Marcus reduces interest rate (again)

Not surprised, Monzo’s best is 0.9%

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The kids savings accounts (called various things) at Halifax, Lloyd’s and Bank of Scotland all still offer 1.45% (went down this week from 2%). You can open two per institution per child, so effectively can save up to 30k at 1.45% per child.

With cash rates so low I’m considering a stocks and shares ISA

What does anyone reccomend, I want low risk.
(Money is part emergency fund part house deposit)

How much will you put in?
Initial lump sum?
Monthly?

You shouldn’t be using an investment for short term cash. The value of stocks dropped about 25% two months ago and may go down further.
Will to risk your deposit dropping that much?

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I agree, there’s absolutely no way an emergency fund should be in a stocks and shares ISA. The value of your investment may go down as well as up.

This is fine if investing long-term - minimum five years, say - as you have time to recover from the dips. But if it’s your emergency fund and you need to take the money out after a 50% dip? You can’t get around eating that loss.

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I’d recommended that you don’t invest your ‘emergency’ fund and keep it separate. If you’re able to, it’s a good idea to have an amount of money separate to your current account that’s quick to access (if you ever do need an ‘emergency fund’ you won’t be in a position to wait).

If you’re looking for a good ROI then low risk isn’t always going to be worth it anyway.

Edit: Very much got beaten to it here! Sorry to sound like a parrot :parrot:

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£7500 lump
£500 every 4 weeks

will keep the emergency fund in instant access savings, Inflation near 0% anyway
Staying with Marcus for now

I’ve considered putting the lump sum into a fixed marcus and then make a £500 fixed interest pot in monzo (I don’t need this money and there is no risk as its FSCS)
The emergency fund would stay in the instant Marcus

Update RIP fixed marcus

Update just keeping things as they are because complicated and sorta irrational

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To be honest you’re in a fortunate position at the moment and leaving things as they are is probably sensible. Yes, you might lose a few pounds of interest but seriously it’s not worth the stress right now. :+1:t3:

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And it is there on the Marcus website too. Perhaps new applications available soon?

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Thanks for the update. I’ll get it over to Skipton ASAP

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I haven’t been emailed about it yet

Ditto

Received an email too.

Moved my money to Monzo Plus with the 1% APR, saves me faffing with bank transfers too as I can instantly put the money into a pot (even though it was pretty fast with Marcus).

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This tops out at £2000 though so if you have more than £2000 altogether between pots and your balance then you’re receiving 0% interest on anything you hold over that value.

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That’s a bugger!

Got the email today, bit gutting. 0.70% is lower than I thought it would end up going. I know that previously I’ve said I’d keep the money in Marcus anyway because of the genuine ‘easy access’, but I’m tested now. 0.70% is low enough to be ‘practically nothing’, and low enough that options I’d previously dismissed as being ‘next to nothing’ are starting to look more attractive in comparison. :grimacing:

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I’ll be moving mine to Atom when my bonus is up. Access is easier and faster and the rate will be higher. Unless they lower it too.

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Hey, I forgot I had the Atom Instant Saver at 0.75%

Yeah, how long will that remain for though?

Anyone thinking of opening the Atom Instant Saver, you can only have one account, so cannot use them as Savings Pots, which is a pity really as the movement of money between them is quicker than even Marcus can manage. And they have been quick!

Got my letter from Marcus today. At least it wasn’t a shock.

Next month I go from 1.15% > 0.80% > 0.70% over a four day period :man_shrugging:

Past caring now though. Will stick to the few savings accounts I have left, until rates start rising again.

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It’s not a great time to be saving, is it? :slightly_frowning_face:

Each 0.1% change to the interest rate is worth just £1/year (8p/month) so I’m probably going to watch and wait for a bit rather than moving everything away from Marcus for a tiny gain.

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