Savings accounts will decline in 2026: should you leave your savings to stagnate?

Livret A, LEP, PEL... Regulated savings are part of everyday life for French people.

Secure, liquid and reassuring, they are often the first choice for investing money.

But in 2026, the context will change: interest rates will fall, and with them, the real return on these savings.

So should you continue to leave large sums of money in low-yield savings accounts?

Not necessarily.

📉 New regulated savings rates in 2026: what's changing

From 2026, there will be several adjustments to note:

Livret A: 1.5% from 1 February 2026 (down from 1.7% previously)

LEP: 2.5% (down, but still above the theoretical rate)

PEL opened in 2026: 2% (compared to 1.75% for those opened in 2025)

The PEL therefore benefits from a slight boost. On the other hand, the Livret A and LEP are becoming less attractive, particularly in a context where inflation, even if moderate, continues to erode the purchasing power of savings.

🔍 Safe products... but increasingly less effective

Regulated savings accounts still have undeniable advantages:

guaranteed capital,

immediate availability,

no taxation for some.

But they also have significant limitations:

deposit limits,

low returns,

no long-term growth strategy.

In practice, it makes sense to keep some savings in these accounts as a precaution.

However, leaving large amounts of capital in them for several years often means missing out on potential returns, without any real financial justification.

⚠️ Point to note about PEL savings accounts

Another key factor in 2026:

👉 PEL savings accounts that are more than 15 years old will be automatically closed from March 2026, except for those opened before 1 March 2011.

The sums concerned will be transferred to ordinary savings accounts, which generally offer low returns.

Now is therefore the ideal time to take stock of your savings and make smart decisions.

📈 Security and performance: do you really have to choose?

Contrary to popular belief, there is more than one alternative between:

total security and low returns,

or high risk.

Today, it is possible to:

secure part of your capital,

while seeking a higher return than savings accounts,

thanks to diversified, regulated investment vehicles tailored to your investment horizon.

Life insurance, secure bonus funds, solutions with majority capital protection, cautious but dynamic allocation...

👉 The key lies in the strategy, not in the individual product.

🎯 The importance of a personalised approach

Every saver has different objectives:

availability,

investment horizon,

taxation,

future plans.

Before looking for ‘the best investment’, it is essential to ask yourself the right questions:

How much of my savings should remain fully available?

How much capital can be invested in the medium or long term?

Am I correctly positioned in terms of regulatory changes?

💬 In conclusion

Yes, savings accounts will decline in 2026.

But no, this does not mean you have to give up on performance altogether.

👉 Well-structured savings allow you to combine security, consistency and returns without excessive exposure to risk.

However, you must be willing to move away from the ‘all savings accounts’ reflex and adopt a comprehensive view of your assets.

An audit of your situation often identifies simple, effective and secure opportunities for optimisation.