Tag: Personal Finance

Editor’s Note: APYs listed in this article are up-to-date as of the time of publication. They may fluctuate (up or down) as the Fed rate changes. CNBC Select will update as changes are made public.

High-yield savings accounts reward you with higher interest rates than traditional savings accounts and allow your money to grow faster thanks to compound interest — which lets you earn interest on interest. The higher your annual percentage yield (APY), the faster your money grows and you get a better return than you would with a traditional savings account.

While rates can fluctuate over time, high-yield savings accounts generally offer APYs over 10 times greater than the national average on savings accounts. So, if you’re building an emergency fund or saving up for a large expense, putting your money in a high-yield savings account can help you reach your goals quicker.

To determine which high-yield savings accounts are the best overall, CNBC Select analyzed and compared dozens of savings accounts offered by online and brick-and-mortar banks, including large credit unions. We considered factors like the account’s APY, its ease of use, account accessibility, monthly fees and minimum balance requirements. The savings accounts selected offer an above-average APY to all customers (no matter their balance), are FDIC-insured, have zero monthly maintenance fees and low (or no) minimum balance requirements. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best high-yield savings accounts.)

Who’s this for? The LendingClub High-Yield Savings account stands out for offering one of the highest returns on your money, charging no monthly maintenance fee and not having a minimum balance requirement. You just need an initial $100 deposit to open the account.

Unlike many savings accounts, LendingClub provides customers with a free ATM card and never charges any ATM fees. This makes it easy to access your savings account and withdraw money whenever you want. You can also use your funds to pay bills, send money to friends and family and make internal and external transfers.

To add money to your savings account at LendingClub, you can deposit cash at select ATMs, deposit checks via the mobile app, do a direct deposit, make an electronic transfer from an external bank or make a wire transfer.

Who’s this for? Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield Online Savings offers no fees whatsoever, no minimum deposits and easy mobile access. It’s the most straightforward savings account to use when all you want to do is grow your money with zero conditions attached.

The Marcus account also stands out thanks to its mobile banking app, which is simple to use and allows you to set up recurring deposits, track your savings goals and see how much interest you’ve earned this year. The bank’s U.S.-based contact center is open 24/7 for live customer support over the phone or through online chat.

Account holders can withdraw money from their Marcus savings account online and by phone through ACH or by free wire transfer to a linked account at another bank. You can also request a withdrawal by check mailed to you.

To add money to your account, you can transfer funds, make direct deposit payments, deposit a check or make a wire transfer. Marcus doesn’t charge a fee if you link other bank accounts for incoming and outgoing transfers, but keep in mind that your other bank might.

While there are no ATM cards or checking account options available through Marcus, the bank does offer a variety of no-fee personal loans as well.

Who’s this for? Ally is a good choice for anyone looking to do all their banking in one place. While the Ally Online Savings Account is a good high-yield account on its own, account holders can enjoy even more benefits if they also have an Ally checking account.

In addition to a solid APY, no minimum account balance and no monthly maintenance fees, an Ally checking and savings account also gives you access to over 43,000 free Allpoint^® ATMs, making it easy to withdraw cash when you need to. If you only have an online savings account, you won’t have access to a debit card.

If you use an out-of-network ATM, Ally doesn’t charge a fee and if the ATM provider does, Ally will reimburse those fees up to $10 per month.

Not all online banks also offer a checking account option. Saving your money with a bank that doesn’t offer a checking account means you would have to transfer your money between banks, which could take a couple of days. By law, account holders with Ally can withdraw or transfer money online up to six times per month with no penalty. After, Ally charges $10 per transfer. You can also call the bank to request a mailed check, which doesn’t count as one of your six transactions.

You can’t deposit cash in your Ally savings account, which is standard for many online banks, but you can deposit checks remotely with eCheck Deposit on the mobile app. Account holders can organize their saving goals by creating up to 10 different “buckets” within the same savings account. For example, you can create a designated fund for a “Future Vacation” and another for “Emergency Savings.”

Ally is also a consumer favorite because of its easy-to-use mobile app and 24/7 live customer service that is available over the phone, through online chat or on the Ally mobile app. 

Who’s this for? Withdrawing money is quick and easy when you have a Synchrony Bank High Yield Savings account. There is no minimum balance requirement, no monthly fees and a strong APY. But what makes this account stand out is its convenient withdrawal options.

Synchrony Bank offers an optional ATM card to its savings account holders. You can access your money by ATM, wire transfer (up to three free per statement cycle) or through an electronic transfer to or from accounts you have at other banks.

Though you are limited to six free withdrawals or transfers per statement cycle, Synchrony Bank allows you to conduct unlimited transactions at an ATM. The bank won’t charge an ATM fee, but the ATM provider may. For these charges, Synchrony Bank refunds ATM fees in the U.S. up to $5 per statement cycle.

Still, you should be wary of how much you withdraw from an ATM because the fees, even with a $5 refund, can add up. According to Bankrate, ATM operators charge customers an average fee of $3.14. Just going to the ATM twice in one month would already put you over the refundable amount.

To deposit money into your savings account at Synchrony Bank, you can make an electronic transfer from an external bank account that you’ve linked, do a direct deposit, make a wire transfer, mail a check or use the bank’s mobile app to deposit a check.

Synchrony Bank’s customer service line is available seven days a week by phone or online chat, as well as 24/7 through its app so you can manage your account on the go. Additional customer perks include complimentary identity theft assistance, travel discounts and free webinars.

Who’s this for? If you want to maximize your interest-earning potential, the Bask Bank Interest Savings Account may be for you. It offers a very respectable cash APY to all savings account holders.

Here’s the kicker: If you’re a frequent traveler, you can opt to earn American Airlines AAdvantage^® miles back instead. You can use these miles for flights on American Airlines or any of its 20+ partner airlines. So, you can effectively fund your next vacation without any spending.

The accounts offer no monthly fees and no minimum deposits. Just note that the bank may close your account if it remains unfunded for 60 days. Bask Bank is a division of Texas Capital Bank, but operates completely online.

Who’s this for? The SoFi Checkings and Savings account stands out for offering a valuable welcome bonus after you set up and receive direct deposit payments. You can earn anywhere from $50 to $300, depending on the total of your direct deposits in a 30-day period.

The account also gives you a solid return. The only caveat is that you must opt-in to direct deposit in order to get the maximum interest.

In addition, the account comes with a debit card that has fee-free ATM access through the Allpoint® Network, which has over 55,000 locations across the country. And while paying with a debit card can sometimes lack rewards, you can get up to 15% cash back when you use your card at specific merchants.

And if you’re looking to fully immerse yourself in the fintech/online bank space, SoFi offers a variety of financial products, including student loans, personal loans, mortgage refinancing, auto loans and more.

Who’s this for? Varo is an all-mobile national bank, so for those looking to save and don’t mind banking entirely over the phone or online, the Varo Savings Account makes a good option.

Varo offers a solid APY to all savings account holders, as well as a checking account option. Neither accounts require minimum balances to open and neither charges monthly maintenance fees. 

Varo stands out because of its uniquely tiered APY program that encourages you to save more.

For those who want extra help saving, the online bank offers two programs that automatically transfer money from your Varo bank account to your savings account: Save Your Pay, which transfers a percentage of your paycheck into your savings, and Save Your Change, which rounds up your checking account transactions to the nearest dollar and transfers the difference to your savings.

Varo also offers an ATM network with no fees (as well as no penalty for overdrafts up to $50). For any cash deposits, note that Varo only makes these available through third-party services, which may charge a fee.

While it may seem nerve-wracking to have limited access to your savings, one of the big reasons to put your emergency fund into a high-yield account is to watch it grow. The higher your account balance is, the more money you will earn in compound interest over time.

There’s a near-zero risk of capital loss when you open a savings account at an FDIC-insured bank, as your account is insured for up to $250,000. Interest rates may decrease, but your cash will not. Theoretically, your money would lose value if the inflation rate is higher than your APY, but that’s no different than a traditional savings account. So, opening a high-yield savings account is definitely worth considering.

The biggest con of a high-yield savings account is that you’re usually limited to a certain number of withdrawals each month before you’re hit with a fee — just like a traditional savings account. Further, interest rates can fluctuate over time, but that applies to all types of savings accounts. Withdrawing money may also be a slightly slower process as only a few high-yield savings accounts offer ATM cards. Most of the online high-yield savings account banks don’t have physical locations.

To determine which high-yield savings accounts offer the best return on your money, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of U.S. savings accounts offered by online and brick-and-mortar banks, including large credit unions. We narrowed down our ranking by only considering those savings accounts that offer an above-average APY, no monthly maintenance fees and low (or no) minimum balance requirements.

While the accounts we chose in this article consistently rank as having some of the highest APY rates, we also compared each savings account on a range of features, including ease of use and account accessibility, as well as factors such as insurance policies and customer reviews when available. We also considered users’ deposit options and each account’s compound frequency.

All of the accounts included on this list are FDIC-insured up to $250,000. Note that the rates and fee structures for high-yield savings accounts are not guaranteed forever; they are subject to change without notice and they often fluctuate in accordance with the Fed rate. Your earnings depend on any associated fees and the balance you have in your high-yield savings account. To open an account, most banks and institutions require a deposit of new money, meaning you can’t transfer the money you already had in an account at that bank.

Editor’s Note: APYs listed in this article are up-to-date as of the time of publication. They may fluctuate (up or down) as the Fed rate changes. CNBC Select will update as changes are made public.

High-yield savings accounts have been in the spotlight in 2023. While the stock market has been highly volatile, high-yield savings accounts have been consistently paying out higher annual percentage yields (APYs) to their customers. Some of this year’s highest rates have exceeded 4% APY.

These types of accounts reward you with higher interest rates than traditional savings accounts and allow your money to grow faster thanks to compound interest — which lets you earn interest on interest. The higher your APY, the faster your money grows and you get a better return than you would with a traditional savings account.

While rates can fluctuate over time, high-yield savings accounts generally offer APYs over 10 times greater than the national average on savings accounts. So, if you’re building an emergency fund or saving up for a large expense, putting your money in a high-yield savings account can help you reach your goals quicker.

To determine which high-yield savings accounts are the best overall, CNBC Select analyzed and compared dozens of savings accounts offered by online and brick-and-mortar banks, including large credit unions. We considered factors like the account’s APY, its ease of use, account accessibility, monthly fees and minimum balance requirements. The savings accounts selected offer an above-average APY to all customers (no matter their balance), are FDIC-insured, have zero monthly maintenance fees and low (or no) minimum balance requirements. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best high-yield savings accounts.)

Who’s this for? The LendingClub High-Yield Savings account stands out for offering one of the highest returns on your money, charging no monthly maintenance fee and not having a minimum balance requirement. You just need an initial $100 deposit to open the account.

Unlike many savings accounts, LendingClub provides customers with a free ATM card and never charges any ATM fees. This makes it easy to access your savings account and withdraw money whenever you want. You can also use your funds to pay bills, send money to friends and family and make internal and external transfers.

To add money to your savings account at LendingClub, you can deposit cash at select ATMs, deposit checks via the mobile app, do a direct deposit, make an electronic transfer from an external bank or make a wire transfer.

Who’s this for? The UFB Preferred Savings account is for anyone who’s focused on maximizing their returns. It offers one of the highest interest rates currently available.

The account charges no monthly fees, allows unlimited transfers and has no minimum deposits. Whether you deposit $1 or $1,000, you’ll earn the same, high return.

As with the other banks on this list, UFB Direct is an online-only bank, and it is a division of Axos Bank. Although there are no physical branches and you can’t add a checking account, customers do get a free ATM card.

Who’s this for? Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield Online Savings offers no fees whatsoever, no minimum deposits and easy mobile access. It’s the most straightforward savings account to use when all you want to do is grow your money with zero conditions attached.

The Marcus account also stands out thanks to its mobile banking app, which is simple to use and allows you to set up recurring deposits, track your savings goals and see how much interest you’ve earned this year. The bank’s U.S.-based contact center is open 24/7 for live customer support over the phone or through online chat.

Account holders can withdraw money from their Marcus savings account online and by phone through ACH or by free wire transfer to a linked account at another bank. You can also request a withdrawal by check mailed to you.

To add money to your account, you can transfer funds, make direct deposit payments, deposit a check or make a wire transfer. Marcus doesn’t charge a fee if you link other bank accounts for incoming and outgoing transfers, but keep in mind that your other bank might.

While there are no ATM cards or checking account options available through Marcus, the bank does offer a variety of no-fee personal loans as well.

Who’s this for? Ally is a good choice for anyone looking to do all their banking in one place. While the Ally Online Savings Account is a good high-yield account on its own, account holders can enjoy even more benefits if they also have an Ally checking account.

In addition to a solid APY, no minimum account balance and no monthly maintenance fees, an Ally checking and savings account also gives you access to over 43,000 free Allpoint^® ATMs, making it easy to withdraw cash when you need to. If you only have an online savings account, you won’t have access to a debit card.

If you use an out-of-network ATM, Ally doesn’t charge a fee and if the ATM provider does, Ally will reimburse those fees up to $10 per month.

Not all online banks also offer a checking account option. Saving your money with a bank that doesn’t offer a checking account means you would have to transfer your money between banks, which could take a couple of days. By law, account holders with Ally can withdraw or transfer money online up to six times per month with no penalty. After, Ally charges $10 per transfer. You can also call the bank to request a mailed check, which doesn’t count as one of your six transactions.

You can’t deposit cash in your Ally savings account, which is standard for many online banks, but you can deposit checks remotely with eCheck Deposit on the mobile app. Account holders can organize their saving goals by creating up to 10 different “buckets” within the same savings account. For example, you can create a designated fund for a “Future Vacation” and another for “Emergency Savings.”

Ally is also a consumer favorite because of its easy-to-use mobile app and 24/7 live customer service that is available over the phone, through online chat or on the Ally mobile app. 

Who’s this for? Withdrawing money is quick and easy when you have a Synchrony Bank High Yield Savings account. There is no minimum balance requirement, no monthly fees and a strong APY. But what makes this account stand out is its convenient withdrawal options.

Synchrony Bank offers an optional ATM card to its savings account holders. You can access your money by ATM, wire transfer (up to three free per statement cycle) or through an electronic transfer to or from accounts you have at other banks.

Though you are limited to six free withdrawals or transfers per statement cycle, Synchrony Bank allows you to conduct unlimited transactions at an ATM. The bank won’t charge an ATM fee, but the ATM provider may. For these charges, Synchrony Bank refunds ATM fees in the U.S. up to $5 per statement cycle.

Still, you should be wary of how much you withdraw from an ATM because the fees, even with a $5 refund, can add up. According to Bankrate, ATM operators charge customers an average fee of $3.14. Just going to the ATM twice in one month would already put you over the refundable amount.

To deposit money into your savings account at Synchrony Bank, you can make an electronic transfer from an external bank account that you’ve linked, do a direct deposit, make a wire transfer, mail a check or use the bank’s mobile app to deposit a check.

Synchrony Bank’s customer service line is available seven days a week by phone or online chat, as well as 24/7 through its app so you can manage your account on the go. Additional customer perks include complimentary identity theft assistance, travel discounts and free webinars.

Who’s this for? If you want to maximize your interest-earning potential, the Bask Bank Interest Savings Account may be for you. It offers a very respectable cash APY to all savings account holders.

Here’s the kicker: If you’re a frequent traveler, you can opt to earn American Airlines AAdvantage^® miles back instead. You can use these miles for flights on American Airlines or any of its 20+ partner airlines. So, you can effectively fund your next vacation without any spending.

The accounts offer no monthly fees and no minimum deposits. Just note that the bank may close your account if it remains unfunded for 60 days. Bask Bank is a division of Texas Capital Bank, but operates completely online.

Who’s this for? The SoFi Checkings and Savings account stands out for offering a valuable welcome bonus after you set up and receive direct deposit payments. You can earn anywhere from $50 to $300, depending on the total of your direct deposits in a 30-day period.

The account also gives you a solid return. The only caveat is that you must opt-in to direct deposit in order to get the maximum interest.

In addition, the account comes with a debit card that has fee-free ATM access through the Allpoint® Network, which has over 55,000 locations across the country. And while paying with a debit card can sometimes lack rewards, you can get up to 15% cash back when you use your card at specific merchants.

And if you’re looking to fully immerse yourself in the fintech/online bank space, SoFi offers a variety of financial products, including student loans, personal loans, mortgage refinancing, auto loans and more.

Who’s this for? Varo is an all-mobile national bank, so for those looking to save and don’t mind banking entirely over the phone or online, the Varo Savings Account makes a good option.

Varo offers a solid APY to all savings account holders, as well as a checking account option. Neither accounts require minimum balances to open and neither charges monthly maintenance fees. 

Varo stands out because of its uniquely tiered APY program that encourages you to save more.

For those who want extra help saving, the online bank offers two programs that automatically transfer money from your Varo bank account to your savings account: Save Your Pay, which transfers a percentage of your paycheck into your savings, and Save Your Change, which rounds up your checking account transactions to the nearest dollar and transfers the difference to your savings.

Varo also offers an ATM network with no fees (as well as no penalty for overdrafts up to $50). For any cash deposits, note that Varo only makes these available through third-party services, which may charge a fee.

While it may seem nerve-wracking to have limited access to your savings, one of the big reasons to put your emergency fund into a high-yield account is to watch it grow. The higher your account balance is, the more money you will earn in compound interest over time.

There’s a near-zero risk of capital loss when you open a savings account at an FDIC-insured bank, as your account is insured for up to $250,000. Interest rates may decrease, but your cash will not. Theoretically, your money would lose value if the inflation rate is higher than your APY, but that’s no different than a traditional savings account. So, opening a high-yield savings account is definitely worth considering.

The biggest con of a high-yield savings account is that you’re usually limited to a certain number of withdrawals each month before you’re hit with a fee — just like a traditional savings account. Further, interest rates can fluctuate over time, but that applies to all types of savings accounts. Withdrawing money may also be a slightly slower process as only a few high-yield savings accounts offer ATM cards. Most of the online high-yield savings account banks don’t have physical locations.

To determine which high-yield savings accounts offer the best return on your money, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of U.S. savings accounts offered by online and brick-and-mortar banks, including large credit unions. We narrowed down our ranking by only considering those savings accounts that offer an above-average APY, no monthly maintenance fees and low (or no) minimum balance requirements.

While the accounts we chose in this article consistently rank as having some of the highest APY rates, we also compared each savings account on a range of features, including ease of use and account accessibility, as well as factors such as insurance policies and customer reviews when available. We also considered users’ deposit options and each account’s compound frequency.

All of the accounts included on this list are FDIC-insured up to $250,000. Note that the rates and fee structures for high-yield savings accounts are not guaranteed forever; they are subject to change without notice and they often fluctuate in accordance with the Fed rate. Your earnings depend on any associated fees and the balance you have in your high-yield savings account. To open an account, most banks and institutions require a deposit of new money, meaning you can’t transfer the money you already had in an account at that bank.