The Nationwide Building Society is readying itself for the provision of savings products to customers in the Republic of Ireland.
As long as the proposal is approved by both the FSA and the Irish equivalent then the Nationwide Building Society will begin selling savings products to Irish customers by telephone, online and through the post. The move is being seen as a good strategic option for the Nationwide as it expands their geographic coverage and increases the funding options.
Industry commentators have said that the Nationwide Building Society is already in a strong financial position so this step into Eire is set to improve that position still further.
For anyone looking for a high interest paying investment option the Abbey National has just launched a one year fixed rate bond that offers a 7.01 percent interest rate.
The minimum investment amount is GBP30,000, with a maximum of GBP2 million, enough for most people. The Abbey National bond is a one year term, with an expiry date of 1 July 2009. This means that investors will have to act smartly to get their funds in within the deadline.
An Abbey National spokesman confirmed that the current market for savings and investments is the best it has been for many years and is urging consumers to take advantage of the situation while it is available.
A Sainsburys Bank spokesman feels that there are more restrictions and conditions applied to savings accounts than ever before.
Having looked at the current state of the market the Sainsburys Bank spokesman has noticed how many savings accounts have restrictions on withdrawal amounts and periods, as well as how it impacts on interest rates, with some quite hefty penalties on some for making withdrawals during the year.
Another aspect that has been noted is the use of age limits on some savings accounts, targeting either the younger or older market. Ideally all categories of customer should be able to enjoy similar levels of interest and benefits believes the Sainsburys Bank spokesman.
