Mini Cash ISA

[smurfchops]

National Savings rate is 5.55% today on the internet, would that be correct? When I rang them they gave me a lower rate. But said it was the rate from three months ago ! Would I just go into the Post Office to do this?

[dzug]

No - that rate (5.55%) can only be obtained over the phone or on the internet. Called Direct ISA

The lower rate is the one you can open at a Post Office - called cash mini-isa with 4.7%.

Maybe you asked (or they answered!) the wrong question.

Have a read here:

http://www.nsandi.com/products/isas/from_disa. jsp

[smurfchops]

Oh Thanks! I didn' t realise there were two ways to open the account, I opened up a moneymail type of website, not National Savings. So where would I get the best rates for buying over-the-counter??

[smurfchops]

Me again! What is the difference between a Mini Cash ISA and a Direct ISA??

[dzug]

Technically both the NSI ones are mini cash ISAs - they just market them in two different ways with slightly different names and give the higher interest rate to the one with lower running costs.

Over the counter try Natwest - 5% Some of the smaller building societies might go higher but you'd need to live where they have a branch or do it by post.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/ISA/GuideToIsa s.asp

might help - it will give you a list for comparison and if you go into the details it will tell you whether it's branch post etc.