Make the most of YOUR SAVINGS

Editor of MoneyWeek.com Kalpana Fitzpatrick shares sage advice on how to make the most of your cash savings

- KALPANA FITZPATRICK 

The cost of living hasn’t made it easy for anyone to save, but if you’ve been lucky enough to put some cash away, then you’ll want to make sure that your money is working hard for you.

Interest rates have been creeping up over the last year, with the Bank of England’s base rate now at 5%*, but 47% of savers haven’t switched their savings rate in the last year**.

How can I earn more interest?

Rates change all the time, and some top ones are quickly discontinued. Look around, and you may be pleasantly surprised to see banks offering above 5% interest. Let’s say you have £5,000 in cash stashed away. An account with 0.1% interest would give you an annual gross interest of £5. But any Easy Access account paying 3.5% would give you £178; a 5% interest rate would offer £256.

Which account should I pick?

The right savings account will depend on your needs and how much you want to save…