The
Perks and Pitfalls of High Interest Bank Accounts
For
those with all their funds deposited in a current
account the appeal of switching as much of it
as possible into a high interest account is fairly
obvious. In a high interest account one’s
savings will accrue interest, and of course interest
itself bears interest so any monies deposited
are protected from depreciation caused by monetary
inflation.
It
ought to be relatively straightforward therefore,
place any balances not immediately needed for
everyday household expenditure into a high interest
account and watch your savings grow.
Of
course, like most things, it is not always that
simple. For banks to pay a higher rate of interest
they will naturally expect something in return.
That something is usually a commitment to deposit
for a fixed period of time so that the bank may
be assured that it has possession of your funds
in order to itself lend out at interest. Should
you need to backtrack on the deal and pull out
your funds sooner than expected there will usually
be a penalty invoked which enables the bank to
protect itself from any loss incurred as a result
of your unexpected action. Hence the bank wins
either way.