Immobilize your savings for some time, is it worth it? It is on this principle that savings products are based that are called term accounts (CAT): you agree to block your savings for a duration between 6 months and a few years, and in return, the bank offers you a fixed rate and known in advance. The great benefit of this placement is therefore to allow you to project yourself: you know when opening what your savings will bring you on the chosen duration.
“This type of product is aimed at savers who have the possibility of blocking funds for a reasonable duration, two or three years. This can be the case if you have the necessary liquidity for a project, but which is not for immediately (real estate project, studies or children’s permit, etc.). On this savings, we know that we will not have a unpleasant surprise on the rate, nor risk of loss ”explains Sarah Zamoun, Director of Distino Bank. This category of savings product is indeed guaranteed up to 100,000 euros by the deposit guarantee fund.
Objective: to do better than a booklet A who will fall again in 2026
And even without a well -defined project in mind, the term accounts can also be a good “bet” on the future, if as it seems to be emerging, the rate of the booklet A – already from 2.4% to 1.7% on August 1 – still tumbles on February 1. “We are in a phase of slowdown in inflation, in this context, the yield of risk -free savings products are falling. With a long -term account, we can go unlike this trend, and secure our savings, even the drop in continuous rates in 2026 ”adds Sarah Zamoun.
In this context of the slowdown in inflation and lowering of rates, the yields of the term accounts also win with regard to the start of the year. However, the best online players still offer rates that go up to 3.40% for a 5 -year blockage period at Monabanq. Same operation at Placement-Direct, with a rate that gradually climbs with the number of years on which you are committed. The two new accounts on Distingo Bank are limited to two or three years to choose from, and for short -term projects, Boursobank offers a rate of 1.90% over six months.
Be careful to take into account the taxation on interest
Unlike booklet A – and other regulated booklets, LDDS, LEP – Let us recall, however, that the interests of term accounts are not tax exemption. Thus, it is necessary to withdraw at these displayed rates 30% of single flat -rate levy (PFU or flat tax) to obtain their net remuneration. Also, only a immobilization duration of four or five years at Monabanq or placement-directing ensures a rate higher than the booklet A, that is to say at least 2.5% net of flat tax. However, if the rates of booklet A or LDDS fall to 1.5% at the beginning of next year, a rate of 2.2% gross subscribed today will be enough to beat them.
In addition to these online players, you can also question your traditional bank. They generally offer advantageous rates to their customers with substantial liquidity (between 5,000 and 50,000 euros for example), but they do not communicate on it. Among these establishments, the offers could be interesting in the coming months, indeed “With the rate of French bonds which remains high, due to the political and budgetary situation, the yields of banking products could find interest, even compete with certain life insurance»»Pointe Cyrille Chartier-Kastler, founder of Good Value For Money.
