{"id":432,"date":"2025-05-14T10:35:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T10:35:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/?p=432"},"modified":"2025-05-16T15:43:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T15:43:49","slug":"martin-lewis-warns-uk-savers-to-act-now-ahead-of-interest-rate-tipping-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/14\/martin-lewis-warns-uk-savers-to-act-now-ahead-of-interest-rate-tipping-point\/","title":{"rendered":"Martin Lewis warns UK savers to act now ahead of interest rate \u2018tipping point\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"363\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23083242 lazyload\" alt=\"Martin Lewis smiles while wearing a beige jumper against a backdrop of interest rates falling.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEC_251191903-7b64.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Thinking about locking in a fixed rate savings account? Now could be the time to do so (Picture: Getty\/REX)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"metro-article-audio-player\" data-vars-type=\"article-audio-player\">\n<div class=\"metro-article-audio-player-play-row\">\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"metro-article-audio-player-play-button\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<title>Listen to article<\/title>\t\t\t\t\t<span>Listen to article<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"img-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sponsor-image lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Powered by\" data-rewritten=\"false\" data-src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/metro\/includes\/site-blocks\/article-audio\/assets\/powered-by.png\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"audio-controls hidden\">\n\t\t\t\t<audio class=\"audio-element\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ElevenLabs_2025-05-14T12_36_29_Axell-British-YouTube-Personality-_pvc_sp100_s50_sb75_se30_b_m2-ae95.mp3\" controls id=\"audio-68275c1dc7ea1\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tYour browser does not support the audio element.<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/audio>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Following the Bank of England announcing it\u2019s cutting the base rate, <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/martin-lewis\/\">Martin Lewis<\/a> has warned UK savers of a \u2018tipping point\u2019 for their <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/05\/07\/martin-lewis-urges-brits-claim-50-savings-boost-unbeatable-government-scheme-23040149\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"23040149\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hard-earned cash.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Last week, interest rates were chopped from 4.5% to 4.25% \u2013 and the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/04\/28\/martin-lewis-issues-scam-warning-fraudsters-use-target-waspi-women-22984765\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"22984765\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Money Saving Expert <\/a>(MSE) founder reckons now could be the moment to lock in a fixed rate.<\/p>\n<p>In the latest edition of his newsletter, Martin says that in recent months, the top easy-access variable <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/savings\/\">savings<\/a> rates (where you can deposit money and take it out as you need it) have generally trumped fixed savings.<\/p>\n<p>These involve locking money away to access a set interest rate \u2013 generally <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneysavingexpert.com\/savings\/savings-accounts-best-interest\/#fixedsavings\">around 4.5%.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>But now, the tide is starting to turn. <\/p>\n<p>According to Martin, banks\u2019 fixed rate offers are typically based on a long-term view of the market rather than the current UK base rate. And not only are they already low, City analysts anticipate they\u2019ll drop further \u2013 to between 3.25% and 3.5% by the end of the year, or as one expert estimates, as little as 2.75% in the first half of 2026.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Should you lock your cash in a fixed rate savings account?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The current top fixed rates are higher than where the base rate is projected to go, and if predictions do come true, Martin claims \u2018today\u2019s 4.5% fixes may rapidly end up paying more than top future easy-access rates.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>He highlights that fixed rate options also \u2018give the boon of certainty\u2019,adding: \u2018If you\u2019re concerned, the safest option, based on the mood music, is to lock in a rate by putting some savings in fixes.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind though, it\u2019s not a guaranteed \u2018win\u2019, and you can\u2019t access your cash while for the fixed period, except in the case of certain fixed cash ISAs.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Best fixed rate savings accounts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re not sure about making the commitment, the MSE founder suggests opening a fixed rate savings account now without depositing any money.<\/p>\n<p>Most accounts give you two weeks to put some cash in \u2013 giving you some time to watch \u2018what happens to other rates to see whether it\u2019s worth it.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018If you then decide it isn\u2019t right for you, just don\u2019t put the money in,\u2019 Martin adds. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23084071 lazyload\" alt=\"Female hand inserting bank card into automatic cash machine (ATM) to access bank account services in the city\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1977075709.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Fixing your money helps you to lock in a guaranteed interest rate (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the moment, MSE finds that the best fixed savings accounts are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1-year: Conister 4.52%, minimum \u00a35,000\/Cynergy 4.5%, minimum \u00a31,000<\/li>\n<li>2-year: GB 4.43%, minimum \u00a31,000\/Secure Trust 4.42%, minimum \u00a31,000<\/li>\n<li>3-year: Secure Trust 4.42%, minimum \u00a31,000\/Birmingham 4.41%, minimum \u00a35,000<\/li>\n<li>5-year: Secure Trust 4.42%, minimum \u00a31,000\/Birmingham 4.41%, minimum \u00a35,000.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Not sure how long to fix for? Martin recommends considering just how long you can \u2018comfortably\u2019 lock away the money, as well as how much you value knowing exactly what\u2019s going on with the interest on your savings \u2013 the more you do, the \u2018longer you should fix.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>As for cash ISAs, while they can be a good choice if you need easy access to your money, it\u2019s worth bearing in mind that these accounts typically charge a penalty of 90 to 365 days in interest if you make a withdrawal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Get in touch by emailing <a href=\"mailto:MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk\">MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thinking about locking in a fixed rate savings account? Now could be the time to do so (Picture: Getty\/REX) Listen to article Listen to article Your browser does not support the audio element. Following the Bank of England announcing it\u2019s cutting the base rate, Martin Lewis has warned UK savers of a \u2018tipping point\u2019 for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[20],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=432"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":437,"href":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432\/revisions\/437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}