Active Savings
Sharia banking
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.
What are Sharia-compliant savings?
Sharia savings are grounded in principles of transparency, fairness and social responsibility. In many ways they are the same as traditional savings, but there are some differences you should be aware of.
Under Sharia Law earning or paying interest is not allowed. So instead of lending out your savings and charging interest, the bank invests your money in a way that’s consistent with Islamic beliefs. It cannot be invested in anything seen as harmful under Islamic law, including businesses that support gambling, tobacco, alcohol or arms. Each bank will have their own oversight committee which will govern what they deem to be Sharia compliant.
Some of the profit the bank earns from these activities is returned to you, allowing you to grow your savings without earning interest. Anyone can use Sharia savings and they offer an alternative to the mainstream banks and building societies. Many people also appreciate that the way they make a return may align with their own ethical principles.
What returns will I receive?
Sharia-compliant saving often offers a better return than available on traditional savings. Instead of a rate of interest, savings will earn an Expected Profit Rate (EPR). Any returns are treated as interest and taxed as income by HMRC.
In the unlikely event that the agreed EPR may not be reached, affected savers will be contacted immediately and given the choice to continue saving at the new rate, or withdraw all their savings and receive all the profit already earned (at the original EPR).
To date, all Sharia-compliant banks on Active Savings have generated and paid the Expected Profit Rate for their savers.
Are Sharia savings protected under FSCS?
Yes, all Sharia banks operating in the UK are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, just like any other bank.
Regulated Sharia-compliant savings also have exactly the same protection in place as most standard UK savings. They are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) which protects eligible deposits of up to £85,000 of your savings in the event that a financial institution stops trading.
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With Active Savings you can pick and mix easy access and fixed term savings from a range of banks and building societies, through the convenience of one online account.
And once you're set up there are no forms or paperwork to fill in when moving money around. So you can manage your cash all in one place, with just a few clicks.
Active Savings transformed the way I manage my cash.MR FOX, Bedfordshire
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 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.
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. Once you have opened a fixed term product the rate won't change, but rates on easy access products can vary. Tax treatment can change.
If you are considering adding money to this savings product, please ensure you have opened an Active Savings Account and given us your instructions before the application deadline.
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.
* What do AER and Gross mean?
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
Islamic banks offer an expected profit rate, 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.
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).