Silver Savers Get Savvy With Their ISAs and Families Getting Into The Savings Habit

CHESTER, England, February 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• Retirees are most likely group to save - 43 per cent have saved or are planning to save into a cash ISA this year
• People using their ISA allowance have saved or are planning to save £3,248 into a Cash ISA this year
• Household bills top the list of the most common reasons people dip into their ISAs

Retirees are the most likely group to save into a cash ISA this year, with 43 per cent stating they have already, or are planning to save before the end of the current tax year.* Working families with children are also getting into the savings habit with 42 per cent putting money away according to new research from MoneySupermarket.

The UK's number one comparison website found that on average across Britain, 39 per cent of adults have already saved, or are planning to save into a Cash ISA before the end of the current tax year. Of these, it is those who are retired who are the most likely to save, followed by working families with children. Almost four in ten (38 per cent) of young working professionals indicated they will be saving into a Cash ISA this tax year. Just over one in 10  (13 per cent) adults have a Cash ISA but have not saved into their ISA this tax year and are not planning to do so before the end of the tax year.

Circumstances clearly dictate the ability to put savings into an ISA. While almost half (48 per cent) of families where both parents are working will invest into a Cash ISA this year; this drops dramatically where there is only one working adult, with just 21 per cent being able to save.

Of those definitely intending to put their money into a Cash ISA this year, the average amount they plan to save is £3,248. However, over a quarter (28 per cent) plan to use their full Cash ISA allowance of £5,640. Retirees look set to save the most, putting away £3,901 on average. Young working professionals are a close second, planning to save £2,838 before the end of the current tax year, followed by working families with children under 18, who can afford to put away £2,570 on average.

Kevin Mountford, head of banking atMoneySupermarket.com, said: "It is encouraging to see so many people taking advantage of the tax free benefits of saving into an ISA. Unsurprisingly, it is those who are retired who are putting the most away, but it is encouraging to see so many young professionals getting into the savings habit. While not everyone can afford to put away the maximum tax free allowance of £5,640, taxpayers should try to use as much of their ISA allowance as they can to make sure that the interest they earn on their hard-earned savings is not unnecessarily lost to taxation.

"We are increasingly seeing more Cash ISAs being launched to the market, especially as we draw closer to the end of the current tax year, so for those planning to open an account, doing your homework and searching for the best rate available is crucial. In addition, if you have savings in ISAs you have opened in previous years, then it is worthwhile checking the rates being paid, as you could be on an un-competitively low rate. Switching an existing ISA balance to a market leading deal which allows transfers in, can help maximise your savings pot."

In total, nearly half (45 per cent) of those who have held a Cash ISA in the last five years have withdrawn money from it. The most common reason given for withdrawing money from these savings was to cover household bills, with over a quarter (26 per cent) stating this as the reason for the withdrawal. This was closely followed by 22 per cent of people using their ISA savings to pay for a holiday, and 18 per cent to fund a big ticket purchase such as a car or house. A further one in 10 (11 per cent) withdrew their money as they didn't feel the return they were getting was as much as they were hoping for.

Kevin Mountford continued: "With the cost of living on the up, and inflation remaining high, putting a little away each month into an ISA can help fund any unexpected expenses that may occur. At times like this, it is important to make sure you money is working as hard for you as it can do, and opening a Cash ISA is one of the most tax efficient ways to save and earn good interest on these savings."

Notes to editors

*Opinium Research carried out an online poll of 2,003 British adults from 8^th to 11^th February 2013.

MoneySupermarket.com compares (at 30^th Jan 2013)