This comparison simply includes all savings accounts.
Scottish Widows Savings Accounts
Why we like it: Interest paid annually. Unlimited deposits and withdrawals. Open and manage online. FSCS Protected. Must be UK resident and be aged 18 or older
Why we like it: Instant access to your savings. Unlimited deposits and withdrawals. Interest paid monthly, either to a linked current account, or adding it to your Online Flexi Saver account. Easy application process, you just need a UK mobile phone and UK driving licence or passport. Manage account online. Maximum balance £250,000. Must be aged 18 or older and have a UK address. Must have a linked UK current account. Your eligible deposits with Investec Bank are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
Why we like it: Which? Recommended Savings Provider. No notice period. Deposit from £100. Interest paid monthly or annually. Apply in minutes. Your eligible deposits with RCI Bank UK Limited are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services. Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
Why we like it: Unlimited payments and withdrawals. Interest paid annually. Open in a single or a joint name. Maximum deposit £250,000. FSCS Protected. Winner of Platinum Feefo Trusted Service Award in 2024. Must be UK resident and be aged 18 or older
Why we like it: Interest calculated monthly. Unlimited deposits and withdrawals. Open and manage online. FSCS Protected. Must retain a minimum balance of £20,000 in the account. Must be UK resident and be aged 18 or older
Why we like it: All funds deposited into the RCI Bank E-Volve Savings 14 Day Notice Account will be used to fund pure electric vehicles and charging facilities. Interest paid monthly or annually. Manage account online. UK-based support, seven days a week. Which? Recommended Savings Provider. Unlimited withdrawals subject to 14 days notice. Must be UK resident. Must be aged 18 or older. Your eligible deposits with RCI Bank UK Limited are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
Why we like it: The interest rate tracks the Bank of England (BoE) Base Rate. Interest is calculated on the minimum daily balance and applied to the account on the first day of every subsequent month. Open and manage account online. Your eligible deposits are protected up to £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. The maximum deposit you may pay into any one OakNorth Account is £500,000. The maximum amount (excluding the interest) that you will be allowed to hold on deposit with OakNorth Bank across multiple accounts is also £500,000. Unlimited withdrawals, subject to 95 days notice. Available to individuals, aged 18 or over, who are UK residents
Why we like it: Unlimited deposits and withdrawals. Interest paid monthly: can be added to your Notice Saver or paid to your linked account. Easy application process, you just need a UK mobile phone and UK driving licence or passport. Manage account online. Maximum balance £250,000. Withdrawals subject to 90 days notice. Must be aged 18 or older and have a UK address. Must have a linked UK current account
Why we like it: 3 penalty-free withdrawals in a 12 month period. 3.82% AER (variable tracker) + 0.68% AER 12 month boost. 3.75% gross variable tracker. Interest paid monthly. Deposit and withdraw almost instantly. No fees or charges for holding account. FSCS eligible on your deposits. After 3 withdrawals within a 12 month period the rate will revert to either 3.40% AER (variable tracker with boost applied) or 2.72% AER (variable tracker) for the remainder of the 12 month period since opening the account. Must be UK resident. Must be aged 18 or older
Why we like it: 9 month term, minimum deposit £1,000, no withdrawals permitted. FSCS Protected
Why we like it: Interest paid on maturity. Automatic repayment to your linked account. Maximum deposit £250,000. FSCS Protected. Must have a UK residential address and be aged 18 or older. No withdrawals permitted
Why we like it: 1 year term, minimum deposit £1,000, no withdrawals permitted. FSCS Protected
Why A Scottish Widows Savings Accounts?
Scottish Widows was set up in 1815 to take care of women and children who lost their fathers, brothers and husbands in the Napoleonic Wars. Now they look after almost 6 million customers across the UK. Today they still hope to help people plan for their financial futures.
Compare Scottish Widows savings accounts
Compare latest Scottish Widows savings accounts with the UK saver market. We compare instant access, easy access, notice and fixed rate cash saving plans to help you get the best deal.
Current Accounts
If your main goal is to get the best interest rate possible, you should look at keeping at least some of your savings in a current account. These usually offer some of the best returns, but only on smaller amounts.
If your savings exceed the interest ceiling on your current account, you will likely need to spread your money across a few different types of accounts to get the best overall return.
Instant Access Savings Accounts
Savers who valuable flexibility will probably do best with an instant access account. This lets you add and remove money at your convenience, although you may only be allowed so many withdrawals per year.
Some instant access accounts offer a cash card for use at ATMs while most will allow you to make transfers online and by phone.
Fixed Rate Bonds
If you have a sizeable sum that you do not need to use in the immediate future, a fixed rate bond can offer the best return. They work by giving you a fixed, usually very favourable, rate of interest for a set period, during which you cannot access your money.
Fixed rate bonds generally last for around 1-5 years and the longer the term of the bond, the higher the interest rate you are likely to get.
Cash ISAs
ISAs are designed to allow UK taxpayers to earn interest on their savings without paying tax on that interest. There is a yearly limit on how much you can place in an ISA, which for 2020/21 is £20,000.
ISAs are normally one of two sorts – instant access and fixed term. Instant access cash ISAs give variable interest rates and you can get at your money whenever you need to. Fixed term cash ISAs offer guaranteed interest rates for a set period during which you cannot add or withdraw money from your account.
Although you won’t pay tax on the money you earn on an ISA, the interest rates they offer tend to be lower than for some other kinds of savings accounts. This means you need to carefully calculate what you will save in tax and compare this to the interest you are likely to lose out on by not going for an account with a higher rate.
