15,000 worth of ISA

I'm looking too! It's difficult to find anywhere giving a decent return which doesn't include a bonus for the first months - meaning that you need to keep moving it. If you're prepared to tie it up for several years without access you can do a bit better.

Either way, it's worth looking at Halifax's offerings.

Are you prepared to take any risk, or has it got to be cash-only ISA?

Rob Graham

The best ordinary savings interest rates seem to be around 2.5% (maybe

But beware of those accounts which offer you something like 2.5%, of which 1.5% is a bonus for keeping you savings intact for one year. Then, after the year is up, the interest rate reverts to the 'normal' 1%. Many (if not most) accounts seem to be playing this game. To avoid this, each year, you'll need to move your money to a different account.

Hey, do fixed term deposit layering. Ie a 5 year fixed every year which always leaves you something available (after 5 years). About 4.5% available on 5 year. If you desperately need it after (say) 3 years, lose the 180 day ineterst- you have had the higher rate along the way.

In message , Ian Jackson writes

That's the way I've been playing it, and they even "transferred" it into the same account number. ;-) Latest offer is 2.9%, but of course it's way below inflation. 8-(

I think Nationwide are doing 2.8% or so.

Only for a year though, and this seems to be the pattern these days. You have to make a note in your phone calendar (etc) to move it before that date. I currently have several investments which will need moving next year.

I don't know why they do this - unless it is the obvious reason: trap people who are less than on the ball. It should be illegal because it merely attacks the old and less financially literate people.

I have just moved a load of money out of Santander to NW. Santander pay the highest rates but they have absolutely sh*tty customer service, having trashed every institution they have taken over... B&Bingley, Abbey, Cater Allen. All gone down the plughole and run by useless arrogant t0ssers. Abbey's average response time to a letter is

In message , Peter writes

I think it's 2.75% or 2.8% for their one year fixed rate depending on the amount invested. If I moved now it would only gain me 0.1%.

Interestingly, Nationwide are about the only bank from which I don't receive faked, scamming and often Trojan-loaded emails for the last year or so. I did receive a few before that which I forwarded to N/W, and they dried up after a while, so it's probably worth reporting...

I would re-phrase that as "financially illiterate people of all ages", if you don't mind. ;-)

After advising a lady friend to go for their 3.5% instant access ISA last year, I went into A & L to get one for myself, but their version of the means of access were different from Santander, and they sent me round the corner to B & B, who seemed to agree with Santander. I wasn't impressed and took my money elsewhere.

So? What's the difference between that and a one-year fixed-rate bond? Probably the account with the bonus rate will have other benefits too, like being able to move money in and out.

Anyway you'd find it tough to find an ISA account that doesn't have a bonus rate, and isn't fixed term, if you're looking at 3% return or more.