A guide to saving money

Savings and investments can be a good way to provide for your financial future.

Our guides are designed to give you savings advice and help you choose the right products for you.

They tell you about the most common types of money saving accounts and what you can expect from them.

Savings vs investments

With most savings accounts, your money is safe, though any growth will be limited to the interest rate of your account.

Investing makes your money work harder and the potential rewards are higher. But there is a risk that you may lose some or even all of your money. Here's a brief guide to the different savings and investment accounts available.

Instant access accounts and Fixed Rate Savings Bonds

With these savings accounts your money is safe and secure.

Instant access accounts give you easy access to your savings, while deposit accounts may require a short notice period.

Both types of money saving accounts may offer tiered rates of interest - so the more you save, the more you'll earn.

Investments

You don't have to be worth a fortune to think about investing. There are a huge number of options. But the earlier you start, the more opportunity the money has to grow.

Think about how much you want to invest and what it's for. Whether you want to save a small amount regularly or have a lump sum to invest, an adviser will be able to help you find the right options.

A combination of cash and share investments is suitable for most people.