Best High Yield Savings Accounts

If you’re like me, you must be just a tad bit frustrated with the low-yielding accounts we’re seeing these days. Savings accounts have been offering anemic interest rates, with three month CDs languishing with returns of under 1% APY. So what can we do with our short term savings? Where can we stash our emergency funds and those savings we have that need to be absolutely safe and liquid?

I’ve received some recommendations on this matter from financial shows and articles that have been trumpeting the benefits of online banks. More customers have been flocking to these financial institutions in recent years as they’ve become more comfortable with using the Internet. Now there are a lot of solid reasons why online savings accounts are worthy of your review. Here are some justifications for parking your money in online accounts:

• Fewer or lower fees because most of your business can be conducted online. Online banks don’t have the extraneous expenses that come with operating brick and mortar banks.
• Higher yields than what you’ll see in products from traditional savings institutions. Online banks are able to pass some of their savings off to their customers in the form of higher returns.
• Quick access to your accounts. You don’t have to call and wait for a customer service representative to access your bank account information. It’s quick, easy and convenient to log on and check your reports online.
• Secure access. Online banks have taken pains to ensure that your accounts are highly secure.

Frankly, I’m not sure why more people aren’t using online banks because even major banks have their own online Internet banking divisions. These online institutions have become much more ubiquitous and are growing their businesses at a healthy clip, over time. So what kind of products can we expect from these banks? Let me offer you a short list of popular savings accounts with relatively higher yields:

Best High Yield Savings Accounts

Ally Bank: This account has no fees and no required minimum balance. The Ally Bank Online Savings Account yields a 1.85% APY (Updated 7/24/09), and is only one among many bank products available from Ally Bank.

Dollar Savings Direct: This account has no fees but requires a minimum balance of $1,000 to open. The Dollar Savings Account returns a 1.70% APY, which is still above 1%. And like many other accounts, it can be linked to any existing external account you own. Dollar Savings Direct is a division of Emigrant Bank.

EverBank: This account has no fees but requires a $1,500 minimum deposit. For the first 3 months after you open an account, the EverBank Yield Pledge Money Market Account will return 3.01% APY. After this period, your new rate will be 2.15% APY for the first year.

WT Direct: This account has no fees and no balance limits. The WTDirect Savings Account offers a 1.76% APY but under these conditions: you’ll receive 1.76% as the interest rate for the first 60 days. Thereafter, you’ll need to retain a balance of at least $10,000 in order to continue receiving the 1.76% APY. Any account that falls under $10,000 will be readjusted to return 0.50%.

HSBC Direct: This account has no monthly fees and no balance requirement as well. The HSBC’s Online Savings Account offers a 1.55% APY. What I like about this account is that it is backed by one of the most solid banks you’ll come across.

E*Trade Bank: This account has no fees and doesn’t require a minimum balance. The E*Trade Bank Complete Savings Account yields 0.95% APY which is still comparatively better than the interest rates of many savings accounts from well-known banks.

ING Direct: This account has no fees and no balance limits either. The ING Direct Electric Orange Account currently returns .25% to 1.65%, which is on the low end of the scale. Still, if you’re interested in joining one of the most reputable banks around, then ING Direct should be something to consider.

Bank of Internet: This account has no fees and no balance limits or requirements. The Bank of Internet High Yield Savings Account yields a reasonable 2.06% APY. As for the bank itself, it’s not one of the more familiar banks around and does not have as recognizable a name as the others on this list.

Our interest rate environment is no doubt a tough one right now, but I hope you’re still able to find what you’re looking for on this list! Happy saving!

This is a post from The Smarter Wallet.

Best High Yield Savings Accounts

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