What cash effectively gives us is the freedom to lose money

The ONS says 29 per cent of UK adults would not be able to meet an unexpected expense of 850 .

A savings account with enough to cover three months of bills could make a huge difference if you need it.

Between 2013 and 2023 , British people put 436bn into cash ISAs.

Earning the average interest rate on an instant-access cash ISA , that pile would now have grown to 479bn .