How does a typical savings account work?
What is a traditional savings account? A traditional savings account is a type of deposit account offered by banks and credit unions that allows customers to deposit money, earn interest, and withdraw funds when needed.
With a regular savings account, you commit to paying in a certain amount each month. In return, the bank or building society gives you a higher interest rate than you'd get with their current account or ordinary savings account.
When you put money in a savings account, the funds are used by the bank to make loans to other customers and businesses. The bank makes money from those loans, so it is able to pay you a little interest in return. But "a little interest" is all too true for many big banks, which often offer low rates of 0.01% APY.
A primary savings account is, fundamentally, a place to hold your money. It's an account you typically open along with a checking account, but one that you don't want to spend from on a regular basis. That means it's not for shopping or automatic bill payments.
With most savings accounts and money market accounts, you'll earn interest every day, but interest is typically paid to the account monthly. However, CDs usually pay you at the end of the specific term, but there may be options to receive interest payments every month or twice a year.
- Interest Rates Can Vary. Interest rates for both traditional and high-yield savings accounts can vary along with the federal funds rate, the benchmark interest rate set by the Federal Reserve. ...
- May Have Minimum Balance Requirements. ...
- May Charge Fees. ...
- Interest Is Taxable.
Access to your money
Make up to 3 withdrawals during the 12 month account term without impacting your interest rate. Make 4 or more withdrawals and your rate will drop to 2.15% AER/gross a year (variable) for the rest of the term.
A savings account is a safe place to put your money when you can't afford to lose any or think you'll need it in an emergency. It's also a good place to put some of your investments as a hedge against losses – you can't lose everything if some of your money is in an ordinary savings account, after all.
The bottom line
Due to their currently elevated interest rates, potential for rate drops in 2024 and the limited options left for savers, yes, high-yield savings accounts are still worth opening in October 2023.
The answer depends on the interest rate, deposit balances and time. The higher the rate, the faster a savings account will grow.
What is a savings account for dummies?
A savings account is a deposit account designed to hold money you don't plan to spend immediately. This is different from a checking account, a transactional account meant for everyday spending, allowing you to write checks or make purchases and ATM withdrawals using a debit card.
- Advantages.
- Earn Interest. A savings account helps you earn interest on the deposited amount. ...
- Safest Investment Option. ...
- Minimum Investment Amount. ...
- Disadvantages.
- Interest Rates Can Change. ...
- Easy Access. ...
- Minimum Balance Requirement.
A minimum account balance for a traditional savings account is the least amount of money you must keep in your account to avoid fees. Typical minimum account balance requirements for traditional savings accounts range from $300 to $500, although amounts vary and some banks have no minimum requirements.
Here's an example: Say you save $1,000 for a year in an account that pays 5% APY, compounded annually. After 12 months, you'll have $1,050. Then you'll start earning interest on $1,050, so after the second year you'll have about $1,100.
Which Bank Gives 7% Interest Rate? Currently, no banks are offering 7% interest on savings accounts, but some do offer a 7% APY on other products. For example, OnPath Federal Credit Union currently offers a 7% APY on average daily checking account balances up to and under $10,000.
- Savings Maximiser (ING) – 5.50%. On balances up to $100,000. ...
- Future Saver Account (Bank of Queensland) – 5.40%. On balances up to $50,000.
- Saver Account (AMP) – 5.40%. On balances up to $250,000.
- ANZ.
- CBA.
- NAB.
- Westpac.
- Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
However, it is still possible to lose money with a high-yield savings account, and it's important to be aware of that before transferring your savings into one of these accounts. There are two main ways you have the potential to lose money. The first is that you could lose out to inflation.
The FDIC insures nearly all banks up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank. Your savings could be at risk if your account is compromised, though federal law does offer you some protection. Amassing a lot of money in your account can also be risky, especially if you're trying to save for long-term goals.
Key Takeaways
Certificates of deposit (CDs) issued by banks and credit unions also carry deposit insurance. U.S. government securities–such as Treasury notes, bills, and bonds–have historically been considered extremely safe because the U.S. government has never defaulted on its debt.
Keeping too much of your spare cash in an account that generates little interest means you're missing out on the opportunity to grow your money. According to Bankrate data, the average savings account paid just 0.24 percent annual percentage yield (APY) as of April 26, 2023.
Why should you not leave all your money in a savings account?
In the long run, your cash loses its value and purchasing power. Another red flag that you have too much cash in your savings account is if you exceed the $250,000 limit set by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) — obviously not a concern for the average saver.
Understand FDIC Limits
You are limited to $250,000 per account holder, per account type at a particular bank. But you can have different account types, and the FDIC will protect your funds up to the $250,000 limit for each account.
Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals. Let's take a closer look at each category.
Cash equivalents are financial instruments that are almost as liquid as cash and are popular investments for millionaires. Examples of cash equivalents are money market mutual funds, certificates of deposit, commercial paper and Treasury bills. Some millionaires keep their cash in Treasury bills.
By age 40, your savings goals should be somewhere in the neighborhood of three times that amount. According to 2023 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual income hovers around $62,000. This means retirement savings goals for 40-somethings should tip the scales at around $200,000.
