Compare these 5-year fixed rate cash ISAs

Planning for the long term, eh? Good for you. Here are some popular 5-year fixed ISAs with rates up to 4.18% AER.

FSCS logo
Is my money safe?

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) guarantees that it will step in to compensate the first £85,000 (£170,000 for a joint account) you have saved with a UK-authorised bank, building society or credit union in the event that the business goes bust.

Best 5-year fixed-rate ISAs

Table: sorted by interest rate, promoted deals first
1 - 12 of 28
Name Product UKFSA-SAV Rate Invest Interest paid Withdrawals Open via Deposit protection Open via Incentive Table product description Apply link
Hodge Bank – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
4.18% AER fixed for 5 years
From £1,000
Anniversary of account opening
Instant access (charge applies )
Website
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website
Go to site
View details
United Trust Bank – Cash ISA 5 Year Bond
United Trust Bank – Cash ISA 5 Year Bond
4.18% AER fixed for 5 years
From £5,000
Anniversary of account opening
Instant access (charge applies )
Website
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website
Go to site
View details
Hodge Bank – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
4.18% AER fixed for 5 years
From £1,000
Monthly
Instant access (charge applies )
Website
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website
Go to site
View details
UBL UK – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
UBL UK – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
4.17% AER fixed for 5 years
From £2,000
Monthly
Withdrawals not permitted
Branch, website, mobile app, post
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: branch, website, mobile app, post
Go to site
View details
UBL UK – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
UBL UK – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
4.17% AER fixed for 5 years
From £2,000
Anniversary of account opening
Withdrawals not permitted
Branch, website, mobile app, post
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: branch, website, mobile app, post
Go to site
View details
UBL UK – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
UBL UK – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
4.17% AER fixed for 5 years
From £2,000
On maturity
Withdrawals not permitted
Branch, website, mobile app, post
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: branch, website, mobile app, post
Go to site
View details
UBL UK – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
UBL UK – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
4.17% AER fixed for 5 years
From £2,000
Quarterly
Withdrawals not permitted
Branch, website, mobile app, post
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: branch, website, mobile app, post
Go to site
View details
Shawbrook Bank – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA Bond Issue 51
4.15% AER fixed for 5 years
From £1,000
Anniversary of account opening
Instant access (charge applies )
Website
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website
Go to site
View details
Shawbrook Bank – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA Bond Issue 51
4.15% AER fixed for 5 years
From £1,000
Monthly
Instant access (charge applies )
Website
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website
Go to site
View details
State Bank of India – 5 Year Cash ISA Fixed Deposit
Additional account needed
State Bank of India – 5 Year Cash ISA Fixed Deposit
4.1% AER fixed for 5 years
From £1,000
On maturity (compounded annually)
Withdrawals not permitted
Branch, post
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: branch, post
Go to site
View details
Hinckley & Rugby Building Society – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA - Issue 8
Hinckley & Rugby BS – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA - Issue 8
3.9% AER fixed for 5 years
From £500
Yearly
Instant access (charge applies )
Branch, post
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: branch, post
Go to site
View details
Zopa – Smart ISA - 5 Year Fixed Term ISA pot
3.9% AER fixed for 5 years
From £1
Monthly
Withdrawals not permitted
Mobile app
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: mobile app
Go to site
View details
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If you’re looking for a better rate on your tax-free savings, then opting for a longer-term like 5 years could unlock the top tier of savings rates. But you’ll need to be comfortable leaving the money to grow for the duration of that term – early withdrawals come with a penalty.

What is a 5-year fixed-rate cash ISA?

ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts) are govenment-defined with tight parameters for both savers and account issuers. A 5-year fixed-rate ISA is a type of “cash ISA” – which is one of four different types of ISA. You can pay up to a maximum of £20,000 into ISA accounts each year, and any interest you earn is tax-free.

The “5-year fixed-rate” part means that the bank pledges to keep your interest rate at an agreed level for the duration of the 5 years. If the Bank of England Base rate then goes down, and savings rates across the market inevitably follow it, yours will stay put. In that scenario, you’d be in an enviable position. But if the Bank of England base rate goes up, and savings rates across the board follow suit, your rate won’t.

Can I make withdrawals from a 5-year fixed ISA?

Banks providing ISAs are legally obliged to let you withdraw your money whenever you want. But in the case of a fixed-rate ISA, they charge a penalty for any withdrawals prior to the end of the set term – typically expressed as x days’ interest on the sum withdrawn. So if the penalty was 90 days’ interest (which is fairly normal) and you withdrew £5,000 before the end of the fixed term, you’d incur a penalty of around £45.

Banks make a profit by lending money out and charging a higher interest rate than they award to savers. They are better-able to put your money to work if they know you’re not going to suddenly need it back. Non-ISA 5-year fixed-rate bonds will often pay an even higher rate than their ISA counterparts, because the banks can simply refuse to release funds ahead of time (except in the event of the account holder’s death).

Can I top-up a 5-year fixed-rate ISA during the term?

Although some accounts may allow “further contributions” during a brief initial window, most fixed-rate cash ISAs don’t let you add funds during the fixed term.

Which are the best 5-year fixed-rate cash ISAs at the moment?

Our best fixed-rate cash ISAs are the highest interest rates available. To get the latest rates, we use Moneyfacts data, which covers nearly the full market of savings products and is checked and updated daily. We don’t include accounts from private banks.

All the cash ISAs in our list have savings protection – for most, this is the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Other schemes include that of NS&I, which is 100% backed by HM Treasury, and the Gibraltar Deposit Guarantee Scheme.

  • United Trust Bank – Cash ISA 5 Year Bond - 4.18%
  • Hodge Bank – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA - 4.18%
  • UBL UK – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA - 4.17%
  • Castle Trust Bank – Fixed Rate e-Cash ISA - 4.17%
  • Shawbrook Bank – 5 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA Bond Issue 51 - 4.15%

An overview of our 5-year fixed-rate cash ISA comparison

Rates up to 4.18% AER
Number of accounts 32
Minimum investment £1
Opening options Branch, website, mobile app, post, telephone

Pros and cons of 5-year fixed rate cash ISAs

Pros

  • By committing to a 5-year term, you’re likely to be able to access some of the best savings rates going.
  • With the a cash ISA wrapper, your interest will be tax-free.
  • Even if wider savings market rates go down, your fixed rate won’t.
  • In a pinch, you would be able to withdraw the funds if you had to (but you would incur a financial penalty).

Cons

  • 5 years is a long time, and to get the benefits, you’ll need to leave the money to grow for the duration.
  • If market interest rates go up over the next few years, yours won’t.
  • You can’t “top up” the acccount during the 5-year fixed term.

Bottom line

A 5-year fixed-rate cash ISA is a bit of a commitment, but can unlock some of the best savings rates going.

If you don’t have any money invested in stocks and shares, then that’s an alternative worth considering, because even by committing to a 5-year term you might not beat current levels of inflation. The big downside when investing in stocks and shares is that you risk losing money, but if you’re flexible about when you “cash out”, you can mitigate this.

But if you do already have some funds invested in stocks and shares, and simply want a risk-free safe haven for a lump sum, then a fixed-rate cash ISA is a sensible option.

We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
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Chris Lilly is Head of publishing at finder.com. He's a specialist in personal finance, from day-to-day banking to investing to borrowing, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their money. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more. See full bio

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