If the low yields on savings accounts at your brick-and-mortar bank have you searching for other options, you’ll be pleased to know there are still plenty of high-interest savings accounts online. While the interest from your savings won’t be funding your retirement, it can still add up, particularly on higher balances.
The Simple Dollar has examined several of the most popular online banks to find the best high-yield savings accounts in 2015. All of these banks offer high interest rates, low or no minimum balances, and no account maintenance fees. Here are our top picks:
We’ll also give you a primer on high-yield savings accounts, including what that interest rate really means and whether online banking is a smart choice for you.
The Best High-Yield Savings Accounts
MySavingsDirect
You won’t get a flashy website or lots of other banking options with MySavingsDirect, an online division of Emigrant Bank, a large bank based in New York City. But if you’re just looking for a basic savings account with the highest interest rate you can find, it’s hard to beat the 1.25% APY on its High Interest Savings Account.
Even better? You won’t pay any monthly maintenance fees or any other hidden fees, and you don’t need a hefty balance to open the account. You’ll access your money by making electronic transfers from up to two linked external checking accounts.
Synchrony Bank
Synchrony Bank’s High Yield Savings Account offers an impressive 1.05% APY. There is no minimum balance required to open an account, though you will have to keep at least a $30 balance to avoid a $5 monthly maintenance fee.
You can make deposits and withdrawals via electronic transfers, over the phone, or with an optional ATM card. There’s also a convenient mobile check deposit feature.
Depending on your balance and the length of time you’ve had your account, you may also qualify for Synchrony’s OptimizerPlus perks, which include travel discounts, ATM fee reimbursements, and free identity theft resolution services.
Barclays
If you’re looking for an online bank that’s a little better-known, British megabank Barclays might fit the bill. Its U.S. division offers an Online Savings Account with 1.00% APY, no minimum balance, and no monthly maintenance fees. You can make deposits via mobile check deposit, direct deposit, electronic transfer, or mail.
If you’re willing to keep your hands off your money for awhile, Barclays also offers a Dream Account with 1.05% APY. Make deposits of up to $1,000 for six months, and earn a 2.5% bonus on your interest; make no withdrawals for six months and earn another 2.5% bonus.
Ally
High-profile online bank Ally offers 0.99% APY on its Online Savings Account with no account minimum and no monthly maintenance fees. Ally also boasts some of the most transparent account disclosures in online banking as well as 24/7 customer service, a rarity.
Make deposits via electronic transfer, mobile check deposit, direct deposit, or mail. You can also link up to 20 external accounts to your savings account, should the need arise.
If you want to keep your funds more readily available, Ally’s Money Market Account earns 0.85% APY and allows unlimited no-fee ATM withdrawals.
Discover Bank
You’ll need at least $500 to open an Online Savings Account with Discover Bank, but you’ll get a healthy 0.90% APY. There is no ongoing minimum balance or monthly maintenance fee.
Like Ally, Discover has 24/7 customer service and a convenient mobile-banking app that allows mobile check deposit. You can also make deposits via electronic transfer, direct deposit, and mail.
For easy ATM access, Discover’s Money Market Account features free withdrawals at 60,000 ATMs nationwide. That account earns 0.75% APY on balances under $100,000, or 0.80% over that amount.
Capital One 360
It’s not the highest rate on this list, but 360 Savings from Capital One 360 still offers a respectable 0.75% APY with no minimum balance and no account maintenance fees. You’ll also be able to stay organized with up to 25 free sub-accounts, an automatic savings plan, and the My Savings Goals tool. Make deposits via mobile check deposit, phone, online electronic transfer, or mail.
If you’re in the market for other accounts, Capital One 360 offers one of the best variety of products online, including teen checking, mortgages, business accounts, and investments.
Is a High-Yield Savings Account Your Best Option?
High-interest savings accounts are an ideal place to keep your emergency fund or any money to which still you need ready access. Your money will be safer than if you stuffed it under your mattress, and it will grow a bit, too.
However, regardless of where you open a savings account, federal regulations limit you to six withdrawals or outgoing transfers each month. Exceed that number and you could be charged a fee. One notable exception is ATM withdrawals, which are not restricted.
Remember, there are fewer ways to get your money from a savings account versus a checking account. You may not be able to write checks or get a debit card for your savings account — both are perks typical of checking accounts. But if you opt for checking, you may get a very low interest rate, or none at all.
A money market account may be a happy medium between the two: You’ll still earn a decent interest rate, but you’ll often have check-writing and debit card privileges, too.
Another common savings option is a CD, or certificate of deposit. CDs may earn a higher interest rate than savings accounts, particularly at brick-and-mortar banks. This may not be the case online, however, where you can find a number of high-interest savings options. Note that you may need a bigger initial deposit to open a CD, and must agree not to touch your money for a specific term or you’ll have to pay an early-withdrawal fee.
What Does a ‘High Interest Rate’ Really Amount To?
Online, you can easily open a high-yield savings account with an interest rate around 1.0% APY. That’s certainly much higher than the national average of .09% APY, but it’s still not going to make you rich.
Let’s crunch the numbers to see just how much you can grow your money in a savings account. We’ll assume you make an initial deposit of $5,000 and don’t touch it for five years. We’ll also assume that you don’t make any more deposits and interest is compounded (added to your balance) daily:
- At 0.01% APY (a typical savings interest rate at very large brick-and-mortar banks), you’ll have $5,002.50 after five years.
- At 0.09% APY (the national average savings interest rate), you’ll have $5,022.55 after five years.
- At 1.00% APY (a competitive high-interest savings account rate from an online bank), you’ll have $5,256.35 after five years.
As you can see, the difference between a high-yield savings account and lower-yield options amounts to a couple hundred dollars in this example. Significant? Yes. But it also demonstrates how even a high-interest savings account won’t be making you rich — the interest is merely a nice bonus.
If you truly want to grow your money, you’ll need to consider more sophisticated investments. If you’re interested in jumping into the stock market, a great place to get started is our article on the Best Online Stock Trading Brokerages. If your focus is on building your retirement fund, check out our guide to the Best IRA Accounts.
Pros and Cons of Online Savings Accounts
If you’re wondering whether it’s worth moving your savings online to take advantage of a high-interest savings account, here are some of the benefits:
- Interest rates: Online banks offer many times the national average on savings accounts, which was 0.09% APY in June 2015, according to Bankrate. In fact, it’s not uncommon for some of the biggest banks to offer just 0.01% APY.
- Low or no fees and minimums: Many online banks don’t charge the monthly account maintenance fees you find at brick-and-mortar institutions. Several, like most of the banks on our list, also don’t require a certain minimum balance to open or maintain the account.
- 24/7 account access: If you like to do your banking at unconventional hours, that’s not a problem online. You’ll probably be able to print statements for free whenever you need them, and may have access to conveniences like account alerts and online bill pay. These tools are often better at online banks, which have optimized their technology to keep customers happy.
Of course, there are also some drawbacks to banking online:
- Harder to deposit and access your money: While direct transfers from external accounts are convenient, you could be looking at longer hold times before your money is available. Five days is typical. Even banks with mobile check deposit may not allow checks over a certain amount to be deposited that way, meaning you’ll have to mail larger checks. Also, your online bank may not allow cash deposits.
- Lack of in-person service: Sometimes you just want to talk to a real person, and do it in person. While online banks offer varying degrees of customer service, you won’t be able to talk to a teller or a bank manager. A personal relationship with your bank can come in handy if you ever have problems or need a bit of extra assistance.
- Lack of other products: If you only need a savings account, you might not care whether your bank offers other account options or products such as loans and credit cards. However, there’s something to be said for the convenience of keeping your banking with just one or two institutions.
Remember, High-Interest Savings Accounts Aren’t Your Only Option
Savings accounts are popular because they’re easy to use, keep your money safe, and they’re everywhere, including the Internet. Some of your best options online include Synchrony Bank, Ally, Capital One 360 and the other banks on our list above.
However, you do have some other options. Money market accounts can give you a little bit more flexibility, though you may have to sacrifice a little bit of interest. CDs may give you more interest, particularly with higher deposits, but you won’t be able to touch your money for a long time — not ideal if you need a place to stash emergency savings. And of course, if you need the freedom to make a large number of deposits and withdrawals, you’ll need to look at checking accounts instead.
The post The Best High-Interest Savings Accounts Online appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
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