A new Halifax savings account, offering an outstanding 10 percent interest rate for regular savers will be made available for a limited period of just 6 weeks, beginning on Monday.
The stand alone savings account requires a minimum monthly deposit of GBP500 each month to qualify and will also pay out an extra 2 percent interest should the customer place an extra GBP5,000 in a specified Halifax savings account. This would add up to 12 percent AER, something that the savings market does not normally see.
A Halifax spokesman stood by this market leading savings account and supported the way it promotes the habit of regular saving. It is a key part of consumers financial planning and this level of interest certainly gets attention.
The Nationwide Building Society informs us that people are losing around GBP248 million through expired or unpaid Child Trust Fund vouchers.
According to data gathered by them a quarter if the vouchers have expired while over 40 percent of the valid ones have not been used so far this year. In financial terms this, said the Nationwide Building Society, means almost GBP13 million each year is being lost in interest earnings alone.
A further word of caution came from a Nationwide Building Society spokesman who explained that if a suitable provider is not chosen by the parents then the government can allocate one for them, though this may not be in the best interests of the child. Child Trust Fund Vouchers are an excellent tax efficient savings vehicle and it is a shame more people are not using them.
The Halifax has so far reunited holders of accounts that have been forgotten about with over GBP16.5 million of their savings since starting its campaign earlier this year.
Over 7,200 people have had money paid to them by the Halifax since February this year, working out at an average of over GBP2,300 per person. The process began by looking at 25,000 dormant savings accounts, some of which had considerable sums in them. A spokesman from the Halifax said that over two thirds of the accounts that held more than GBP50,000 had been accounted for and the funds passed on to the owners.
The Halifax will continue with the remainder of the accounts but also introduce another 150,000 into the mix, worth another GBP30 million. Customers do not have to do anything, since the Halifax are searching for the owners. However it could speed up the process to get in touch with them should you have an account like this.
