Top Cash ISAs before the deadline

If you're looking for a top-paying Cash ISA, we've done the legwork for you and rounded them all up on one page.

Cash ISA interest rates, like most savings rates, have been steadily falling since the start of the 2012/13 tax year last April. But if you want to use your £5,640 tax-free allowance before the 5th of April, it's certainly not too late. Your biggest decision is whether to open one now or wait until nearer the deadline to see if rates improve.

Here are the best rates right now.

Top instant access Cash ISAs

The top instant access ISA we were able to find comes from Cheshire Building Society, which is paying 2.50%.

Cheshire BS ISA Saver Issue 1	2.50%	£1,000	2.00% fixed until 31st July 2014	Transfers and new subscriptions.
First Trust Bank (NI) Cash ISA	2.50%	£5,640	None	New subscriptions only.
Tesco Bank Instant Access Cash ISA	2.30%	£1	0.3% fixed bonus for first 12 months	New subscriptions only.
Harpenden BS Simple ISA	2.25%	£1	None	Transfers and new subscriptions.
Stafford Railway BS Cash ISA	2.25%	£1	None	New subscriptions only.
Danske Bank Cash ISA	2.25%	£10	None	Transfers and new subscriptions.
NS&I Direct Cash ISA	2.25%	£100	None	New subscriptions only.
GE Capital Direct Saver Cash ISA	2.25%	£500	None	New subscriptions only.
Virgin Money Easy Access Cash E-ISA Issue 4	2.15%	£1	None	Transfers and new subscriptions.
	2.10%	£1	0.8% fixed bonus for first 12 months	Transfers and new subscriptions.

Top notice Cash ISAs

If you can give a little warning before making a withdrawal the top notice ISA is a better bet. Currently Coventry Building Society has a 60-day notice account paying 2.80% and you only have to deposit £1 to start saving.

Coventry BS 60-Day Notice ISA	2.80%	£1	0.60% bonus for 12 months	Transfers not permitted. 60 days’ notice required for withdrawals.
Earl Shilton BS 90 Days’ Notice Cash ISA	2.70%	£10	None	Only open to existing members or people living in the postcodes LE, CV9-13 and DE11-15. 90 days’ notice required for withdrawals.
Triodos Bank 90-Day Notice Online Cash ISA	2.16%	£10	0.40% bonus for 12 months	Transfers permitted. 90 days’ notice required for withdrawals.
Melton Mowbray BS 100-Day Notice ISA	2.10%	£25/£1,000	None	You can open account for £25, if you live in the counties of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire or Rutland. If not it will be £1,000. 100 days’ notice required for withdrawals. Transfers not permitted.

You’ll see that some of the accounts have bonuses for a set period. We’ve got no problem with bonuses. They mean that your interest rate can’t fall below a certain level for a set period.

Just remember that the interest rate on your account will almost certainly crash once the bonus expires.

Short-term ISAs

Moving onto short-term fixed rate ISAs, sadly interest rates have been plummeting throughout the tax year.

Back at the beginning of the financial year the top paying account we found for short-term ISAs was from BM Savings paying 4.05% on a two-year fixed rate, while Santander had a deal paying 3.50% on a one-year deal.

As you can see, rates now are nowhere near those (relatively) heady levels and don't beat the top-paying notice ISAs. You'll also have to open the majority of them in a branch.

Top one-year fixed-rate Cash ISAs

Metro Bank One-Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA	2.25%	£1	Transfers and new subscriptions.
Mansfield BS One-Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA Bond	2.25%	£500	Only available to people in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire or South Yorkshire or people who have been members for at least two years. New subscriptions only.
Nationwide One- Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA	2.05%	£1	Transfers and new subscriptions. Only available in branches.
Tesco Bank Fixed Rate Cash ISA	2.05%	£1	New subscriptions only.
Cheshire BS One-Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA	2.05%	£100	Transfers and new subscriptions. Only available in branches.
Derbyshire BS Fixed Rate ISA Issue 62	2.05% (until 30th April 2014)	£100	Transfers and new subscriptions. Only available in branches.
Dunfermline BS Fixed Rate Cash ISA Issue 53	2.05% (until 30th April 2014)	£100	Transfers and new subscriptions. Only available in branches.
Halifax ISA Saver Fixed	2.05%	£500	Transfers and new subscriptions. Qualifies for Halifax Savers Prize draw.
	2.00%	£1,000	Transfers and new subscriptions.
	2.00%	£1,000	Transfers and new subscriptions.

Top two-year fixed rate Cash ISAs

Nationwide 30-Month Fixed Rate ISA	2.55%	£1	Transfers and new subscriptions. Only available in branches.
Halifax ISA Saver Fixed	2.50%	£500	Transfers and new subscriptions.
Nationwide Two-Year Fixed Rate ISA	2.35%	£1	Transfers and new subscriptions. Only available in branches.
Derbyshire BS Fixed Rate ISA Issue 63	2.35% (until 30th April 2015)	£100	Transfers and new subscriptions. Only available in branches.
Dunfermline Fixed Rate Cash ISA Issue 54	2.35% (until 30th April 2015)	£100	Transfers and new subscriptions. Only available in branches.
Cheshire BS Two-Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA	2.35%	£100	Transfers and new subscriptions. Only available in branches.
	2.25%	£1,000	Transfers and new subscriptions.
	2.25%	£1,000	Transfers and new subscriptions.

Long-term ISAs

Finally, let’s look at the best long-term fixed rate ISAs.

These are slightly better with a rate of 3.10% from Halifax but you will have to lock up your money for five years!

Top long-term fixed rate ISAs

Halifax ISA Saver Fixed	3.10%	Five years	£500	Transfers and new subscriptions.
Halifax ISA Saver Fixed	3.05%	Four years	£500	Transfers and new subscriptions.
Halifax ISA Saver Fixed	3.00%	Three years	£500	Transfers and new subscriptions.
Virgin Money Fixed Rate Cash E-ISA Issue 33	2.75%	Five years (until 24th March 2018)	£1	Transfers and new subscriptions.
Nationwide Four-Year Fixed Rate ISA	2.70%	Four years	£1	Transfers and new subscriptions.
Cheshire BS Four-Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA	2.70%	Four years	£100	Transfers and new subscriptions. Only available in branches.
Derbyshire BS Fixed Rate ISA Issue 65	2.70%	Four years (until 30th April 2017)	£100	Transfers and new subscriptions. Only available in branches.
Dunfermline BS Fixed Rate Cash ISA Issue 56	2.70%	Four years (until 30th April 2017)	£100	Transfers and new subscriptions. Only available in branches.