Hargreaves Lansdown

Who they are

Hargreaves Lansdown was founded on 1 July 1981 by Peter Hargreaves and Stephen Lansdown, who initially traded from a bedroom. Over four decades it grew into something much larger. Today it is trusted with more than £172bn by over 2 million clients , making it the largest retail investment site in the UK.

The business is best known for its investment platform - ISAs, SIPPs, funds, shares - but in 2018 it added Active Savings, a cash savings hub that lets you pick and switch between partner-bank rates from a single login. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by CVC Capital Partners, Nordic Capital and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority in March 2025, taking it private after many years as a FTSE 100 firm. For everyday savers, that ownership change makes little practical difference to how the accounts work or how deposits are protected.

Savings accounts

HL offers two ISA products on DepositScout right now: a Cash ISA and a Stocks and Shares ISA.

The HL Cash ISA runs through the Active Savings platform and currently shows a variable rate of 4.41% AER on a two-year term, with a minimum balance of just £1. That rate is variable, so it can move - keep an eye on the live figures on this page for the latest position. Deposits here are protected up to £120,000 through the FSCS, applied per underlying banking partner licence rather than against HL itself. That is worth understanding: all of HL's banking partners are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, meaning up to £120,000 per banking licence is protected if a partner fails. If you hold large balances, it is worth checking which partner bank sits behind the specific product you choose and whether you already hold savings with that same institution.

The HL Stocks and Shares ISA is a different beast entirely. It comes with FSCS investor protection up to £85,000 , but as with any investment account, capital is at risk and this is not a deposit product. It requires a minimum of £100 to get started. It suits savers who are comfortable taking investment risk and have a longer time horizon in mind - not those looking for a guaranteed cash return.

One practical note on the cash side: withdrawals from Active Savings typically take one working day to move from the partner bank to your Cash Hub, and a further working day from the Cash Hub to your nominated bank account. That is not instant, so if you might need money at short notice, factor that in.

The platform experience

Active Savings is slick and easy to use, and lets you move money between accounts at the click of a button. HL's Active Savings won "Best Savings Platform" in both the 2025 and 2024 Good Money Guide Awards. The ability to hold savings and investments in one place is genuinely useful for anyone who already uses HL for their ISA or pension.

That said, like most savings platforms, the panel of partner banks is limited and does not cover the whole market, so it is always worth comparing against the wider best-buy tables. The same or similar products offered directly by the banks may sometimes carry different rates to those available through Active Savings, since HL takes a small fee from the partner banks for the convenience it provides.

Is it right for you?

HL works well if you want to combine cash saving with investments in one place, value a trusted and well-established name, and are happy to manage your savings online. HL has won over 200 awards, including "Best Investment App" and "Best for Customer Service" for 2026, which speaks to the quality of the broader experience.

For pure cash savers, the main question is whether the rate on offer is competitive at the moment you are looking. The Active Savings marketplace model means rates can change as partner banks come and go. The Cash ISA rate shown on this page is variable, so the number today may not be the number in three months. Savers who are laser-focused on chasing the absolute top rate at every moment may find a wider comparison worthwhile, but those who value simplicity and having everything under one roof often find HL a comfortable fit.

As always, compare the live rates shown on this page before you decide - the figures above are the most up-to-date numbers we have for HL's products right now.