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.
The Abbey National has just issued a new range of investment bonds, catering for children, the over fiftys and those seeking a safe, fixed rate home for their money.
The Abbey National childrens savings bond is valid for those under 18 and offers a guaranteed 5.3 percent interest rate gross per annum, with an investment period of four years. Meanwhile, at the other end of the age scale, the over 50s will pay interest either annually or monthly to best suit investor circumstances, at a rate of 5.3 percent annual or 5.18 percent monthly.
Finally, the fixed rate bond from the Abbey National is available as a one, two or three year product. Assuming an investment amount of less than GBP50,000 the gross returns are 5.7, 5.2 and 5.1 percent respectively. For the one year bond an investment of GBP50,000 or more would provide a 6 percent return.
9 out of 10 Brits believe it is important to save according to a study carried out by the Nationwide Building Society.
Although it is good to see so many people recognising the importance of having a fund of money to call upon should it be needed only around 55 percent of people actually put money aside on a regular basis. Approximately 25 percent of people save money occasionally whilst almost 20 percent do not have savings at all.
This situation is not through choice in many instances though,as a Nationwide Building Society spokesman explained. With the cost of simply paying bills, buying food and running a car stampeding ever higher it becomes financially impossible for many people to save regularly, if at all. This is a shame since some of the best savings rates for many years are now available to customers.
See how Nationwide Building Society savings accounts compare at Moneygossip.co.uk