The move comes ahead of a planned reduction in the annual cash ISA limit to £12,000 from April next year. According to reports, the change will take place under Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey after being announced by former chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Nationwide Increases Rates on Fixed ISAs and Bonds
Nationwide’s new one-year Fixed Rate Cash ISA pays 4.50% AER tax-free, while its two-year Fixed Rate Cash ISA offers 4.55% AER tax-free. Both rates are fixed for the stated term. The building society has made equivalent changes to its Fixed Rate Bonds. Its one-year branch and online bonds now pay 4.50% AER gross a year, while the two-year versions pay 4.55% AER gross a year.
The same rates are therefore available whether customers choose to open the relevant bond online or through one of Nationwide’s branches. According to Nationwide, this is the second time during the month that it has increased rates on its one and two-year Fixed Rate Bonds and Fixed Rate Cash ISAs.
Richard Stocker, Nationwide’s Head of Savings, said the products were aimed at people prepared to put money aside for a shorter fixed period in exchange for certainty over their return. “We’re pleased to be increasing rates on our one and two-year Fixed Rate Bonds and Fixed Rate Cash ISAs for the second time this month,” Stocker said. He added that customers could access the same rates whether saving online or in branch, referring to Nationwide’s Branch Promise and its branch network.
Rate Changes Arrive Before New Cash ISA Limit
The new savings rates have been introduced before the planned reduction in the amount that can be placed into a cash ISA each year. According to Birmingham Mail, the cash ISA limit is due to fall to £12,000 from April.
Nationwide’s announcement itself focuses on the new fixed-rate savings products and the returns available to customers. The one-year products carry a lower rate than the two-year versions, with a difference of 0.05 percentage points between the respective terms.
The changes cover both tax-free Cash ISAs and conventional Fixed Rate Bonds, while the bond rates are identical for branch and online customers. Nationwide describes the returns as fixed, meaning the stated rate applies for the relevant one or two-year term.
The rate announcement follows wider developments involving Nationwide’s membership structure. Birmingham Mail also reported that James Sherwin-Smith received about 12.5% of the vote, representing support from 75,939 Nationwide members, in an attempt to join the building society’s board.
Building societies are owned by their members, and customers retain the legal right to nominate fellow members for board elections. The report said the last member to sit on Nationwide’s board retired in 2002 and that no member-nominated directors currently sit on the boards of Britain’s 42 building societies. For savers, the immediate change is narrower: Nationwide’s one and two-year fixed savings range now offers rates of 4.50% and 4.55%, depending on the length of the fixed term.
