If you run your own business, a business savings account can help you squirrel away money for bills, tax and future business expenses or projects. And while your money is sitting there, you can earn interest on it, helping your savings pot to grow.
But if opening multiple business savings accounts and chasing the best rates feels like too much hassle, Flagstone savings platform might be worth a look.
What is Flagstone?
Founded in 2013, Flagstone is an online deposit account marketplace that lets you compare more than 200 business savings accounts from more than 50 banks, and open multiple business savings accounts with a single application.
You can separate cash into different savings accounts for different business purposes, as well as move your funds around whenever required.
How does it work?
Signing up to Flagstone is relatively quick. You’ll need to set up a holding account, where you can deposit your money before moving it to your chosen savings accounts. The holding account is with HSBC, so your money will be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), but you won’t earn any interest while it’s held there.
It usually takes a few hours for your holding account to be set up. Once ready, transfer money into it and you can then move your cash to your chosen savings accounts and start earning interest.
On the platform you can pick from instant access, fixed rate and notice accounts, depending on when you expect to need the money. For example, you might use a notice account to set aside money for quarterly bills, a fixed rate savings account for longer-term goals such as a future business acquisition, and an instant access account for emergency funds.
All accounts are covered under the FSCS, up to a maximum of £120,000 per eligible person or business entity, per financial institution. Be sure to check minimum and maximum deposit requirements as these will vary depending on the account and provider chosen.
In addition to holding accounts in GBP, you can open accounts in euros and dollars, which could be useful if your business deals with customers or suppliers overseas.
Should you later spot an account with a better interest rate, you can move your funds to the account through the platform, provided your original account permits this – penalties may apply to fixed and notice savings accounts.
Why would you choose a platform over individual accounts?
The biggest benefit of using a savings platform over individual savings accounts is convenience. You can open multiple accounts and manage them all in one place. You won’t have umpteen different passwords to remember (thank goodness!) and you won’t lose track of what you’ve saved where.
What’s more, any time you want to open a new savings account, you can do so quickly, without the hassle of filling in yet another application form.
The downside is that Flagstone only works with a select number of banks, so you might not always have access to the very best interest rates on the market.
How does Flagstone make money?
Flagstone doesn’t charge platform, admin or management fees. Instead, it makes money by receiving a small share of the interest (maximum 0.30%) from its banking partners before the rates are displayed on the platform itself. So, you don’t pay Flagstone directly.
Our verdict – Is an account with Flagstone worth it?
Running a business is stressful and time-consuming enough, without juggling lots of different savings accounts. Flagstone could make managing your company’s cash much easier. Instead of filling in multiple applications and logging into a different account for each pot of savings, you can open several accounts through the one platform, keep track of your money in one place and move cash around in just a few clicks.
The trade-off is that you may not always have access to the very best savings rates on the market. However, if convenience and having all your savings in one place is more important to you than chasing the highest possible rate, a platform such as Flagstone could be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
Deposit requirements vary depending on the type of account you choose and the provider. Many instant access business savings accounts require a minimum deposit of around £1,000, but some can be higher. Notice accounts might require a deposit of at least £5,000 and fixed rate accounts tend to ask for larger deposits, often between £10,000 and £500,000.
It usually takes a few hours to get your account up and running. In some cases, it might take longer if additional information is needed. Once your holding account is open, you won’t need to apply for a business savings account again.
Flagstone partners with more than 50 banks, including high street and challenger banks. Deposits in these accounts are protected by the FSCS, up to £120,000 per eligible person or business entity, per financial institution.
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Rachel Wait is a freelance journalist and has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade, covering everything from insurance to mortgages. She has written for a range of personal finance websites and national newspapers, including The Observer, The Mail on Sunday, The Sun and the Evening Standard. Rachel is a keen baker in her spare time.
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Signing up to a business savings platform can give your company access to a much wider range of savings rates with zero faff while maximising FSCS protection.
Easy access business savings accounts offer maximum flexibility for companies that want to earn interest on surplus cash but are the right type of account for your business.
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