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Low Interest for current accounts

Low Interest for current accounts

Category: Money
Date: 7/16/2008 2:41:09 PM

The big named banks have for a long time relied on brand and customer loyalty. As highlighted by the Office for Fair Trading (OFT), the result has been that many consumers find themselves in accounts paying little or no credit interest and/or being charged high fees when they have insufficient funds in their accounts.

InstitutionAccountGross RateFunding
First Direct1st AccountNil£1.5kpm
BarclaysBank AccountNilNone
The Co-operative BankCurrentNilNone
Royal Bank of ScotlandInterest Paying Current Account0.10%None
Source: Moneyfacts.co.uk 16.7.08

The fact that these institutions pay no or little credit interest is disgraceful. With inflation as high as it is, anyone with money with these banks is effectively losing money.

Many consumers think that it is too much hassle to switch accounts, particularly as today many of us have numerous direct debits set up from our accounts. However, nearly all institutions have a switcher service, which transfers your direct debits for you, taking the stress out of switching accounts.

By finding the best account to suit their needs, customers could save hundreds of pounds. If you regularly leave a balance in your account, opt for an account paying a high rate of credit interest. If you regularly live in the red, choose an account with a low overdraft rate.

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