Sorting through the more than 530 Isa accounts currently for sale is no easy task.
But you’ve only got a few days left to do this if you want to find the best place for your Isa benefit of up to £20,000 for this tax year before it disappears on April 5.
It’s easy to put off the job, so I’ve put together a guide to the best deals depending on how you want to manage your account.
The good news is that cash Isas pay around the same rate as regular accounts, so they should be your first port of call.
And the fact that inflation has fallen from 4 percent to 3.4 percent, while the Bank of England’s base rate remained at 5.25 percent last week, should put a smile on your face.
Deadline: You’ve only got a few days left if you want to find the best place for your Isa benefit of up to £20,000 for this tax year before it disappears on April 5
It means we can get a better return on our money in real terms. But to beat inflation you need to earn more than the average, easily accessible Isa rate, which is 3.32 per cent, according to data monitoring agency Moneyfacts. And here’s how you do it.
If you’re happy to open an easy-to-access Isa fund via an app, Chip pays 5.1 per cent on £1 or more.
Its appeal is a good interest rate that is linked to the Bank of England base rate. Yes, that’s expected to drop later this year, and so will your rate, but at least you know it won’t be unfairly reduced by more than the base rate, as is often the case with other easy-to-access accounts.
The rate is below the 5.17 percent that Plum launched yesterday, but here you are limited to three withdrawals per year.
Plum’s rate also includes a 0.88 percentage point bonus, which is only valid for a year, so you’ll have to try to transfer your money then.
If you prefer an online account, go for Charter Savings Bank (5.03 per cent on at least £5,000), Kent Reliance (5.1 per cent on £1,000 plus) and Cynergy Bank (5 per cent on £1 plus).
Kent Reliance is also offering 5.1 percent through its branches. The next best on the High Street is the Epsom-based Family BS Market Tracker Isa at 4.86 per cent on £500 or more, followed by Swansea BS, which pays 4.25 per cent on £1 or more.
If you’re fine with not withdrawing a lot of money from your account, then Yorkshire BS Double Access Isa and Coventry BS Four Access Isa – both at 4.55 per cent on £1 plus – are possible contenders.
Do you want to tie up your money for a year? You’ll get about the same rate as with easy-access accounts, but with rates expected to head south in the second half of this year, you may be better off in the long run than sticking with an easy-access account.
Top rates include OakNorth (online) and Kent Reliance (online and through its branches) at 5.07 percent.
They are closely followed by online banks Aldermore, Charter Savings Bank and Paragon, all with a 5.05 percent share.
On the High Street, Leeds BS pays 4.8 percent and West Bromwich BS 4.7 percent. Skipton BS pays 4.75 percent for 18 months.
See the best cash Isa rates in our savings tables
