Regular Savings Accounts: The Best Currently Available List!

Middle_of_the_Road

ForumUser7 said:

Nationwide have released their new rates https://www.nationwide.co.uk/-/assets/nationwidecouk/documents/savings/branch-notices/smd648-changes-to-savings-accounts-1-april-2023.pdf?rev=3a594c2792c544e19b86baeda1f1ecf0 (thanks @GalacticaActual)

Disappointingly, they are not increasing the rate on either the Flex Regular Saver, or the Start to Save Issue 2. These remain at their rates as of 1st December 2022...

As has been mentioned, they don't need any of our money. When my 1 year flexdirect c/a interest ends, there will be no point saving with Nationwide an further.

Their regular saver takes forever to build a decent amount, hardly worth bothering with. The only reason I continue funding it is the prise draw. Someone on here won in the last draw, so there's that.

Bridlington1

I've just managed to open the Leeds BS Home Deposit saver online. I used MS Edge in internet explorer mode and applied as an existing customer. £500 is now winging its way to it just in time to make the March deposit.

The only issue is that I had a postal application for the account which I'd posted off this morning so have asked them to use the cheque I'd enclosed to make next month's deposit.

Gers

Bridlington1 said:

I've just managed to open the Leeds BS Home Deposit saver online. I used MS Edge in internet explorer mode and applied as an existing customer. £500 is now winging its way to it just in time to make the March deposit.

I couldn't open it using five different browsers on three different devices. Logged in, clicked to open new account and sent round the loop. Phoned them to report it. After a day and a half I trekked 100 miles to my nearest branch yesterday (not only for that task) to open it. Deposited £250.00 by debit card in the branch.  The account showing online today. I tried to send the other £250.00 today but got error message 'account not verified' on three different attempts. Neither could I set up a SO.

I phoned customer services, the agent told me that a number of users had reported the same issues and I just had to be patient to allow 'banks to catch up with the large numbers of new accounts'.  By this time I had enough and simply closed the account as I would have missed being able to fill up the payment in March. And I have sufficient other RS accounts. And I CBA to faff around with inadequate IT systems. 

Bridlington1

Gers said:

Bridlington1 said:

I've just managed to open the Leeds BS Home Deposit saver online. I used MS Edge in internet explorer mode and applied as an existing customer. £500 is now winging its way to it just in time to make the March deposit.

I couldn't open it using five different browsers on three different devices. Logged in, clicked to open new account and sent round the loop. Phoned them to report it. After a day and a half I trekked 100 miles to my nearest branch yesterday (not only for that task) to open it. Deposited £250.00 by debit card in the branch.  The account showing online today. I tried to send the other £250.00 today but got error message 'account not verified' on three different attempts. Neither could I set up a SO.

I phoned customer services, the agent told me that a number of users had reported the same issues and I just had to be patient to allow 'banks to catch up with the large numbers of new accounts'.  By this time I had enough and simply closed the account as I would have missed being able to fill up the payment in March. And I have sufficient other RS accounts. And I CBA to faff around with inadequate IT systems. 

I'd hit the same doom loop so rang them yesterday and they sent me an application form. It arrived this morning so I sent the form off with cheque. I tried applying again in Edge in internet explorer mode this afternoon and it worked so have asked them to use the cheque as my April deposit.

The way I see it, it's a pain when technical systems don't work properly but as far as I'm concerned as long as I can open the account one way or another without it costing me anything I don't care if it's opened online or by post so long as I can manage it alright. To be fair to them their phone service has been excellent so far, staff have always been helpful, things get done pretty quickly and I've not been on the phone to them more than a few minutes at a time, unlike some of the other banks I shall not name. Plus they do seem to be genuinely trying to resolve the issue, rather than bouncing you around however many different departments. I agree however that they've made a right horlicks of the online application form and need to get that resolved soon.

I've found that Leeds BS, along with many others take a day or two to fully update the account onto their online systems so I would exercise some patience with them on this one. I would imagine that it would take a couple of days for the account to appear on CoP for the same reason. I can't say I've encountered this issue myself as I sent my deposit from Metro bank (who don't use CoP). So far I've found that that once an account is set up with Leeds BS it's plain sailing from there so I for one will be keeping mine open as the interest rate is good.

Gers

I agree that the staff have been excellent, if puzzled!  Despite this I have closed the account, it was probably a rash decision to open it as I have already committed more than enough monthly funds to RS accounts. Still, not chuffed at inadequate IT systems.

Bridlington1

Gers said:

I agree that the staff have been excellent, if puzzled!  Despite this I have closed the account, it was probably a rash decision to open it as I have already committed more than enough monthly funds to RS accounts. Still, not chuffed at inadequate IT systems.

I've just received an email from Leeds BS telling me that they've received my initial deposit so something's working in there at least. At the end of the day as long as the account runs smoothly in the end I don't mind too much if it takes them a few days to get set up.

If you think their systems are bad though just take a look at TSB. I spent 2 months of last year being unable to make a faster payment in online banking without it locking me out of online banking and asking me to ring their fraud team yet could make as many payments as I like over the phone, in branch or by debit card without issues. 

Gers

Bridlington1 said:

Gers said:

I agree that the staff have been excellent, if puzzled!  Despite this I have closed the account, it was probably a rash decision to open it as I have already committed more than enough monthly funds to RS accounts. Still, not chuffed at inadequate IT systems.

I've just received an email from Leeds BS telling me that they've received my initial deposit so something's working in there at least. At the end of the day as long as the account runs smoothly in the end I don't mind too much if it takes them a few days to get set up.

If you think their systems are bad though just take a look at TSB. I spent 2 months of last year being unable to make a faster payment in online banking without it locking me out of online banking and asking me to ring their fraud team yet could make as many payments as I like over the phone, in branch or by debit card without issues. 

TSB works perfectly for me!  One man's meat etc. 

pookey

ForumUser7 said:

Nationwide have released their new rates https://www.nationwide.co.uk/-/assets/nationwidecouk/documents/savings/branch-notices/smd648-changes-to-savings-accounts-1-april-2023.pdf?rev=3a594c2792c544e19b86baeda1f1ecf0 (thanks @GalacticaActual)

Disappointingly, they are not increasing the rate on either the Flex Regular Saver, or the Start to Save Issue 2. These remain at their rates as of 1st December 2022...

Thank you for sharing this, they usually email me but I haven't received anything. Was about to transfer money into other accounts

dealyboy

@Bridlington1 ...
Form in the post ... sending a cheque ... maybe Ulster Bank is showing the way forward after all  .

Bridlington1

dealyboy said:

@Bridlington1 ...
Form in the post ... sending a cheque ... maybe Ulster Bank is showing the way forward after all  .

Either that or they're using the logic "if it ain't broke don't fix it". The shear number of technical issues I seem to run into from banking systems that don't let me bank to revolving doors that stop revolving when I'm trying to get through them, electronic passport gates that don't want to let me back into Britain to a set of 42 traffic lights that didn't seem to recognise I exist etc leaves me more than happy to open an account by post provided it's sent in a prepaid envelope.