Cash ISA rates rise again: where to find a good deal
ISA rates are on the up, with rates increasing by as much as 42% since December 2016.
The 2017/18 ISA subscription limit has jumped to £20,000 and can be invested in Cash, Stocks and Shares and/or using an Innovative Finance ISA.
If you're interested in investing part or all your 2017/18 ISA allowance in cash, we've gathered the best rates available.
Are Cash ISAs still worthwhile?
You might think there's no point in saving into a Cash ISAs anymore.
The rates on offer aren't great, and the new Personal Savings Allowance (PSA) means you can earn up to £1,000 tax-free interest from any savings or current account, effectively negating the ISAs unique selling point.
However, the humble Cash ISA still holds two attractive features for long-term savers.
First, it doesn't count towards your PSA, meaning there's no limit to the amount of tax-free interest you can earn each year.
Second, it's open to all savers – unlike the PSA, which isn't an option for additional-rate taxpayers and is capped at £500 for higher-rate taxpayers.
Of course, you could potentially earn a far better return and keep the tax-free benefits by investing in a Stocks and Shares ISA instead.
However, not everyone is happy taking on the risk of investing in the stock market. Others might prefer a combination of the two.
So, the Cash ISA can still play a part in your long-term savings plan.
Getting the best deal
To get the best Cash ISA rates, there are a couple of things you should know.
The top deals tend to be available to people who already have products with a financial institution, so have a good look at what your bank and its competitors are offering to suss out what you could be eligible for.
To help you get started, we've rounded up the best instant access, notice and fixed-rate Cash ISA accounts that are widely available.
Top instant-access Cash ISAs
These are the top rates on offer if you want to easily get your hands on your cash at any time.
ISA | Rate | Minimum deposit | Bonus | Notes | Access |
Virgin Money Defined Access E-ISA Issue 14 | 1.01% | £1 | None | Transfers and new subscriptions. | Online |
Post Office Money Online ISA - Easy Access Issue 10 | 1.01% | £100 | 0.76% for 12 months | Transfers and new subscriptions. | Online |
Ford Money Flexible Cash ISA | 1.00% | £1 | None | Transfers and new subscriptions. | Online, phone |
Tesco Bank Instant Access Cash ISA | 0.97% | £1 | 0.47% for first 12 months | Transfers and new subscriptions | Online, phone |
Top notice Cash ISAs
Some accounts require you to give a little warning before you take money out of the account.
Account | Interest rate (AER) | Minimum deposit | Bonus | Notes | Access |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Al Rayan Bank 120-Day Notice Cash ISA | 1.21%* | £250 | None | Transfers and new subscriptions. 120 days' notice required for withdrawals. | Online, phone, branch, post, app |
Hinckley & Rugby Building Society 120 Day Notice Cash ISA Issue 2 | 1.20% | £500 | None | New subscriptions only. 120 days' notice required for withdrawals. | Branch, post |
*Expected profit rate
Top fixed rate ISAs
Let's move onto fixed-rate Cash ISAs, where you put your money away for a certain period of time.
Here are the best buys ordered by interest rate.
Account | Interest rate (AER) | Minimum deposit | Length of fixed rate | Notes | Access |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Virgin Money Fixed Rate Cash E-ISA Issue 258 | 2.00% | £1 | Five years | Transfers and new subscriptions. | Online |
Clydesdale/Yorkshire Bank Cash ISA - Fixed Rate Bond (Issue 41) | 2.00% | £2,000 | Three years | Transfers and new subscriptions. | Online, branch |
UBL Bank UK 2-Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA | 1.36% | £2,000 | Two years | Transfers and new subscriptions. | Online, post, branch |
1.22% | £500 | One year | Transfers and new subscriptions. | Online |
If you lock your money away for longer, you'll get a better rate. The only risk you run is missing out on a potential rate rise before your fixed-rate period is up.
ISA options
You can save some or all of your annual ISA allowance in a Cash ISA and earn interest tax-free.
But you also have the option of putting some or all of your allowance into a Stocks and Shares ISA.
You can also put money in an Innovative Finance ISA or IFISA which lets you keep returns on investments made via peer-to-peer loans tax-free.
Lending Works recently launched the first one at an impressive 4.5%. You can also get an IFISA from HNW Lending for 7%-15%, depending on how much risk you want to take.