Saving account reviews: Which? Recommended Providers
Which? Recommended Providers are companies that are both rated highly by our members, and have products that meet the high standards of our researchers.
To feature as a Recommended Provider:
- A company must have achieved a score of 70 or above in our latest customer satisfaction surveys. All satisfaction surveys used to compile the tables are carried out twice a year, collating the opinions and experiences of thousands of Which? members.
- Providers must also have at least one top ten product to receive our recommendation.
- Which? closely monitors the products and practices of all Recommended Providers, and reserves the right to exclude any company that does not treat its customers fairly.
- Providers need to be fully covered by the FSCS and FSA Banking Standards regime to be included.
Which? recommended savings account providers  | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Which? verdict | Customer score | Find out more |
| Average score of all savings account providers rated by Which? Money | 52% | ||
| First Direct | Offers decent one-year fixed rate Isa paying 2.65% and a 5% regular saver, but many accounts only open to those with a First Direct current account. | 74% | First Direct |
| Co-operative Bank | Its three year fixed rate ordinary savings account offers an above average rate of 3.5% and its promise to invest money ethically is an attraction for many customers. | 70% | Co-operative Bank |
Table notes
Customer score based on a survey of 13,524 Which? members in October and November 2009 and April 2010.
For details about how we carry out our customer satisfaction surveys visit www.which.co.uk/moneysurveys
Which? warning
We understand that for many people, finding products with the best rate is a priority. But where a product from a provider with a poor service score appears in our Best Rate tables, we'll highlight this with the warning logo.
By naming and shaming providers which customers judge to offer poor satisfaction in these tables, we hope that companies improve their standards.
Warning: Poor customer satisfaction  | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Which? verdict | Customer score | Find out more |
| Santander | Has some competitive accounts such its cash Isa but customers rated Santander bottom of our satisfaction tables. | 39% | Santander |
| Cheltenham & Gloucester | Owned by Lloyds Banking Group. Has a competitive one-year fixed rate bond, but overall customer satisfaction has been consistently low. | 40% | Cheltenham & Gloucester |
| Bank of Scotland | Owned by Lloyds Banking Group. Customer score dropped from 48% in November 2009 to 42% in April 2010. | 42% | Bank of Scotland |
| Halifax | Owned by Lloyds Banking Group. Customer satisfaction has always been at the bottom end of our tables. | 42% | Halifax |