ISAs & Bonds

These are bank, building society or National Savings accounts that get favourable tax treatment. Some ISAs are 'CAT ­marked' which means they meet government standards regarding Costs, Access and Terms. The CAT mark tells you that the account offers a fair deal.

ISAs that do not meet the CAT standards are not necessarily poor products, they are just different, e.g., they might require a longer notice period for withdrawals but offer a higher return to compensate for this.

CAT standards for cash ISAs Standard

Access
Minimum transaction size no more than £10.
Withdrawals within 7 working days or less

Terms
Interest not to be less than 2% below base rate.
Interest must increase within one month of a base rate increase.
No other special terms allowed (e.g. restricting number of withdrawals)

No capital risk. Vulnerable to inflation. Variable rates are vulnerable to falling interest rates. Risk rating: one to three depending on account features.

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