What is a business notice savings account?
A business notice savings account is a type of business account that requires you to give notice before you can access your money. The amount of notice you need to give can vary dramatically, but generally, the longer the notice period, the better the interest rate you’ll receive.
Overall, notice accounts pay higher rates of interest than savings accounts that let you access your money instantly. However, rates might not be as high as with a fixed-rate bond, where you’re required to lock away your business funds for a set time.
How does a business notice account work?
Business notice savings accounts work similarly to other savings accounts, but they require you to notify the provider ahead of time if you want to make a withdrawal.
How much notice is required varies depending on the account and the provider, but it’s usually anywhere between 30 and 180 days. When comparing notice accounts, you’ll need to consider how far you can plan ahead to work out how much notice you can realistically give before withdrawing funds. In some cases, you might be able to access your money faster, but you’ll usually pay a penalty.
It’s also important to check minimum and maximum deposit requirements to be sure you can meet them. You can usually add to your funds as and when you need to.
Are my savings protected by the FSCS?
As long as your savings account is with a bank or building society authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), your savings will be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to a limit of £85,000.
However, if your savings is with an e-money provider, your funds won’t be protected by the FSCS. Instead, as long as the provider is regulated by the FCA, your money will be held in segregated accounts, so if the provider ceases trading, you should still get your money back.
Are there any other alternatives?
Yes, there are a number of other types of business savings account to consider. If you’d prefer to access your money whenever you need it, a business easy access account would be more suitable. However, interest rates are generally lower than notice accounts.
Alternatively, if you’re prepared to lock away some of your business savings for a period of between 1 and 5 years, you will earn an even higher rate of interest with a business fixed-rate bond. However, you can’t access your money during this time, and you usually can’t add to your savings either.
Bottom line
Business notice accounts can offer a good compromise between an easy access account and a fixed-rate bond. You’ll typically earn a higher rate of interest than an easy access account, but you won’t need to lock away your funds for a lengthy period as you would with a fixed-rate bond.
More guides on Finder
-
How to start a business in the UK
We explain everything from registering and funding your business to employment and business law.
-
Side hustle tax calculator: Estimate your additional tax
Use our side hustle tax calculator to estimate how much income tax and National Insurance you might owe on your side hustle earnings.
-
Can you have more than one business bank account?
We explain the benefits of opening multiple business bank accounts and what to watch out for.
-
Best business bank account switching offers in the UK
By switching your business bank account, you may be able to reduce your monthly fees or take advantage of different features like smart bookkeeping tools.
-
Zempler (formerly Cashplus) vs Tide: Which is best for your business?
Find out whether the Cashplus or Tide business account could be the better option for you.
-
How to set up a holding company
Discover what a holding company is, how to set one up and whether it’s worth doing.
-
Tide vs Revolut business: Which is the best business account?
Learn more about the key differences between the Tide and Revolut business bank accounts and which is likely to suit you better.
-
Mettle vs Starling business: Which offers the best business bank account
Discover key the differences between Mettle and Starling business bank accounts and what is likely to be best for you.
-
Tide vs Starling: Which is best for a small business?
In this guide, you’ll learn the key differences between the Tide and Starling business bank accounts and which one is most likely to suit you.
-
Revolut Business account review
Considering a Revolut Business account? We take a closer look at the features and price plans available with these digital-only accounts.