Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Today (up to 5.25%)

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A high-yield savings account pays a much higher interest rate than a traditional one. The national average savings account rate is 0.42% APY. However, there are online banks paying much more than that right now: up to 5.25% APY.

Top High-Yield Savings Accounts

Best Rates Overall

These accounts have some of the highest savings rates overall right now:

Best Rates on High-Yield Savings Accounts With Minimal Effort

You might like one of these options if you’re looking for a high-yield savings account that has a low minimum opening deposit and is easy to maintain:

Best Rates on Popular High-Yield Savings Accounts

If you’re interested in a good rate from a popular online bank, here are some places that offer competitive rates. These bank accounts may not necessarily have the highest rates out there, but they are still significantly higher than what you’d earn with a traditional savings account.

Our top picks for savings accounts are protected by FDIC or NCUA insurance. Although First Republic Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, and Signature Bank have recently been shut down, keep in mind money is safe at a federally insured financial institution. When a financial institution is federally insured, up to $250,000 per depositor is secure in a bank account.

Compare High-Yield Savings Accounts

High-Yield Savings Account Reviews

Popular Direct Savings

Why it stands out: Popular Direct has an online savings account and CDs. It’s a good option if you’re specifically searching for competitive savings and CD rates, and you do not need immediate access to your savings. Popular Direct doesn’t have a checking account, so you’ll have to transfer money to an external account, which could take a couple of business days.

What to look out for: Popular Direct has a $100 minimum opening deposit. If you would prefer to open an account with less money upfront, one of our other top picks will be more appealing.

You might prefer another financial institution if you’re an avid mobile app user. The Popular Direct mobile app has lackluster ratings in the Google Play and Apple stores. That said, the app doesn’t have a lot of ratings yet.

We usually consider ratings from the BBB, which rates businesses on transparent business practices and customer service issues. However, Popular Direct doesn’t have a rating from the BBB yet.

Salem Five Direct eOne Savings

Why it stands out: Salem Five Direct, an online division of the Massachusetts-based institution Salem Five Bank, pays 5.01% APY, and has a $10 minimum opening deposit. The account also doesn’t have monthly service fees.

Salem Five has an A- rating from the BBB because it has failed to respond to one customer complaint.

What to look out for: You won’t be eligible to open Salem Five Direct eOne Savings if you currently have a checking or savings account with Salem Five Bank. (If you have an eOne Checking Account with Salem Five Direct, you’ll still qualify to open an eOne Savings Account.) When you open the account, you also have to use “new money.” New money refers to funds that have not already been deposited into another Salem Five or Salem Five Direct bank account.

Salem Five Direct may transfer money to a Statement Savings Account if you have more than $1 million in your account. This account only offers 0.01% APY.

Bread Savings High-Yield Savings Account

Why it stands out: Bread Savings pays a high interest rate with no monthly service fees. You only need a $100 to get started.

What to look out for: Bread Savings is a banking platform, not a bank. It gets FDIC insurance through its parent bank, Comenity Direct. The BBB gives Comenity Direct an NR (No Rating) because it’s looking into a pattern of complaints about the bank.

Bask Bank Interest Savings Account

Why it stands out: Bask Bank has a high-yield savings account with a $0 minimum deposit, so it could be a good option if you’d like to open an account with easy opening requirements.

You might consider Bask Bank if you’re interested in opening CDs, too. The online-only bank is also featured in our guide for the best 6-month CD rates.

What to look out for: To deposit or withdraw money, you’ll need to link an external bank account and initiate a bank transfer.

Bask Bank also received a C+ rating from the BBB because it’s received 28 customer complaints on the BBB website. However, its parent company, Texas Capital Bank, has an A+ rating from the BBB.

Milli Account

Why it stands out: Milli is a solid choice if you’re comfortable with a mobile-only banking experience and want to keep your checking and savings all in one place. Milli offers a Spending and Savings Account. You can earn 5.25% APY on the Savings Account. Milli also has a savings tool called Jars that helps you track money for individual goals without having to create a new savings account. There are no minimum balance requirements to earn interest.

Milli doesn’t have a Better Business Bureau rating yet, First National Bank of Omaha has an A+ grade.

What to look out for: Milli doesn’t accept cash deposits. It only offers customer service on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, and only through chat or email.

Betterment Cash Reserve

Why it stands out: If you’re looking for a place where you can save and invest, Betterment may be a strong option. The online investing platform is offering a high rate of 5.25% APY on the Betterment Cash Reserve Account for new customers. To earn the promotional rate, you’ll open it through the signup link and make a deposit from an external bank account in the first 14 days.

The APY boost will be applied to your account until December 31, 2023. Afterward, you’ll earn the standard rate.

What to look out for: To be eligible for the APY boost, you cannot have an existing Betterment account. Existing customers will earn the standard rate. You may also prefer another institution if you’d like to open CDs or money market accounts. Betterment only offers a checking account and cash reserve account, which is similar to a high-yield savings account.

The Better Business Bureau gave Betterment an F rating because it has a high volume of customer complaints on the BBB website and six unresolved complaints. It has also been involved in a recent public controversy. In 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission required Betterment to pay $9 million in a settlement that accused the investment advisory firm of omitting information regarding automated tax loss harvesting, which the SEC claimed affected clients.

Western Alliance Bank High Yield Savings Account

Why it stands out: Through Raisin, you can use one platform to find, fund, and manage multiple high-yield savings accounts and CDs from over 20 banks and credit unions. Currently, the Western Alliance Bank High Yield Savings Account is the highest-yield savings account on Raisin. That said, there are also other savings accounts available on Raisin that pay 5.00% APY or more.

Raisin received an A grade from the BBB because there are 22 complaints against the company on the BBB website.

What to look out for: You might prefer one of our other top picks if you would rather open a bank account directly with a bank. You also can’t get a checking account with Raisin, so it may not be the best option if you want to do all your banking with one company.

Bank5 Connect Jumbo Savings

Why it stands out: This account pays a high interest rate and has no monthly fees. It also offers early direct deposit so you can receive your paycheck up to two days early. Its most unique feature is that, along with FDIC insurance, it offers Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF) protection. FDIC insurance protects up to $250,000 in an individual account, and DIF insurance protects any deposits above that amount. So every penny in your Jumbo Savings Account is secure.

Bank5 Connect is the online subsidiary of Bank Five, which has an A+ from the BBB.

What to look out for: This account is only a good option if you have at least $25,000. You need $25,000 to open the account, and you must maintain this balance to earn interest. Bank5 Connect also compounds interest monthly, not daily. Depending on how much you save, this may or may not make a significant difference in how much you earn.

Synchrony High-Yield Savings Account

Why it stands out: The Synchrony High-Yield Savings Account pays a high interest rate, has no minimum opening deposit, and charges zero monthly fees. It also comes with an ATM card so you can access your savings quickly.

Synchrony has an A+ rating from the BBB.

What to look out for: Synchrony doesn’t have a checking account, so it might not be the best option if you want to do all your banking with one institution.

Synchrony has also been involved in a few public controversies. In 2023, Synchrony was required to pay $2.6 million in a settlement when accused of calling customers about bank accounts they didn’t have. In 2021, the bank also was required to pay $3.5 million in a settlement when accused of making unreasonable phone calls to debtors living in California.

SoFi Checking and Savings

Why it stands out: If you’d like to manage your money in one account, SoFi Checking and Savings is a great option. It’s a hybrid bank account that combines checking and savings features.

You can earn a competitive interest rate that’s higher than the average savings account pays if you set up direct deposits.

SoFi has an A+ grade from the BBB.

What to look out for: The account is a hybrid savings/checking account, so you’ll need to keep that in mind to get the most out of the account. If you deposit cash, you also might need to pay a fee.

SoFi has been involved in a recent public controversy. In 2021, the Security and Exchange Commission required SoFi Wealth to pay $300,000 in a settlement that stated the bank failed to tell customers of a conflict of interest when it put account holders’ assets into SoFi ETFs instead of third-party ETFs.

Discover Online Savings

Why it stands out: Discover pays a high interest rate, and there’s a $0 minimum deposit and no monthly service fee. Discover also has an A+ grade from the BBB.

What to look out for: You can earn slightly higher interest rates at some other big-name, online banks.

Capital One 360 Performance Savings

Why it stands out: Capital One 360 pays a high interest rate, especially for a big-name bank. There is $0 minimum opening deposit and no monthly service fee. The account helps you set up a savings plan by setting up automatic transfers from checking to savings when Capital One determines you have extra money.

You also might like Capital One 360 if you prioritize strong customer support or a good mobile app. The bank has 24/7 customer service via online chat, and it’s featured in our best mobile banking apps guide. Capital One 360 has received an A+ rating from the BBB.

What to look out for: The company does have a recent controversy. In 2020, the bank paid $80 million in a settlement after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency stated that the bank was partially responsible for a 2019 data breach in which a hacker accessed over 100 million credit card applications. The OCC said Capital One’s security was inefficient at the time.

Why You Should Trust Us: Experts’ Advice on Choosing the Best High-Yield Savings Account

We consulted banking and financial planning experts to inform these picks and provide their advice on finding the best high-yield savings accounts for your needs.

Here’s what our expert panel had to say about high-yield savings. (Some text may be lightly edited for clarity.)

Generally, what makes a high-yield savings account good or not good?

Roger Ma, certified financial planner with lifelaidout® and author of“Work Your Money, Not Your Life”:

“It might not be as seamless to get your money out of an online savings account as it is a brick-and-mortar, but you don’t want to have so much friction where it’s such a pain to get the money out when you need it.”

Mykail James, MBA, certified financial education instructor, BoujieBudgets.com:

“Anything with a fee is not a good high-yield savings account. Anything that restricts how much you can save is, to me, not very good. If I can’t save more than $10,000 in this account, and then I have to move it over somewhere else — to me, that’s not a really good savings account, because it’s not really prepared to help me expand and grow, which is what a savings account is supposed to do. I also look at interest rates, definitely. I look to see when the interest is paid. Is it quarterly, or is it monthly? How often do they pay out interest, and what are the interest rate stipulations?”

Sophia Acevedo, certified educator in personal finance, banking reporter, Personal Finance Insider:

“I would consider looking for features that will help manage your account. Some banks have high-yield savings accounts that let you separate your savings into individual goals and track your progress. Other financial institutions will let you deposit cash at ATMs or some retailers. A good high-yield savings account will likely be an account where you can grow your savings without unnecessary hassles.”

How should someone decide whether to put their money in a high-yield savings account, money market account, or CD?

Tania Brown, certified financial planner at SaverLife:

“So I guess we’ll start off with how much money you want to put in and the level of transactions you want to have. If you want to have any transactions, that automatically takes out CDs. Then you’re stuck between the high-yield savings and the money market account.”

Sophia Acevedo, CEPF:

“I would create a list of what I prioritize most in a bank account. For example, some banks have accounts that charge monthly service fees. I would look to see what the requirements are for waiving the monthly service fee and whether I think I could feasibly meet those requirements each month. If I’m searching for an interest-earning bank account, I’ll pay attention to interest rates. I would make sure the account pays a higher interest rate than the average bank account.”

Our Methodology

There are a lot of high-yield savings accounts out there. Through our research, we’ve found that the best high-yield savings accounts are offered by banks with a strong online presence, robo-advisors, and other internet-only financial companies. If you’re more comfortable banking with a national brick-and-mortar bank, you’ll likely have to consider a premium savings account to earn a more competitive interest rate.

We review savings accounts at nearly three dozen institutions weekly to identify the strongest options. While interest rates are an important aspect of any savings account, we also consider minimum deposits and balance requirements, transfer limitations, and any other standout features.

Personal Finance Insider’s mission is to help smart people make the best decisions with their money. We understand that “best” is often subjective, so in addition to highlighting the clear benefits of a financial product or account — a high APY, for example — we outline the limitations, too. We spent hours comparing and contrasting the features and fine print of various products so you don’t have to.

See our full ratings methodology for checking, business checking, savings, and money market accounts »

High-Yield Savings Account FAQs

What To Do When Your Savings Account Interest Changes

Interest rates on high-yield savings account closely follow the federal funds rate. That is to say, rates are variable and can change multiple times per year at the whim of the Federal Reserve.

If the interest rate on your savings account changes significantly, you might decide to look at other financial institutions to see if you can find a more competitive interest rate elsewhere. However, bear in mind that changing accounts may not be worth the effort, particularly if your new account’s rate drops afterward.

You also might consider other savings account options. For example, buying savings bonds or setting up a CD ladder may be worth considering if you’ve already established your emergency fund.

Typical Interest Rates on High-Yield Savings Accounts

Nationally, as of July 2023, the average traditional savings account earns just 0.42% APY.

If you’re more comfortable banking with a brick-and-mortar bank, a traditional savings account might be a better option for you. Just know that you may not be getting the best possible interest rate, because online banks and credit unions usually offer higher rates.

High-Yield Savings Account Basics

A savings account is an interest-earning bank account. Accounts that are backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) are secure. Up to $250,000 per owner is insured in these bank accounts.

What To Look For in a High-Yield Savings Account

When you’re looking for a savings account, you’ll want to read through the account disclosures and terms to review the account’s minimum balance requirements and minimum opening deposits. The account disclosure may also specify any fees associated with the account, and whether there are any transaction limits.

What to Know About the Highest Interest Savings Account Interest Rates

Generally, you’ll find the best savings interest rates at online banks. Right now, the highest interest savings account on our list is 5.25% APY. Betterment and Milli have accounts that offer this APY. However, keep in mind that Betterment is offering this rate specifically to new customers, and Milli’s APY applies to its Savings Account and Jars.

High-Yield Savings Account Fees

Depending on where you bank, some savings accounts may charge monthly service fees. A monthly service fee is an amount you’ll have to pay each month to maintain an account. Some accounts will allow you to waive a monthly service fee if you meet certain requirements while others cannot be waived. Bear in mind, some savings accounts do not charge certain fees at all.

How High-Yield Savings Accounts Work

A savings account is a type of interest-earning bank account. A savings account rate is variable, which means it can fluctuate after you’ve opened the account. Your bank will usually email you to tell you the rate will go up or down soon.

Savings accounts may also have transfer limits, according to federal rule Regulation D. Generally, if a savings account has a transfer limit, this means that you’ll only be permitted to make six transfers from the account each month. If you exceed the transfer limit, you will have to pay a fee for each additional transfer.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve has recently amended Regulation D, so banks may choose to suspend the monthly transfer limit so customers can make unlimited monthly transactions, or they could enforce a six-per-month limit.

The Different Types of Savings Accounts

There are six types of savings accounts: traditional savings accounts, high-yield savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, cash management accounts, and specialty savings accounts. The best savings account for you may depend on your banking preference, goals, and when you’ll need to access your money.

A high-yield savings account, for example, is a strong choice if you’re comfortable with banking digitally and want to earn a high interest rate.

Savings Account Glossary

Below is an overview of all the terms you may need to know about savings accounts:

Savings Account Alternatives and Related Products

• ONE Account: This account makes it possible to earn a high interest rate if you meet certain criteria, but you can earn higher rates with our top picks for the best rates.
• UFB Premier Savings: UFB Direct pays a great savings rate, but it’s just short of those on our list.
• Laurel Road High Yield Savings: Laurel Road has a competitive interest rate, but our top picks are even more competitive right now.
• Marcus High Yield Online Savings Account: Marcus pays 4.15% APY, but it doesn’t offer a checking account — this can make it difficult to access your savings quickly.
• Barclays Online Savings Account: Barclays pays 4.15% APY. However, it didn’t make our list because the bank doesn’t have a checking account and it has poor mobile app ratings.
• Panacea Financial High-Yield Savings Account: The Panacea Financial High-Yield Savings Account only pays 3.00% APY, and it’s changed its eligibility requirements so only doctors, aspiring doctors, or their immediate family members may open an account.
• M1 High Yield Savings Account: The M1 High Yield Savings Account pays a high rate if you’re an M1 Plus client. However, M1 Plus clients have to pay a membership fee of $10 per month or an annual fee of $95 per year. Currently, there is a 3-month free trial to become an M1 Plus member, and if you refer a friend you’ll get six months free. If you’re not an M1 Plus Client, you’ll earn a lower rate. Our top picks overall either offers a higher interest rate or may offer easier requirements for earning interest.
• Citi® Accelerate Savings: This account pays a good rate, but it’s only available in certain states.
• First Foundation Bank Online Savings Account: First Foundation pays a very high savings rate — just not quite as high as our top picks for highest rates overall.
• CIT Bank Platinum Savings: This account pays an impressive rate of 4.95% APY for balances of $5,000 or more, but you can earn a slightly higher rate with our picks for our highest rates overall.
• American Express® High Yield Savings Account: This account has a competitive rate for a big-name bank, but you can find slightly stronger accounts elsewhere.
• Primis Savings Account: The Primis Savings Account pays a high interest rate and has a $1 minimum opening deposit, but it’s currently unavailable to open online.
• Newtek Bank Personal High Yield Savings Account: The Newtek Personal High Yield Savings Account offers 5.00% APY, but it’s currently unavailable for new customers to open. If you’re interested in opening an account once accounts are available, you may fill out a waitlist form.
• Ivy Bank High-Yield Savings Account: The Ivy Bank High-Yield Savings Account pays up to 4.80% APY, but it requires a $2,500. Our top picks for best rates have even more competitive rates right now.
• Upgrade Premier Savings: While Upgrade Premier Savings pays up to up to 4.81% APY, our top picks for the best rates overall are even higher. You’ll also need to maintain at least $1,000 in your account to earn any interest.
• TAB High-Yield Savings Account: TAB Bank pays a lower interest rate on its savings account than our top picks for minimal effort.
• CIT Bank Savings Connect Account: The CIT Savings Connect Account offers a solid interest rate, but our best high-yield savings accounts with minimal effort pay more competitive savings rates.
• Citizens Access Savings: Citizens pays a great interest rate, but our top picks for minimal effort have even higher rates right now.
• LendingClub High-Yield Savings Account: LendingClub pays a solid savings rate, but our top picks for minimal effort have higher interest rates.
• PNC High Yield Savings℠ Account: Our top picks for minimal effort have more competitive interest rates.
• MySavingsDirect Savings Account: MySavingsDirect offers a competitive interest rate, but our top picks for best rates have even more competitive offerings right now.
• Chase Premier Savings℠ Account: This savings account has a low minimum opening deposit, but it pays a lower interest rate than the average savings account.
• Bank of America Advantage Savings Account: The Bank of America Advantage Savings Account pays only 0.01% to 0.04% APY. Other financial institutions offer more competitive interest rates.
• Huntington Premier Savings Account: This savings pays a lower interest rate than the average savings account.
• Wells Fargo Platinum Savings Account: While the Wells Fargo Platinum Savings Account pays a decent interest rate, the bank has been involved in public settlements involving overdraft fees on checking and savings accounts, fake bank accounts to meet sales goals, and predatory mortgage lending.
• Live Oak Bank Online Savings Account: Live Oak doesn’t have minimum balance requirements on its savings account, but it has lackluster mobile app ratings.
• TIAA Bank Yield Pledge® Online Savings: TIAA Bank might be worthwhile if you’d like to avoid monthly service fees, but it lacks the distinguishing features that our top picks have.
• Ally Savings Account: Ally pays a solid rate on its savings account, but our top picks for national brands pay even higher rates right now.
• Sallie Mae SmartyPig Account: Sallie Mae has a high interest rate on its savings account, but our top picks for best rates have even more competitive interest rates right now.
• Quorum Federal Credit Union HighQ Savings Account: Quorum Federal Credit Union has a solid savings account, but our top picks for best rates pay higher rates.
• Empower Personal Cash™: Empower Personal Cash™ might be ideal if you’re looking for a competitive interest rate or if you invest with Empower. However, our top picks also have more bank account options or have more unique features.
• Axos High Yield Savings Account: Axos is a solid free savings account, but our top picks for best rates offer more competitive interest rates right now.
• Vio Bank Online High-Yield Savings Account: Vio has a solid fee-free savings account, but our top picks have lower minimum opening deposits and pay higher interest rates.
• Chime Savings Account: Chime has unique savings features to help save for goals, but its interest rate is lower than all of our top picks for best rates with minimal fees.
• HSBC Direct Savings Account: The HSBC Direct mobile app has received negative reviews, and has a lower interest rate than our best rates category.
• CIBC Agility Online Savings Account: You only need to maintain a balance of $0.01 to earn interest on the account, but it has a lower interest rates than our top picks for best rates.
• Fitness Bank Fitness Savings Account: This unique savings account determines your APY by the number of steps you take on an average day. While there’s potential to earn a high rate on your money, it’s conditional on your level of commitment.
• SFGI Direct Savings Account: Although SFGI Direct’ account earns a respectable APY, it requires $500 to open.
• Credit Karma Money Save Account: Credit Karma Money Save pays a high interest rate, but our top picks offer more standout features, like a higher interest rate, an ATM card, savings tools, or the ability to open a joint bank account.
• USAA Savings Account: This account could be a good fit for military members and families, but you’ll earn a low rate and need at least $25 to open an account.
• Nationwide My Savings Account: You need $100 to open an account with Nationwide, and its interest rate is only so-so.