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Compare fixed rate bonds
Table: sorted by interest rate, promoted deals first
What are fixed rate bonds?
Fixed rate bonds are a type of savings account. As you may have guessed, they pay a “fixed” interest rate, so you know from the start how much you’re going to get on your savings.
Their main feature is that your money is locked away for a pre-defined period of time (normally between 1 and 5 years). You can’t withdraw it during that period. Since the bank has the certainty that your money will be at its disposal for that time, it’s able to offer you a better rate than what you’d get with an easy-access savings account.
How do fixed rate bonds work?
Once you’ve compared and picked the fixed rate savings account you want to open, things are pretty straightforward.
- Application. With most financial institutions, you can apply online by putting in your data and going through an ID check. Some financial institutions don’t allow you to open a fixed rate savings account with them if you don’t have a current account too. If the account you want to open is with a bank you’re already a customer of, you can often do it directly from your banking app.
- Deposits. Once the account is open, you have a short period of time to fund it (normally less than one month). After that, you can’t make any more deposits or withdrawals to your account until it matures.
- Interest. The interest can be paid annually or monthly (or sometimes at the end of the whole period). In most cases it’s paid directly into the account itself, so you can only access it at the end anyway, but you’ll earn interest on your interest while the account matures. However, some accounts give you the option to have the interest paid into a separate current account, in which case you can access it but won’t earn any interest on it.
- Withdrawals. We can’t stress it enough: only put money into a fixed rate savings account if you’re 100% sure you won’t need to access it. Because no. You. Cannot. Withdraw. Your. Deposit. In. Advance. More precisely, in some cases, you just can’t at all; in others, you’ll be charged a fee and your account will be closed.
- When the account matures. You’ll be able to access your money and you usually can choose to have it paid back into your current account (and then potentially look for a new deal) or “renew” your current deal by opening a new fixed rate bond with the same financial institution. There’s no guarantee you’ll get the same interest rate as before though.
How long can I keep my money in a fixed rate bond for?
While the duration of the fixed rate bond may vary from bank to bank, generally the periods of time that you can put your money in a bond for are 6 months, 1 year, 18 months, 2 years, 3 years or 5 years. Longer term bonds may also be available but if you’re considering these. remember to be sure that you won’t need to access your money for that period of time.
Should I get a fixed rate savings account?
The first thing to do is make sure a fixed rate savings account really is what you want. The interest rate is better than what easy-access accounts offer, but you’re precluding yourself access to your money, so always consider whether it’s worth it or not.
As a rule of thumb, fixed rate bonds can be convenient if you have a fairly big chunk of money to deposit in them. If you don’t, they’re probably not worth the risk.
Let’s do a bit of maths. Say you have £2,000 in savings and you go for a 2-year fixed rate bond. These days, top deals pay around 1.2% a year on these accounts, so you’ll get around £24 a year. Certainly better than nothing but not huge. If you had the money in an easy access savings account, you could expect a top rate of 0.5% or around £10. So then the question is whether it’s worth losing access to your money for 2 years for the benefit of £14.
If you have, say, tenfold, it’s a different story. First of all, current accounts normally only pay interest on the first few thousand pounds of your balance. Moreover, if you have £20,000, you’d make £240 a year, vs £100 with a 0.5% easy-access savings account. That’s a £140 difference per year, which may be worth the hassle after all.
How to choose the best fixed rate bonds
If you do decide that a fixed rate savings account is what you need, comparing and picking the right one for you shouldn’t be excessively complicated. Here’s how to tackle it:
- How long can you do without the money? A longer period generally means a better rate (with the caveat that rates could rise when your money’s locked in).
- Compare rates. Obviously, the higher the better.
- Check the eligibility criteria. Make sure you can apply for the account you’re looking at. With some banks, you’ll need to open a current account first. Also, keep in mind that most fixed rate savings accounts have a minimum deposit (often not less than £500).
- Look at where/when the interest is paid. Monthly, annually or at the end? Into the account itself or somewhere else?
- How much are you going to earn? This will basically depend on the interest rate, but to make a final decision it’s worth trying to figure out how much you’ll get out of the account with the amount you can afford to put aside.
Are savings bonds safe?
They normally are. Always make sure that the deal you’re looking at is covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme), which will protect your deposits up to £85,000 even if the financial institution providing the account were to go bankrupt.
If you have more than £85,000 in savings, it’s advisable to spread it between accounts at different financial institutions, just in case.
Frequently asked questions
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