Use your ISA allowance wisely by comparing our selection of market-leading 2 year fixed rate ISAs to maximise your tax-free returns.
Use your ISA allowance wisely by comparing our selection of market-leading 2 year fixed rate ISAs to maximise your tax-free returns.
The majority of banks in the UK offer a wide range of individual savings accounts, also known as ISAs. ISAs may have many advantages over other accounts, but their main strength is their ability to earn a certain amount of tax-free interest, set by the government each year.
There are plenty of ISA accounts available in the UK.
Cash ISAs or instant access ISAsenable you to make unlimited withdrawals from your account. This kind of ISA may be ideal for you if you are likely to use your savings in the near future.
Fixed rate ISAs require you to tie up your capital for the entirety of an agreed period of time.
You can use an ISA as a vehicle for stocks and shares. You may find this an attractive option, as up to a certain amount of your returns from the stocks and shares would not be subject to tax.
Lifetime ISAs are geared towards saving to buy a house or putting money aside for retirement. The main attraction to opening a lifetime ISA is that the government will add a 25% bonus to your initially invested capital. The government are not prepared to contribute more than £1,000 per year to a lifetime ISA.
There are ISAs that are designed for younger savers. Junior ISAs can be opened for anyone under the age of 18. It should be noted that all junior ISAs have a smaller tax-free interest ceiling.
If you are prepared to lock up your capital for 2 years, then a 2 year fixed rate ISA may be a good option for you. Not every bank in the UK will offer a 2 year fixed rate ISA, but there are many 2 year fixed rate ISAs available in the UK.
Some of the best 2 year fixed rate ISAs can be found in our table above.
Every 2 year fixed rate ISA will differ depending on the ISA provider. However, there are a number of common features that you will likely find in the majority of 2 year fixed rate ISAs.
To qualify for any 2 year fixed rate ISA, you must be over the age of 18 and live in the United Kingdom.
If you are living outside the UK, you may still be able to open a 2 year fixed rate ISA, providing you are a Crown servant (for example a part of the armed forces, a diplomat or overseas civil servant).
All 2 year fixed rate ISAs will give you the chance to receive up to a certain amount of tax-free interest. The ceiling for tax-free interest is reviewed and set by the government each year. The 2018/19 ISA allowance is £20,000, and will likely remain the same for the 2018/19 tax year.
It is important to note that the tax-free limit is allocated to each individual, not to each individual ISA. Therefore, if you open multiple ISA accounts, your ISA allowance will be split between your accounts. In addition, the allowance cannot be 'saved up' or carried over into the next tax year.
2 year fixed rate ISAs typically offer higher rates of interest than shorter fixed rate ISAs or regular ISAs. This means that if you want to access better interest and let your capital potentially grow, then a 2 year fixed rate ISA might be a good option for you.
To benefit from the higher rates of interest that 2 year fixed rate ISAs offer you must be prepared to leave your capital for the duration of the fixed term. 2 year fixed rate ISA providers will often prohibit withdrawals for the entirety of the 2 year term.
Depending on the provider, you may find a 2 year fixed rate ISA that allows gives you a bit of wiggle room with respect to your deposit.
You may find an ISA with a cooling off period, which gives you the option to amend or completely withdraw your initially invested capital within a certain number of days.
Typically, ISA providers with a cooling off period will only allow you to withdraw your funds within the first 14 days of opening the ISA. It is important to note that not all fixed rate ISAs will have a cooling off period and you should always check with your provider before opening an ISA.
Some 2 year fixed rate ISA providers offer the option to make withdrawals after their cooling off period; however, this is rare and will usually come with an early withdrawal fee/ early closure charge.
Early withdrawal fees and early closure charges can be substantial; they are often a number of days’ worth of interest and, depending on how long your capital has been in the ISA, you could receive less than you initially invested.
The majority of 2 year fixed rate ISA providers will require a minimum deposit. The size of the minimum deposit will be heavily dependent on the specific ISA provider. Typically, minimum deposits range between £100 and £2,000. It is important to check with the ISA provider before opening the 2 year fixed rate ISA.
It may be worth bearing in mind that you only have to commit your capital for 2 years to benefit from the interest of a 2 year fixed rate ISA; therefore, even if the minimum deposit is high, it may still be a good option to help your capital grow significantly.
Not everyone is eligible to open a 2 year fixed rate ISA, as you must be over the age of 18 and living in the UK to do so.
If you are looking to open an ISA for someone under the age of 18, then you could open a 2 year fixed rate junior ISA; these are not as common as other types of ISAs.
Typically, there are no restrictions as to who can contribute to your 2 year fixed rate ISA. Although terms surrounding deposits will depend on the ISA provider, usually any contributions to your ISA will be seen as a gift. This means that parents, extended family members or even friends can add to your ISA to help your capital grow.
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme(FSCS) offers protection to a certain amount of capital in any account with an authorised UK bank or building society.
In the event that an authorised bank or building society collapses, the FSCS protection guarantees the return of up to £85,000 per person.
The extent of the FSCS's protection will depend heavily on how many ISAs you have and how much capital you have in them.
FSCS protection extends to 2 year fixed rate ISAs, providing the 2 year fixed rate ISA is with an authorised UK bank or building society.
Therefore, if you open a 2 year fixed rate ISA, your initial £85,000 will be protected and returned if your ISA provider collapses.
Due to the complex nature of the financial services market, some banking brands are under the umbrella of the same banking authorisation. Therefore, if you have opened multiple ISAs with different banking brands, you should double check that they do not share the same banking authorisation.
In the event that you have more than £85,000 in a 2 year fixed rate ISA in the same bank (or multiple banks under the same authorisation), you may want to transfer the excess to another bank with a separate authorisation to ensure your capital is fully protected by the FSCS.
Our 2 year fixed rate ISA table above shows some of the most competitive ISA deals available. Although comparing the details of each ISA may be time consuming, it is worth doing your research to find the best 2 year fixed rate ISA for you.
You may find our ISA checklist useful when deciding which 2 year fixed rate ISA to open.
Types of Stocks and Shares ISA include:
Stocks and Shares ISAs
21st January 2021
Considering your 2021 ISA Options? We look at investment trusts worth a closer look and our 5 top picks for consideration for your stocks and shares ISA.
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