We're now officially past the halfway point in 2021, and if you've been playing the banking game seriously, you might be surprised at just how much you've already earned. But here's the thing — most people have absolutely no idea what they've actually made from their current accounts, credit cards, and savings accounts.
Let's fix that.
In this post, I'm going to walk you through how to calculate exactly what you've earned so far, where you might be leaving money on the table, and — crucially — how to make the second half of your year even more profitable.
Calculating Your Bank Switch Earnings
If you've switched banks in the first half of 2021, you've probably picked up at least one bonus. But how much is it worth?
Right now, there are some cracking offers available. We're seeing switch bonuses ranging from £100 up to £1,500 depending on which bank you choose and what you do to qualify. The joint-top offers are sitting around £125-£150 in straight cash, though some banks are getting creative with gift cards, travel vouchers, and experience days instead of pure cash.
Here's what you need to do to work out your switching earnings:
List every switch you've completed. Write down each bank you've moved to, the bonus amount you received, and the date you received it. Don't forget joint account switches — you can potentially get bonuses on both the joint account AND individual accounts.
Check your eligibility tracker. Have a look at our eligibility checker to see if there are any banks you haven't switched to yet in the Vostok Switching Service period. You've typically got 36 months between switches at the same bank.
Factor in any additional bonuses. Some banks are offering extra cash for setting up direct debit guides, or they've been running extended periods of high-level cashback. Did you get a £1,000 bonus just for switching, or was there another £100-200 wrapped in conditions?
If you've done three solid switches in the first half of 2021, you're probably looking at earnings somewhere between £300 and £500 already, plus any ongoing cashback bonuses from your previous switches.
What You've Made From Stoozing
Stoozing is the quieter earner, but it's the one that keeps paying you money month after month if you do it right.
Here's the reality: if you've got a 0% balance transfer credit card, you're essentially getting an interest-free loan that you can stick into a savings account and pocket the interest differential. At the moment, you can still find decent savings rates at around 0.5-1.2% depending on the account type and how much you've got saved.
Let's do the maths.
Say you transferred £3,000 onto a 0% card in January and locked it into a regular savers earning 1.0%. By the end of June, you've made:
- £3,000 × 1% ÷ 12 months × 6 months = £15
That doesn't sound like much, but it scales. If you've got £5,000 stoozing, you're making £25. If you've juggled multiple cards and kept £10,000 going simultaneously, you're looking at £50 or more.
The real skill with stoozing is keeping multiple 0% cards running in parallel and maximising your savings rate. We've got a full breakdown of how stoozing works if you want to dig deeper into the mechanics.
One important note: Track the fees. If your 0% balance transfer deal cost you a 2-3% fee upfront, that cuts into your interest earnings. Make sure the interest you're making genuinely beats the cost of entry.
Regular Saver Accounts — The Steady Earner
Regular saver accounts are the unsexy cousin of high-yield accounts, but they're often the highest-paying option if you've got the discipline to feed them every month.
Right now, rates are sitting anywhere from 3-5% depending on the account. Let's say you've found one paying 4% and you've been putting in £300 every month since January:
- January: £300 earning for 6 months
- February: £300 earning for 5 months
- March: £300 earning for 4 months
- April: £300 earning for 3 months
- May: £300 earning for 2 months
- June: £300 earning for 1 month
Your interest earned to date is approximately £30. Not glamorous, but it's free money that most people aren't capturing because they don't know these accounts exist.
And here's the key: that account can run for the full 12 months of the year. You've got six months left to keep feeding it, which means you could potentially double your earnings from this single account by year-end.
How It All Adds Up
Let's imagine you've been properly strategic in the first half of 2021:
- Two bank switches completed: £250 (average)
- Stoozing with £5,000 at 1%: £25
- Regular saver (£300/month at 4%): £30
Total so far: £305
That's money in the bank that would've just sat there doing nothing.
But here's what most people miss: that's just the first half, and you've got momentum. You've already got systems in place. You know which banks offer what. You understand the cooling-off checker periods. You've had time to research the best current offers and plan your next move.
Optimising Your Second Half
If you want to properly maximise the rest of 2021, here's what to prioritise:
Switch at least two more banks. You've got half the year left. If you can line up two more switches, you're potentially looking at another £200-300. Some people push for three more, which would give you £300-450 additional earnings.
Identify your next 0% card. If you've finished one balance transfer deal, there's usually another one waiting. Keep that stoozing pipeline full. The 0% rates are still reasonable right now, and the savings rates are holding up.
Max out a second regular saver. If you found one paying 4-5%, see if there's another account you haven't opened yet paying similar rates. You can run multiple regular savers in parallel (at different banks). Double your contribution route, double your earnings.
Check the cooling-off rules. Before you switch, use our switching guide to make sure you're not accidentally activating a new cooling-off period that'll block you from your next switch.
Common Questions
Can I actually earn £1,000+ per year doing this?
Absolutely. If you're running three bank switches (£300-450), keeping £10,000+ in stoozing rotation at an average of 0.8% (£80), and maxing out two regular savers at 4% with consistent contributions (£40-60), you're easily over £500. Many people pull in £1,000+ when they factor in cashback, old loyalty bonuses still paying out, and more aggressive switching cycles.
Will switching banks damage my credit score?
Not significantly. Multiple hard searches can briefly dip your score, but they drop off after 12 months and won't prevent you from getting approved for new accounts. Banks know people switch — it's expected. As long as you're paying your bills on time, your score bounces back quickly.
What happens after the cooling-off period?
The cooling-off period is typically 12 months, but it varies by bank. During this time, you can't get a bonus again at that bank. After it expires, you can switch back and potentially claim another bonus. That's why tracking dates matters.
Is stoozing risky?
The main risk is interest rate changes (your savings rate might drop) or accidentally missing a payment on the 0% card (which would end your 0% period and likely charge you interest). Stay organised, set up payment reminders, and you'll be fine.
Should I prioritise switching or stoozing?
Switching gives you bigger lumps of cash upfront (£100-1,500 per switch). Stoozing is smaller but steadier (£10-50 per month, month after month). Ideally, you do both simultaneously. They're not competing strategies — they're complementary.
Here's the bottom line: You're halfway through 2021. If you've been even remotely serious about optimising your banking, you've already put genuine money in your pocket. The second half is where you cash in on what you've learned and systematise what works.
Check our live offers page for what's available right now, and don't leave free money on the table for the next six months.