For the most cautious savers, the returns are not great. On August 1, the rates for the Livret A, the Popular Savings Booklet (LEP) and the Sustainable and Solidarity Development Booklet (LDDS) fell. The remuneration of the French favorite passbook increased from 2.4% to 1.7%. For its part, the LEP rate, reserved for savers with modest incomes, fell from 3.5% to 2.7%.
As alternatives, savers who need to keep their savings close at hand – for a short-term project, for example – could be tempted to turn to other types of savings accounts, such as “super savings accounts”, offered by online banking establishments. From a liquidity point of view, the same principle as a Livret A: you can withdraw your savings at any time, and in terms of security, you take no additional risk: deposits are guaranteed up to 100,000 euros.
Boosted rates of up to 5%
On the other hand, in terms of yield, even with the best “boosted” rate offers of the moment, it will just be possible to do as well as with your Livret A. For a limited time, these super savings accounts can in fact offer you particularly attractive remuneration during periods of falling rates: 3.5%, 4%, or even 5% for the Livret + Fortuneo (see below).
However, after this promotional period of a few months, the rates return to a level of between 1.60 and 2%, which it should be remembered that, unlike Livret A, LEP or LDDS, they are gross of taxation. It will therefore be necessary to subtract 30% of the single flat rate deduction (PFU, or flat tax) to obtain the net remuneration of your interests. Thus, in terms of annualized gross return (taking into account the boosted rate and the base rate), only the Livret + Fortuneo is on par with the Livret A, with a rate over 12 months of 2.45%, which gives, net of flat tax, a rate of 1.715%.
The fact remains that these savings accounts can be relevant if you wish to benefit from a boost in remuneration for your savings over a limited period of time. This may be to prepare a project planned for the beginning of next year, the interest on these booklets generally being paid on the night of December 31 to January 1. You can also use these products as a supplement to your Livret A and LDDS, if you have reached their ceilings, and you do not wish to embark on riskier investments.
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