Billions held in no-interest cash accounts

An astonishing amount of money, amounting to the tune of £250 billion, is sitting in cash accounts paying no interest, according to Bank of England data. This figure swelled in the wake of the financial crisis as interest rates were cut to an ‘emergency rate’ of 0.5%, and then grew even further on the back of further monetary stimulus from the Bank of England. 

It seems the money in these accounts is liable to rise like a rocket and fall like a feather though. Although interest rates have risen by almost 5% in the last year and a half, the amount of money stuck in accounts paying no interest has remained stubbornly high. It peaked at £273 billion in September last year, and has since fallen back to £250 billion, as at 31 May 2023. It’s heading in the right direction, but very, very slowly. Interest rates are now back where they were in 2008, when the amount sitting in accounts paying no interest was just £47 billion. Even allowing for some growth in the stock of household savings, it’s astonishing that there is today five times more in non-interest bearing accounts than there was in 2008, when interest rates were at the same level. For some perspective, the amount of money held in interest-bearing instant access accounts has doubled since 2008.

There is currently £945 billion sitting in these interest-bearing instant access accounts, paying on average 1.3% in interest, again according to the latest Bank of England data, as at 31 May. Fortunately some of these accounts are highly competitive, though less fortuitously that implies there is a large rump of extremely poor rates which are dragging the average down. Little wonder then, that bank bosses have been hauled in before the FCA to explain themselves.

Savers shouldn’t wait for the banks to start paying decent rates on their accounts though. By voting with their feet, savers can obtain significantly better rates and put some much needed competitive pressure on banks to boot. By shopping around for the best rate, and considering locking into fixed term accounts, many savers will be able to significantly improve their lot.

It’s undoubtedly a pain in the neck to move bank accounts, but if you’re getting nothing, or next to nothing, from your cash account, the rewards of doing so are high right now. According to Moneyfacts, the best instant access account is paying 4.35%, and the best one year bond is paying 6.1%. For those who don’t want the faff of moving between banks every time a new provider pops up with a better rate, there are now cash hubs available which combine a range of competitive savings providers, where switches can be made within the same account with one online login. It's also worth keeping the bare minimum in your current account, as these tend to have less generous rates, and transferring out as much as you can into a savings account offering higher returns. Alternatively, those who choose to wait for the banks to pass on interest rate rises across all their accounts better settle in for the long haul.

Source: Bank of England