What is the Point of a Cash ISA?

Are cash ISAs worthwhile when there are high interest rate current accounts that pay better interest, even after basic rate and 40% tax has been deducted?

SavingsChampion.co.uk 26 February, 2014 | 4:55PM
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This article is part of Morningstar's "Perspectives" series, written by third-party contributors.

With the outlook seemingly bleak, savers are asking whether using their cash ISA is worthwhile, especially when there are high interest rate current accounts that pay better interest, even after basic rate and 40% tax has been deducted.

The problem is that if you don’t use your ISA allowance within each tax year, you lose it forever. And while this may not seem to be a great loss right now, it would mean a reduced lump sum available to earn tax free interest in the future. Savers shouldn’t forget that they could have amassed a hefty lump sum sheltered in a tax free environment.

If someone had invested the maximum amount into cash ISAs since 6th April 1999 they could now have almost £66,000.

In addition if they had invested the maximum each year into the TESSA from January 1, 1991 and then kept the money in a tax free account – their original stake of £9,000 invested over the 1st five years, could be worth almost £23,000.

So in total, savers could have at least £89,000 sheltered in a tax free cash ISA. Even with rates as low as they are, this could mean almost an extra £500 in tax free interest per year, for a basic rate tax payer, when compared to a taxable account. Better in your pocket than in the tax man’s.

And when rates do become competitive once again, this would become even more valuable.

We are expecting this to be one of the worst ISA seasons that we have ever seen. However savers mustn’t forget the long term benefit of saving into a cash ISA, even if currently there seems little point.

What is essential right now is that savers keep an eye on all of their savings rates, including their cash ISAs and switch if they are not earning a competitive return.

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