ING Conto Arancio review

Interest is paid at a variable rate of 4%, so that figure can rise or fall with the bank's pricing. It sits above the site median of 3%, which helps when you are weighing easy-access pots. You are credited at the end of the year or on closure.

There is no monthly charge: the fee on the account is €0 and the product is a no-monthly-fee account. The minimum deposit is €0, and the first deposit can be of any amount, so you can start with a small sum and add later without paying to hold it.

The minimum deposit is €0, so there is no floor to clear, and the account ranks 1 of 379 brands on that measure. You still have to make a first deposit of any amount before the account earns interest, and the balance has to sit with your Conto Corrente Arancio.

Yes. There is no lock-in, so you can withdraw or transfer the money at any time, which suits an emergency buffer or cash you may need without warning. The account is classed as easy access, so access takes priority over locking the money away for a fixed period.

Interest on the 4% variable rate is credited at the end of the year or when you close the account. A withdrawal part way through the year does not bring an interest payment with it, so the balance accrues across the full year if you leave the money in place until the credit lands.

Yes, the savings must be linked to a Conto Corrente Arancio, which ING also treats as the default account for the relationship. The provider is ING BANK N.V. Milan Branch, and the group's Italian operation dates back to 2001, so you would open that current account before the savings.

Support runs on phone, help centre and email, which covers phone, a help centre and email. You can raise a question by phone or in writing without arranging an appointment, and the same routes cover the linked current account as well as the savings.