- Good Money Guide experts rate Lightyear High-Interest Vaults highly for providing an easy-access investment product that allows users to earn competitive interest rates on idle cash. The product is backed by AAA-rated money market funds, although it does come with a 0.25% annual fee and lacks FSCS protection, which may be a consideration for potential investors.
- Across 676 user reviews on Good Money Guide, averaging 4.9/5, customers frequently commend the app's user-friendly interface, low fees, and transparent pricing. Many users appreciate the platform's simplicity and efficiency, making investing accessible for both beginners and experienced investors. However, some users have noted that while the service is excellent, there may be better interest rates available elsewhere.
Lightyear High-Interest Vaults Expert rating
Our expert rating is the average of the areas listed here, each scored out of 5 by our team.Our experts have rated Lightyear High-Interest Vaults across five key areas of our review framework.
- Pricing4.5
- Market Access4.0
- App & Platform5.0
- Customer Service5.0
- Research & Analysis4.5
Pros
- High interest rates
- AAA-rated money market fund
- Interest earn daily
Cons
- Better rates are available elsewhere
- Interest is paid monthly instead of daily
See full expert review
Our verdict
Lightyear’s High-Interest Vaults give customers a way to earn interest on uninvested cash by placing it into low-risk money market funds managed by BlackRock. These are easy-access, variable-rate investment products available in GBP, EUR and USD, designed to track short-term interest rates such as the Bank of England overnight rate.
What are Lightyear High Interest Vaults?
We rate Lightyear’s Vaults highly as they are designed for investors who want their idle cash to earn a market-linked return while remaining easy to access, rather than sitting uninvested in a brokerage account.
Lightyear's High Interest Vaults are an easy-access cash investment product with variable rates, and there are separate vaults for deposits in Sterling, Euros and US dollars. Currently, the Sterling Vault offers around 3.77% AER (variable), with interest calculated daily and paid monthly. There are no minimum or maximum deposit limits, so users can start from £1 and add unlimited amounts.
How do Lightyear Vaults differ from holding cash from savings accounts?
Unlike a traditional savings account, the Vault is an investment product rather than a bank deposit. Your money is invested in AAA-rated money market funds, meaning capital is at risk and FSCS protection does not apply to funds held within the money market fund itself.
What is your money actually invested in?
Cash in the Sterling Vault is placed into funds such as the BlackRock ICS Sterling Liquidity Fund, which invests in diversified short-term instruments like treasury bills, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and repurchase agreements. This spreads risk across multiple institutions rather than relying on a single bank.
Is it cheaper to buy the money market fund directly?
Lightyear charges a 0.25% annual fee on money held in the Sterling Vault. While investors could theoretically access similar institutional money market funds directly, minimum investments can run into hundreds of millions, so Lightyear provides retail access to these products with no minimum deposit.
Customer reviews for Lightyear
Customer ratings come from reviews left on this site. Every review is read and approved before it is published.Based on 676 reviews
- Excellent92%
- Very good6%
- Basic1%
- Poor1%
- Bad0%
Read customer reviews
Unbeatable fees
I use this investing app because of the low costs. The available assets are increasing, it's getting better and better.
Great app.
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Easy Platform to use
No excessive emails and very user/friendly with an easy APP to use as well as the online version.
A magic app
Having had the Lightyear app for over two years I can say with constant upgrades and new products i am well pleased with the service. Very helpful for those new to the whole world of investments.
Great investment app
I am very satisfied with the Lightyear app and the customer support
Simple and effective
Simple easy and cheap investing platform
It’s support Hungarian tax saving accounts
ETF selection could have been better
Missing fractional ETF buy possibility
No 2FA on web
Convenient investing
You can find Shares along ETFs and MMFs. Even your uninvested money earns some interest.
Best investing platform
Lightyear is a great platform, which is easy to use and has very low fees, even no fees for buying ETFs and holding stocks and ETFs there. I love it!
sake of simplicity
It is great user-friendly from all angles
good opportunity for investments
I've been using it to buy ETFs for a few months now, so far I've had a very positive experience with it. Communication with the company is very good. Any questions you have will be answered kindly.
Great for US stocks
Cheap and easy to invest in US stocks. Plus great interest rates in uninvested cash via their cash vaults
Easy to use, good savings options and more
Easy to use, good savings options, and more!
Overall a great app that is easy and offers plenty of options
I love this app; I really do. In my opinion, the only real thing missing is the fact that not all stocks are represented (albeit plenty of the main options). However, the main thing that stops me from giving 5 stars is purely the fact that they don't have a DRIP function whereby any dividends are automatically reinvested in the stock that paid them out. other than the slight lack of stock choices and absence of DRIP, it really is a solid app and incredibly easy to use (not to mention cheap).
Best platform after IB
A great, user-friendly and cheap way to build yourself an investing portfolio. A fan from day one.
Where to put my money
I’m not a stockshark, so I wanted to find a reliable and simple to use app with a relatively cheap fees. I’ve find all this in Lightyear.
Great platform
Easy to use, good value.. and fast
Easy to use investing platform
Lightyear is a very competent investing and banking entity. The services offered are extensive and professional. Using the app is intuitive with a smooth interface. There is a large range of investments available.
The best investing app
I like how their app looks so good and a bit futuristic. They also made investing easy and with really good conditions. I love their saving option, where my money gets paid interest, and it is hassle-free to invest via Lightyear.
Excellent choice for micro investor
Convenient, hassle-free, reasonable prices (US market), no ads - wonderful choice for someone who invests or trades with small sums. Excellent reports for tax-declarations (at least for Estonian residents).
Top notch team and app!
Fast delivery of new features, app looks good and things overall work quick.
Lightyear’s High-Interest Vaults are designed to help investors earn a return on idle cash by placing it into low-risk money market funds rather than leaving it uninvested in a brokerage account. In this guide, we explain how the Vaults work, what they invest in and whether they’re a good alternative to traditional savings.
Capital at risk
Richard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker Guide), one of the original investment comparison sites established in 2015. With a career spanning two decades as a broker, he brings extensive expertise and knowledge to the financial landscape.
Having worked as a broker at Investors Intelligence and a multi-asset derivatives broker at MF Global (Man Financial), Richard has acquired substantial experience in the industry. His career began as a private client stockbroker at Walker Crips and Phillip Securities (now King and Shaxson), following internships on the NYMEX oil trading floor in New York and London IPE in 2001 and 2000.
Richard’s contributions and expertise have been recognized by respected publications such as The Sunday Times, BusinessInsider, Yahoo Finance, BusinessNews.org.uk, Master Investor, Wealth Briefing, iNews, and The FT, among many others.
Under Richard’s leadership, the Good Money Guide has evolved into a valuable destination for comprehensive information and expert guidance, specialising in trading, investment, and currency exchange. His commitment to delivering high-quality insights has solidified the Good Money Guide’s standing as a well-respected resource for both customers and industry colleagues.
