Best Savings Accounts UK — May 2026 Rates Roundup

The Bank of England held the base rate at 3.75% on 30 April — one member voted to increase to 4%, none voted to cut. Inflation is at 3.3% and rising, two cuts that markets were pricing in this year are now off the table, and the next meeting is 18 June. Rates are holding longer than expected. Right now is a good time to make sure your money is working.

Switch Offers — act fast

Several bonuses are expiring on 28 May:

• HSBC Premier — £500 — requires £100k deposited within 90 days

• First Direct — £175 — most accessible, no income requirement

• Santander — £180 — £1,500 deposit, 2 direct debits within 60 days

• Barclays — £200 — app-only switch, deadline 28 May

• NatWest — £150 — deadline 28 May

Easy Access Savings

• LemFi — 5.00% — top headline rate but 6 months only, then drops to 3.04%. Powered by ClearBank — FSCS protection shared across other ClearBank apps. Worth it if you're disciplined about moving at month five

• Tembo HomeSaver — 4.75% — 12-month bonus, £25k max balance

• Chase — 4.50% — new customers only, 12-month bonus

• Cynergy Bank — 4.27% — drops to 2.27% after 12 months

• Hanley Economic BS — 4.27% — no bonus, genuine rate, max 2 withdrawals per year

• Charter Savings Bank — 4.16% — no bonus, unlimited withdrawals, no catches

Cash ISAs

New £20,000 allowance for 2026/27 — worth using in full before the cash ISA limit drops to £12,000 for under-65s in April 2027.

Easy access:

• Trading 212 — 4.51% — flexible ISA, 12-month bonus. Make sure you open the Cash ISA, not the Stocks & Shares ISA

• Plum — 4.31% — drops to 2.54% after 12 months. Transfer rate is only 4.08%

• Atom Bank — 4.25% — no notable catches

Fixed:

• Skipton 18 Month — 4.55% — top pick, £500 minimum

• Close Brothers 2 Year — 4.53% — £10,000 minimum

• HSBC 1 Year — 4.50% — requires HSBC current account

• Nationwide 1 Year — 4.35% — flexible, £1 minimum, no existing account needed

Fixed Rate Bonds

The gap between short and long-term rates is unusually tight — 18 months and 5 years are paying the same rate, which signals the market doesn't expect rates to rise much.

• Chetwood Bank 18 Month — 4.70% — highest rate across all terms, paid at maturity

• GB Bank 5 Year — 4.70% — joint top, £1k minimum, £100k maximum

• Kent Reliance 2 Year — 4.69% — top 2-year, monthly or at maturity

• Kent Reliance 1 Year — 4.67% — top 1-year, £1k minimum

• Chetwood Bank 6 Month — 4.25% — short commitment option

Notice Accounts

Useful if you know you'll need money but not exactly when. Rates are competitive but the gap vs easy access is narrow right now.

• Stafford BS 180 Day — 4.26% — top rate, £5k minimum

• Castle Trust 120 Day — 4.20% — online and app, £1k minimum

• Oxbury Bank 90 Day — 4.18% — monthly interest

• Oxbury Bank 35 Day — 4.16% — shortest notice period at a competitive rate

Regular Savers

Headlines rates here are misleading. You drip-feed money in monthly — so your average balance is roughly half your total deposits. First Direct's 7% on £300/month earns around £136 in interest over the year, not £252.

• First Direct — 7% fixed, 12 months — cleanest full-year rate, £300/month max, no withdrawals

• Lloyds Club Lloyds — 6.25% fixed — best overall package, £400/month max, withdrawals allowed, ~£162 interest if maxed

• Monmouthshire BS — 6% — best open-to-all option, £500/month max, ~£195 interest if maxed, no existing account needed

Rates correct at time of publication. Check provider sites before applying as rates change. Nothing on this page is financial advice.