that account it might just be worth not completely emptying earlier issues of the RS.

EachPenny

isasmurf wrote: »

...and that the marketing budget on the Man U rewards scheme is being wasted.

That budget must be quite significant and is being wasted even if it was having the desired effect of attracting MUFC fans.

I have two Matchday accounts and got my first pie vouchers this month. Two bits of paper each about 3"x2" were sent in two separate A5 size envelopes. Ok, so the store and online computer systems are apparently entirely separate, but you'd think someone in marketing would have found a way to combine the mailing lists from both and have just one mailing per customer. In fact it might work out cheaper for them to just send 2 or 3 vouchers to each customer regardless of number of MUFC accounts held - given that the majority of the vouchers are probably going staight in the recycling bin.

I think your analysis of the future issues of RS, especially the MUFC ones is very plausible. The only caveat is if their computer systems aren't talking to each other (as per my previous paragraph) then are they sufficiently advanced with their data analysis to be able to come to the same conclusion you have?

glider3560

Is there any expiry date on the Virgin Money pie vouchers? I can't see one, but may have missed something.

ColdIron

There may not be an expiry date on some of the pies so there's no good reason to have one on the vouchers

schiff

MU have only got three home games left this season anyway, two in the league and the other in the Thursday Trophy.

BodMor

The Darlington BS High Days & Holidays Bonus Saver is now closed to new applicants.

patientperson

schiff wrote: »

As any discussion in this thread can be about any one of several different offers it's useful to use a heading if the post is in reply to an earlier post a little way back unless it's quite clear of course!

Spot on .. After a few days the comments could almost fit any BS. There is another thread for general regular saver discussions but where to post comments on MUFC pies is a mystery.

isasmurf

patientperson wrote: »

Spot on .. After a few days the comments could almost fit any BS. There is another thread for general regular saver discussions but where to post comments on MUFC pies is a mystery.

I do sometimes wonder if it would be better to keep this thread and similar threads for notification of new and withdrawn accounts and to continue discussion of specific accounts in their own dedicated account threads.

colsten

isasmurf wrote: »

I do sometimes wonder if it would be better to keep this thread and similar threads for notification of new and withdrawn accounts and to continue discussion of specific accounts in their own dedicated account threads.

You might as well try and herd cats, that could be more rewarding.