Savings

NS&I has refreshed its range of fixed-term 'British Savings Bonds' by bringing back its one-year and five-year options and boosting rates. Its new deals are strong across the board, especially if you're looking to save with a well-known name – though you can earn a bit more from the top-paying accounts elsewhere.

The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.5%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.

NS&I will cut its Premium Bond prize-fund rate to 3.8% from 4% for the April draw and beyond. But this rate was already lagging behind interest rates on standard savings accounts – so if you have Premium Bonds, you may want to consider moving your cash to an interest-paying account.

The base rate has been cut to 4.5% from 4.75% by the Bank of England. This rate is used by the central bank to charge other banks and lenders when they borrow money, so the move can impact mortgage and savings rates.

If you took out Chase's popular boosted saver before 9 December 2024, your rate will drop from 4.5% to 3.5% after your boost comes to an end on Thursday 16 January. Chase will also cut the rates on ALL its savings by another 0.25 percentage points in February. The changes mean you can earn more on your savings elsewhere – though Chase is still worth keeping for its debit card cashback.

Nearly 2.5 million Premium Bond prizes worth a combined £92 million remain unclaimed, according to the latest figures. Most bondholders now get prizes paid automatically, though this may not be the case if you have older bonds. Plus, prizes paid by cheque may be unclaimed if you haven't kept your address up to date or simply forgot to cash them in.

NS&I will cut its Premium Bond prize-fund rate to 4% from 4.15% for the January 2025 draw and beyond. But this rate was already lagging behind interest rates on standard savings accounts – so if you're a bondholder, you may want to consider moving your cash to an interest-paying account.

Chase has cut the rates on its linked savings accounts by 0.25 percentage points. As of Thursday 14 November, its easy-access 'boosted saver' now pays 4.5%, while its standard saver pays just 3.5%. The changes mean you can earn more on your savings elsewhere – though Chase is still worth keeping for its debit card perks.

The base rate has been cut to 4.75% from 5% by the Bank of England. This rate is used by the central bank to charge other banks and lenders when they borrow money, so the move can impact mortgage and savings rates.

Premium Bond holders will see NS&I's prize-fund rate fall to 4.15% from 4.4% for its December 2024 draw and beyond. But if you're a bondholder, you may want to consider moving your cash to an interest-paying account now as the interest rate is already lagging behind rates on standard savings accounts.