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Savings advice

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Choosing a savings account can feel confusing because there are so many different accounts available. Shop around and do your research to get the best deal. 

Look at the tables in the personal finance sections of newspapers or visit money comparison sites to find the best current rates.

Review your savings accounts regularly to check whether the rate of interest being paid is still competitive – interest rates often drop sharply after the first year and so it pays to move your money to a new account. The interest rate of an account is often linked to how long you save your money for. Some accounts let you take out your money whenever you want, but for others you may have to give notice to take out money without incurring a penalty, or not be able to make a withdrawal until the end of a fixed period.

You can invest a certain amount of money in an Individual Savings Account (ISA). Cash ISAs often offer a higher rate of interest than other savings accounts and the interest is paid free of Income Tax.

Interest on most savings accounts is paid with 20% Income Tax deducted. If you don’t pay tax, you can fill in a form from your bank or building society to arrange for the interest to be paid without this deduction. Even if you are a taxpayer, you may be able to reclaim part of the tax.

An independent financial adviser may be able to help you arrange your savings in the most suitable way for you. Visit  opens link in new window www.unbiased.co.uk to find an adviser.

opens link in new window Download the guide Money matters (PDF 2MB)

opens link in new window Download the guide Managing your money (PDF 3 MB)

opens link in new window Download the Tax guide (PDF 630 KB)

We are grateful for the generous support of Dr Naim Dangoor CBE
and The Exilarch's Foundation

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Age UK Advice:
0800 169 6565

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Downloads

What is a download?

A download is a document (like a research report, a leaflet, or an application form) that can be transferred from our website to your computer. You can download a file, view it on your screen, print it, or save it to your computer.

What is a PDF?

PDF stands for ‘portable document format’.

Most downloads on this website are PDFs. We use this format to ensure that the document looks the same on everyone’s computer (website pages, by contrast, appear differently depending on how people have set their computer up).

How do I download a PDF?

Computers use a program called Adobe Acrobat Reader to download PDFs. If you try clicking on a link to download a PDF and it doesn’t work, you will need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader onto your computer.

How do I install Adobe Acrobat Reader?

The process is quite straightforward and is free.

  1. Go to opens link in new window http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/
  2. Click ‘Download’.
  3. Wait for the window to offer you the option to ‘Run’, then choose this option.
  4. Click ‘Next’.
  5. Click ‘Install’
  6. Wait for the window to offer you the option to ‘Finish’, then choose this option.

How do I change a download?

PDFs cannot be changed. If you need to be able to type into a downloaded document (for example, if we are offering a letter template that you need to put your name on) we will provide it as a Microsoft Word document rather than a PDF. You can then download it, type into it and save it to your computer.

How do I print or save a download?

Downloads will open on your computer in a new browser window.

Inside this window (below all your web browser menus), there will be a toolbar with options for you to print or save the document.

Close the browser window to return to the Age UK website.

Can my screen reader read PDF downloads?

We have made every effort to make our PDFs accessible to screen readers. Here is an overview of your accessibility options available in Acrobat Reader. Please ensure that you have downloaded the latest version of Acrobat Reader from the Adobe Reader website to ensure that they are included in your version of the programme.

You can use Adobe Reader to read a PDF out loud with the following shortcut keys:

  • Read the document: Shift +Ctrl+Y
  • Read the open page only: Shift +Ctrl+V
  • Read to the end of the document: Shift+Ctrl+B
  • Pause: Shift+Ctrl+C
  • Stop Shift+Ctrl+E

You can also convert a PDF into a web page by following these steps:

  • Copy the URL (web address) of the document (right-click on the link and select ‘Save target as’ or ‘Copy link’).
  • Open the Adobe online conversion tool in your browser and paste the URL into the URL box.
  • Tick the HTML box on the Format option and click ‘Convert’.

You can convert a PDF document into a text file for use with other software and hardware such as Braille printers by opening the PDF and choosing ‘Save as text’ from the File menu.

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