In what might be seen as something of a gimmick, Skipton Building Society has launched a series of 'My Savings' online savings accounts, each aimed at saving for a specific need.
There are 12 accounts in total, all identical except for the names, which are as follows: my wedding saver, my car saver, my rainy day saver, my gadget saver, my retirement saver, my holiday saver, my handbag saver, my children's saver, my bills saver, my home saver, my secret saver, my slush fund saver.
You need to be 16 or over to open an account and the minimum balance is £1 per account, with a maximum of £1 million. The accounts offer straightforward easy access to your money and are managed online with a single (variable) rate of interest paid either annually or monthly.
The interest rate being paid at the time of writing is 2.25% gross a year. It's not the highest rate on the market, for example Halifax is paying 2.6% on its Web Saver Extra account (if you only make 1 withdrawal a year) and Natwest is paying 2.89% for a year on its e-savings account (although includes a bonus for the first year), but the rate on these new accounts is nevertheless reasonable.
However, what really matters is how competitive the rate remains in future. All too often the competitive variable rates of today descend into downright awful rates a year or two down the line. So if you open a My Savings account make sure you keep an eye on the rate you're getting and don't hesitate to move elsewhere if need be.
All in all these are nice straightforward accounts paying a fairly competitive rate of interest. Only time will tell whether the rate remains competitive, but it's alright for now. While having an account named after a specific need might help a few people, it's really just a gimmick that shouldn't affect your decision on whether to open one of these accounts.