The struggling UK economy is having a number of negative effects on British households, leaving them to struggle with the costs of everyday expenses. These financial pressures mean the average Brit is eager to save as much money as possible and ISAs could be the perfect way to do this.

Luckily for British residents, Nationwide offer a vast selection of ISAsthat are suitable to a range of customers. In addition to the standard cash ISAwhich is popular amongst British savers, customers can also open a stocks & shares ISA which can enable you to take advantage of the full ISA allowance 2012.

This currently stands at £10,680 and investing your hard-earned money into these accounts can help you to achieve sizable returns on your funds: making them an ideal way to boost your personal finance levels in periods of economic difficulty.

These accounts can even be opened from as little as £20 and interest is earned as soon as your application is received by the building society - so long as your funds can be moved easily without having to abide by a notice period.

Those looking for ISAs 2012 can therefore benefit from the highly competitive ISA interest rates offered by Nationwide.

Why should you invest in an ISA?

For modern consumers, ISAs can offer a range of financial benefits that can help provide a more secure foundation for future savings. Money matters have routinely been topping the country's growing list of concerns and this means increasing savings is a priority.

For those wondering what is an ISA, they are quite simply savings accounts which provide tax-free interest. There is a limit on how much can be paid into these accounts and there are various different types of ISA offered by banks.

The two main types are cash ISAs and stocks & shares ISA. The ISA limits 2012 state that only £5,340 of the £10,680 can be invested into a cash ISA. This means that the other half of the total allowance can be deposited within a stocks & shares ISA instead.

Doing this ensures that you take advantage of the saving opportunities presented to you, giving you the chance to reap the maximum amount of financial rewards possible.

ISAs can even be obtained for children. The money which is saved in a junior ISA cannot be accessed until the child reaches eighteen - helping to give them the financial freedom they need as they enter adulthood.

For adults who want a similar level of security with their finances, Nationwide lets you take advantage of their full range of ISAs. This means that part of your total allowance could be deposited in a fixed term ISA whilst the remainder can be put into one which allows instant access.

Fixed term ISAs do not allow you to withdraw the funds until a set time period has passed, offering financial security and better rates, in some cases. An instant access ISA can give you the opportunity to save money whilst still ensuring you have access to your money should you need it.

The combination of these products is therefore the ideal way to manage your finances and demonstrates how Nationwide's extensive choice of products could help British households.