Martin Lewis has highlighted what he called a “gobsmacking” savings deal that briefly topped the UK market, after Marcus, the UK savings arm of Goldman Sachs, launched a one‑year fixed‑rate account paying 4.55 per cent — the highest one‑year fix available at the time.
The money expert featured the account on his ITV show, telling viewers it was the best one‑year fixed savings option in the country.
The rate exceeded the 4.5 per cent currently offered by Chase’s easy‑access account, prompting Mr Lewis to warn that “this could well be the last over‑4.5 per cent savings fix that we see in 2026”.
Marcus offered savers a guaranteed return for a full year.
Mr Lewis said the deal stood out given the broader direction of interest rates, describing it as “quite gobsmacking in the current environment”.
He explained that the offer broke with normal market behaviour.
Easy‑access accounts typically pay more because their rates can be cut at short notice, while fixed‑rate deals usually pay less in exchange for certainty.
He said: “Here we have a fix paying a lot more than easy access, so it’s an outlier.”
The money expert drew attention to one account in particular
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PAThe MoneySavingExpert suggested the unusually high rate may reflect a deliberate strategy by Goldman Sachs to attract new customers.
“My honest guess is someone in head office in America said we want you to buy more customers,” he said.
“Goldman Sachs has big pockets, so they’re buying more customers with a total outlier rate of 4.55 per cent, so in the future they can cross‑sell other products.”
The account also offered an unusual degree of flexibility for a fixed‑rate product.
The website says the saver in currently unavailable
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Marcus
Most fixed deals require savers to lock their money away for the full term, but Marcus allowed early closure with a penalty of up to 90 days’ interest.
Mr Lewis described the feature as “a pretty good get out of jail free card”.
The rate also stood well above its nearest competitor, with Shawbrook offering the second‑highest one‑year fix at 4.27 per cent.
Mr Lewis said the wider interest‑rate environment made the Marcus deal particularly striking, noting that the UK base rate fell to 3.75 per cent last month and could drop further to between three per cent and 3.25 per cent over the next year.
However, the deal appeared to be withdrawn shortly after being highlighted.
Martin Lewis said a fix outpacing an easy access saver is rare
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PABy Monday morning, the Marcus website displayed a message saying the account was “currently unavailable”.
It is not yet clear whether the withdrawal is temporary.
Mr Lewis warned viewers that high‑paying savings deals are often released in limited batches and can disappear quickly depending on demand.
He also stressed that some savers may find better‑suited options depending on their circumstances, pointing to Help to Save accounts for people on lower incomes and Cash ISAs for those who pay tax on savings interest.
