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A high-yield savings account can be a great way to grow your funds, boost your emergency fund, or save for a big purchase. We’ve evaluated savings account from perks, fees, minimum balances, accessibility to money, APY, and overall quality.
Barclays Online Savings' rate are consistently some of the highest in the nation with great features. No minimum opening balance or deposit required to open. Fees could reduce the earnings on the account.
UFB Direct comes with check-writing capabilities and a free ATM card with a national network of fee-free ATMs.
This savings account is unique where you need to deposit $100 a month to get the highest APY. If you don't deposit $100+ a month, then you need to maintain $25,000 in the account. If you don't do either, you won't receive the higher end APY.
Quontic Bank high yield savings account provides you with the opportunity to accrue interest at a rate 15x higher than the national average. Interest compounds daily and is paid into your account every month.
This savings account will provide a flat APY regardless of your balance, and you won't worry about monthly fees. A great perk with this account is you can request a free ATM card.
This savings account will provide a flat APY regardless of your balance, and you won't worry about monthly fees. A great perk with this account is you can request a free ATM card.
This savings account will provide a flat APY regardless of your balance, and you won't worry about monthly fees. A great perk with this account is you can request a free ATM card.
A savings account typically offers higher interest rates than a checking account. The money in a savings account, while liquid, should be viewed as long-term or an emergency fund. Whereas in a checking account, the money is used consistently for daily purchases. Savings accounts may help with budgeting and wealth building.
Anyone who has a lot of money sitting in a traditional savings account and is willing to do a bit of work to get a higher return on their money should consider a high interest savings account. These accounts tend to offer more than 10 times the interest rate of traditional savings accounts, which means your money will grow faster.
The Federal Reserve is the central bank of the United States, and it determines, among other things, interest rates. When the Fed raises rates, banks, in turn, raise savings and CD rates.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is a committee within the Federal Reserve System that meets eight times a year to determine monetary policy. The FOMC targets the federal funds rate and may also set targets for other interest rates, such as the discount rate.
Banks set their deposit account rates in response to overall market conditions, including interest rates set by the Federal Reserve. Those market conditions are affected by multiple factors, not just monetary policy. The nation’s largest banks generally pay less than smaller banks and credit unions on savings accounts and CDs.
It’s difficult to know exactly how much money you should save in a high-interest savings account. Everyone’s situation is different, and there are many factors to consider before deciding exactly how much money you should save.
Your situation – and your savings goals – will dictate just how much you should be saving in an account like this. Here are some considerations:
To get started, we suggest calculating how much money you need to save right now to meet all of your short-term goals (three years or less). Then consider how much more money you’ll need over the next few years to meet your goals.
When it comes to saving for long-term goals (10+ years), a high-interest savings account may not be best suited for this purpose. That’s because interest rates are currently low, and these accounts typically have a balance cap which means after you reach this limit, you won’t earn interests.
All financial institutions are required to be insured through FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) or NCUA (National Credit Union Administration). These organizations do have limits and will insure up to $250,000 per account, per person, per bank.
Savings accounts can be either at a bank or a credit union, and they’re protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) by up to $250,000 per depositor.
The FDIC is an independent agency of the U.S. government that protects against the loss of deposits if an FDIC-insured bank or savings association fails.
This means that your money is safe in a savings account at an FDIC-insured bank, as long as you’re within the insurance limit. If you have more than $250,000 in savings accounts or want to protect other assets and investments, consider opening another account at a different institution so your money is spread out across multiple places and won’t exceed FDIC limits in any one place.
Savings accounts may require minimum balances, or banks charge a maintenance fee. These fees are not usually high but are monthly and can add up quickly. Having a checking account and a direct deposit into savings each month usually waves these fees.
The fees that you need to watch out for are:
The interest earned on many savings accounts is taxable at the federal level unless they are tax-deferred or tax-exempt. This applies to savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), and money market accounts.
If you have a savings account through a broker or financial advisor, you may receive a 1099 tax form at the end of the year showing how much interest you earned during the previous year. If you do not, you should keep track of all interest earned in your account each month to declare it when filing your taxes.
State taxes vary by state. Some states will tax your savings account interest; others do not. You may need to contact your state’s revenue department for information regarding state taxes on interest from savings accounts.
Grand openings of new banks usually offer a variety of promotions to bring in new customers. These are great opportunities to find low fees and higher interest rates with a cash promotion for depositing a certain amount. Choosing the best savings account boils down to the following:
