Hampshire Trust Bank

Who they are

Hampshire Trust Bank has roots going back to 1977, when it started life in Fareham, Hampshire, as a small specialist lender. Its trajectory shifted significantly in 2014 when it was acquired by private equity firm Alchemy Partners - at the time the bank was described as a "dormant bridging lender", and the acquisition marked something of a rebirth. Under new management, it relaunched with a focus on relationship-based banking in specialist areas often overlooked by mainstream lenders, including asset finance, specialist mortgages, and development finance for SMEs.

In February 2022, Hampshire Trust Bank acquired Wesleyan Bank from Wesleyan Assurance Society, adding further scale to its operations. For personal savers, the important thing to know is that HTB uses retail deposits to fund lending to UK businesses - so your cash is doing something tangible on this side of the balance sheet.

It is worth noting that Hampshire Trust Bank and Hampshire Building Society are entirely separate entities - HTB operates as a specialist bank offering savings and commercial finance, while Hampshire Building Society is a mutual focused on savings and mortgages for its members. Easy to mix up, but they share nothing.

Savings accounts

Right now, Hampshire Trust Bank's personal savings range on DepositScout features one account: the Online Saver, an easy access account paying 4.20% AER variable. It opens with as little as £1, and there are no withdrawal restrictions - you can take your money out whenever you like without any penalty or notice period. The account accepts deposits up to £250,000, which makes it a practical option if you're sitting on a larger lump sum and want somewhere genuinely flexible.

That combination - a competitive variable rate, no withdrawal catches, and a high deposit ceiling - is what earns it a mention in our rates roundup as a solid "set-and-forget" option for savers who don't want to think too hard about access rules.

Because the rate is variable, it can change. The figure shown on this page is always current, so check back if some time has passed since you first looked.

Safety and FSCS protection

Hampshire Trust Bank plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. All eligible deposits are protected up to a total of £120,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Note that this is higher than the standard £85,000 limit that most banks carry - HTB holds its own separate banking licence, so the protection sits at £120,000 per person. For joint accounts, each holder is treated as having an equal share, meaning a joint account held by two people with no other deposits at HTB would be protected up to £240,000.

There are no licence-sharing complications to worry about here - HTB does not share its banking authorisation with any other consumer-facing savings brand, so your full FSCS allowance is available for use with them.

Is it right for you?

Hampshire Trust Bank suits savers who want a straightforward easy access account with a decent rate, no fuss around withdrawals, and room for a larger balance. There are no current account switch offers and no cash ISA on the DepositScout listing at this time, so if a tax-free wrapper or a switching bonus is your priority, you would need to look elsewhere.

HTB was named Savings Provider of the Year 2026 at the Moneycomms Awards and retained its title as Best Fixed Rate Savings Provider for the second year running - not a guarantee of anything, but a reasonable signal that the bank takes its savings proposition seriously.

The live rate and full account details are shown on this page - always worth a glance before you apply, as rates on variable accounts can shift without much notice.