Savings account maturity guide

We'll post you a letter about two weeks before your maturity date to let you know what your options are, and how to tell us which one you've chosen. If you have an online account, we'll send you an email instead.

If you want to keep saving your money with us after your account has matured, you can put the money in any of our available savings accounts (as long as you're eligible and follow the product terms and conditions). To put the money in an online savings account, you'll need to open the account first and then tell us you'd like to move your money into it. You can tell us this by logging in and sending us a secure message, or by using the online maturity form. We'll tell you how to access this form in your maturity letter or email.

We'll send you a letter or email to confirm what you've asked us to do with your money. Your chosen action will be processed at the end of the day on your maturity date.

If you've asked us to take out your money, this will be processed on your maturity date and any money going to an account with another provider will be available by 5pm the next working day. Cheques will take about three working days to arrive.

Most of the time you won't need to open a new account yourself, you'll just need to tell us which savings account you'd like using the online maturity form. However, if you want to change the type of account you have, such as changing from a Cash ISA to a bond, you'll need to open a new account first to move the money into. Also, if you want to move your money to an online account but you haven't opened one before, you'll need to open an online account first and ask for your money to be added to it using the online maturity form.

When you opened your account, there was an end date in your terms and conditions. This is the date your account matures, even if the period between this date and the date you opened the account is slightly longer than the fixed term. You'll still get interest for the full period from the date you added money to the account up until the maturity date.

If your maturity date passes and you haven't told us what to do with your money, then it will automatically go into the default maturity account. This will always be an access account so you can move or take out your money if needed, but keep in mind there may be accounts with better rates you could open.

Even if your maturity date has passed, you can still ask us to move your money to another available account.

This depends on the terms and conditions of your account.

Generally, if your account is instant access, there are no restrictions on when you can add money. If it’s a regular saver, you can’t pay in more than the maximum payment amount each month. If it’s a fixed rate account, you can’t add money to your account until the maturity date.

If you move your money from one of our Cash ISAs to a bond, it'll lose its tax free status. If you one day decide to put the money back into an ISA, it'd be classed as new ISA funds and you'll be limited by ISA rules (such as your annual ISA allowance).

To move your money from a Cash ISA to a bond at maturity, you'll first need to apply for the bond you'd like to move the money into. You can apply online, in branch or by post, depending on the account type. Once the bond is open, you can tell us you'd like your money moving to this account using the online maturity form. We'll tell you how to access this form in your maturity letter or email.

The easiest way to find out how much money is in your account is by checking online. If you have an online account, simply log in to see your account balance. Almost all accounts can be viewed online, and balances will update overnight. If you don't have an online login and would like to see your balance, you can sign up quickly and easily.

You can also check your balance over the phone by calling 03301 744 472 and using our 24/7 automated balance checker. Again, balances will update overnight so any money added won't appear until the next day.

You'll get a 14 day cooling off period starting either from the date your new account is opened, or when you get the general conditions and product terms and conditions (whichever happens later). During this time you can change to a different account or take your money out instead.