Listed below are just a few of the less complicated products on offer from some of the main financial houses which will be looking for our custom. . .

AIB The handy thing for existing AIB SSIA holders is that, on the day after maturity, the balances in these accounts will automatically be converted to an AIB Instant Access Account, which will pay a variable rate of 3.25% (ECB + 0.75%) for the three calendar months following maturity (allowing people the time to consider their options).

One such option is the AIB Regular Saver Account, which carries a variable rate of 5% (ECB + 2.5%) This rate will apply until January 1, 2008, and will then revert to the ECB rate (currently 2.5%) until the January 1, 2009. The upper and lower limits for a regular monthly savings are 10 up to 300 per month - and this is open to all savers, not just SSIA savers.

Another option for savers is the AIB Savings Incentive Plan (SIP), which is an equity-based savings plan catering for savers who may have previously opted for the deposit route, and who are now keen on considering the equity alternative. Possibly the most attractive element of this plan is the fact that the AIB SIP will give some customers a bonus on their savings at the end of five years, which will equal 25% of a full year's contribution. The bonus is available to savers who, at the beginning of the SIP, invest a lump sum equal to three times the yearly savings, and make a minimum contribution of 150 per month for the first five years.

AIB's equity SSIA savers will also benefit from an additional bonus (similar to the AIB Savings Incentive Plan), as long as they fulfill certain requirements.

Bank of Ireland Not to be outdone, Bank of Ireland has recently launched its suite of products aimed at attracting both the existing SSIA money and any future regular savers - and this will include a continuation of the 25% government bonus for some equity customers.

Bank of Ireland Life will continue to pay the government bonus of 25% for six months on the regular savings into its equity plan for those who invest half of their lump sum and continue to save for an additional three years. In order to avail of this, existing equity SSIA customers will be required leave at least 50% of their SSIA maturity fund invested in their policy, while new customers are required to invest a minimum of three times their annual new regular savings contributions upfront.

The minimum saving is 50 per month, and there is no maximum.

There is also the option of the Bank of Ireland Special Bonus Saver Account. This is a deposit account offering 3% fixed for existing customers funds for three months, with an option to avail of 4% for 18 months for new regular savings. Other options include a short-term two-year bond, offering a 6% fixed rate over two years, and a Special Term Account offering, a fixed rate of 2.8% for the first 12 months. And there is no DIRT liability if the savings are held for three or five years - which is equivalent to 3.5% gross before DIRT. The minimum investment for these term accounts is 3,000.

NIB National Irish Bank is looking to complete a major comeback in the Irish market with a couple of products aimed at the modern saver's needs. The first of these is the NIB Tracker Deposit Account, which has been designed to accommodate SSIA lump sums. The subscription period opens on May 1 and closes on August 31 of this year, leaving not much room for people to decide.

But if they do opt for this particular option, they will have some nice rates to contend with, depending on the size of the deposits.

Although the Tracker Deposit Account does require a minimum investment, there is no requirement for a minimum balance, and the maximum balance is 50,000.

Linked to the ECB rate, people with a balance of more than 5,000 can avail of ECB + 0.8% (currently 3.3%), while those with a deposit of between 20,000 and 50,000 will enjoy a rate of ECB + 1% (or 3.5% at the moment). But what is perhaps most attractive about this deposit account is the maturation date of December 31, 2008 - or 2.5 years.

The other main NIB SSIA product is the Regular Savings Account, which again is linked to the ECB rate, this time plus 0.5%. Available from May 31 of this year until 30 April 2008, it offers instant access to its money, and requires no minimum balance. And it will be flexible in the amount and the frequency of deposits made.