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Could a savings portfolio boost your returns?


Important information - Active Savings helps you make your own decisions and is not personal advice. Fixed term products generally only allow access to funds at maturity. Inflation reduces the future spending power of money.

There's a better way to save

The majority of our savings are going into instant access accounts that pay almost no interest. The average account pays just 0.11%, and big high street banks pay as little as 0.01% (AER/Gross*).

Savvy savers are getting better returns on their cash with a portfolio of easy access and fixed term savings products, where you can have the choice of accessing your money when you need to, or locking some of it away for the future and earning more interest.

It's easier than you might think with Active Savings.

High street banks offer instant access products which allow you to access your money immediately. Active Savings offers easy access products and withdrawals usually take one working day.

Discover Active Savings

See what a savings portfolio could look like

Use our new tool

So what’s a savings portfolio?

A way to earn more interest

It’s good to keep some cash in an easy access product to cover emergencies. But you can keep other savings in fixed term accounts, which usually pay higher rates. Although you can’t usually access your money until they end.

An easy way to spread your money

A mix of different amounts of cash in easy access, short and medium fixed terms, across multiple banks and building societies.

A way to access some of your money when you'll need it

By having a mix of savings products you can make your money work harder around your savings goals. But make sure you keep enough savings easily accessible for emergencies.

What could a cash savings portfolio look like?

Move the sliders, or add your own figures to the boxes below, to see what a savings portfolio could look like.

Rates shown below are AER/GROSS/EPR.

Total savings £-

This example is based on a selection of banking partner products within Active Savings that may have minimum deposit requirements. You should choose the products that are most suitable to your own circumstances. Products are added and withdrawn all the time. The rates shown are the current range of available products for some terms, to give you an indication of how the rates can change with each product length. The rates are correct as at and are AER/Gross/EPR*.

The rates in our tool are an illustration. See the best rates on Active Savings

AER (Annual Equivalent Rate) shows what the interest rate/expected profit rate would be if it was paid and compounded once each year. It helps you compare the rates on different savings products. Once you have opened a fixed term product the rate won't change, but rates on easy access products can vary.

Gross means the rate without any tax removed. Interest/profits are paid gross. You are responsible for paying any tax due on interest/profits that exceed your Personal Savings Allowance to HM Revenue & Customs. Tax treatment can change.

Islamic banks offer an expected profit rate (EPR), rather than interest on their savings products, in order to comply with Sharia banking principles. They are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Any eligible deposits up to £85,000 are covered under the FSCS. More about Sharia banking.

Why build a savings portfolio with Active Savings

  • Manage everything together online
    You can manage everything together in your Active Savings account, alongside your HL investments.
  • A wide choice in one place
    You can fix from a few months, up to five years and save with a few banks or building societies, or many.
  • Make your money work harder
    Choose the rates and terms that are best for your goals. Find a blend that’s right for you

How Active Savings works

Open an Active Savings account

This video shows how you could take your cash savings to the next level, by saving with a variety of banking partners and spreading your savings across products.

2.73% 5.43% 5.49% 5.21%

The best rates on Active Savings

Easy access

Up to
4.75% | 4.65%
(AER | Gross)

1 year

Up to
5.11% | 5.11%
(AER | Gross)

2 years

Up to
5.05% | 5.05%
(AER | Gross)

3 years

Up to
4.65% | 4.65%
(AER | Gross)

Easy access

Up to
4.75% | 4.65%
(AER | Gross)

1 year

Up to
5.11% | 5.11%
(AER | Gross)

2 years

Up to
5.05% | 5.05%
(AER | Gross)

3 years

Up to
4.65% | 4.65%
(AER | Gross)

6 months

Up to
5.12% | 5.12%
(AER | Gross)

9 months

Up to
5.05% | 5.00%
(AER | Gross)

18 months

Up to
4.80% | 4.80%
(AER | Gross)

5 years

Up to
4.30% | 4.30%
(AER | Gross)

6 months

Up to
5.12% | 5.12%
(AER | Gross)

9 months

Up to
5.05% | 5.00%
(AER | Gross)

18 months

Up to
4.80% | 4.80%
(AER | Gross)

5 years

Up to
4.30% | 4.30%
(AER | Gross)

Source: Bank of England 31 October 2023. Comparisons with average market rates for easy access products are based on instant access products, which allow immediate withdrawals. Active Savings offers easy access products and withdrawals usually take one working day.

Please note, products can be added or withdrawn at any time. Minimum deposit requirements apply to individual products. Fixed term products pay a fixed rate. Easy access products pay a variable rate.

When your money is in a savings product through Active Savings, it’s held by that bank or building society. If they were to fail, the FSCS will protect eligible deposits up to £85,000 per banking licence.

Find out more about FSCS protection

3
steps to build your savings portfolio

Open your Active Savings account

See all your savings and HL investments in one place.

Find the right mix for you

Pick the rates and terms that fit your savings goals, whether they’re for the short or medium term.

Create your savings portfolio

Build your portfolio around you. It’s flexibility at your fingertips.

How is your money protected?

When you add money to a savings product, it’s held by that bank or building society. Eligible deposits are protected up to £85,000 per banking licence. Any deposits over £85,000 with the same bank aren't covered. All our partner banks are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority, and are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Money in the cash hub is covered under Barclays Bank Plc’s licence.

Money with Active Savings which isn’t in a savings product is held in the cash hub. As we are not a bank, it’s either protected through the FCA’s safeguarding rules if we (Hargreaves Lansdown Savings Ltd) were to fail, or the FSCS, if Barclays were to fail.

More about how your money is protected

We don't charge you

We don’t charge you directly, instead we charge our banking partners. This means the same or similar products offered directly by the banks and building societies may have different rates to those available on Active Savings.

How it works

What is the cash hub, and how does it work?

See all our rates

Check our latest rates to see all the available rates today.

Have another question?

Read our FAQs or contact our Helpdesk.

*AER (Annual Equivalent Rate) - Shows what the interest rate/expected profit rate would be if it was paid and compounded once each year. It helps you compare the rates on different savings products.

Gross - The interest rate without any tax removed. Interest/profits are paid gross. You are responsible for paying any tax due on interest/profits that exceed your Personal Savings Allowance to HM Revenue & Customs. Tax treatment can change.

Expected profit rate (EPR) - Islamic banks offer an expected profit rate rather than interest on their savings products in order to comply with Sharia banking principles.

Read more about building a savings portfolio

Download guide

Have a question?

If you have any questions about Active Savings, you can speak to one of our client support experts.

0117 980 9995

Opening hours

Monday - Friday: 8am - 5pm
Saturday: 9.30am - 12.30pm

I like to keep a mixture of products, with a variety of different terms. I know when they’ll mature and go from there.

JC, Middlesex

The way I see it is I’ve got protection from the unknowns of what rates will do in the future. I hedge my bets.

MIKE, South Yorkshire

AER (Annual Equivalent Rate) shows what the interest rate/expected profit rate would be if it was paid and compounded once each year. It helps you compare the rates on different savings products. Once you have opened a fixed term product the rate won't change, but rates on easy access products can vary.

Gross means the rate without any tax removed. Interest/profits are paid gross. You are responsible for paying any tax due on interest/profits that exceed your Personal Savings Allowance to HM Revenue & Customs. Tax treatment can change.

The savings of private individuals held with authorised banks and building societies are covered under FSCS. All of our partner banks are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and covered under FSCS.


This website is issued by Hargreaves Lansdown Asset Management Limited (company number 1896481), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with firm reference 115248.

The Active Savings service is provided by Hargreaves Lansdown Savings Limited (company number 8355960). Hargreaves Lansdown Savings Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference number 915119). Hargreaves Lansdown Savings Limited is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 with firm reference 901007 for the issuing of electronic money.

Hargreaves Lansdown Asset Management Limited and Hargreaves Lansdown Savings Limited are subsidiaries of Hargreaves Lansdown plc (company number 2122142).